A question of safety

Dear Editor:

The Sports Camp program used to be well-defined and capably run.
But, now, the routine followed is this: The children assemble at 9 a.m. and for a couple of hours play at Widmyer Elementary. Then they walk to the pool, where they remain until, I believe, 4 p.m. After this, the children walk as a group, theoretically, back to the school. In actual practice, the children straggle back in small groups, in a long, rag-tag line; with the “managers” tagging along behind, chatting among themselves. Yesterday, I’m told, the first one in the procession was a five-year-old boy, who was totally oblivious to automobile traffic.

We are all aware that U.S. 522 is a high-traffic road, and that several side-streets must be crossed during that walk. But perhaps we are not aware that some of the youngest children are at the front of the long line, frolicking along by themselves, with nobody in charge. These tykes have little or no awareness of the hazard presented by sidestreets which drivers sometimes turn into, or come out of, at relatively high speeds.

To those who are ultimately responsible for this program: Please take heed, and prevent another tragedy. The child we recently lost was surely one too many.

Bill Butler
Hedgesville