To The Editors et al
November 12, 2000
On November 10th 2000 the long awaited school zone caution lights and speed limit signs became a reality.
This accomplishment took one year, two months, and twenty eight days. Due mainly, in my opinion, to elected state and parish officials, Ascension School Board members and their appointees at the Dutchtown Schools non caring attitude for the serious safety issues that exist at Highway 74 and the Dutchtown School Road.
Here is a scenario of what was, and what was not done by those involved:
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Contacts to the previous Parish President went ignored. |
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When the principle, Ms. Merideth, was contacted she gave
me the impression that her hands were tied, and did not want to upset the
apple cart by making waves. |
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A half hearted attempt at remedying the issue
was made by the Ascension Parish Schools
Superintendent Mr. Clouatre. When turned down by the D.O.T.D. he washed his hands of the
problem stating "nothing more could be done." |
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When Representative Juba Diez was contacted, he also made
a weak effort to remedy the situation. When turned down by the D.O.T.D. and
asked to pursue it further, made the statement, "that he was not in the
business of installing lights and signs." |
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A stronger effort was made by Mr. Harold Marchand in that he tried to intervene with the School Board offering D.P.W. assistance if needed installing the caution lights and signs. |
Countless phone calls, emails, and letters to the D.O.T.D. finally paid off when a decision was made to monitor the situation. After two days of monitoring it was then decided by the D.O.T.D. that there was in fact a serious safety issue and a permit was issued to install speed limit signs and flashing caution lights immediately, and later to install turn lanes on Highway 74. It was also stated by a D.O.T.D. official that "they went against policy issuing a permit, but saw no other way to remedy the serious safety issue existing at Highway 74 and the Dutchtown School Road."
The permit was issued April 2000, and it has taken the School Board since then to achieve a simple order of two flashing caution lights and installing them. And, when they finally did install the lights, installed forty-five mile per hour speed limit signs instead of the twenty-five mile an hour signs permitted by the D.O.T.D..
There is much more to this issue than printed here. Actual memos, emails, and other documentation are available at the web site Inside Ascension Parish at www.inascension.com on its School Board page under the issue An accident just waiting to happen on Highway 74 at Dutchtown School Road.
To all those who aggressively participated in resolve of this serious safety issue I give my most sincere thanks. And, to all those who felt that the well being and safety of Dutchtown School students and their parents was not a serious issue, SHAME.
