Let's Hold Hands can be the Mantra for Adults and Kids Going Places, Doing Things and Getting Back to Cars and Places Safely!

As for another Hot Topic on a Small Town Forum... See the second half of this post: speeding in residential neighborhoods, near schools and libraries, What's a Mom, Kid or Concerned Person to do? Here are a few tips that can be shared widely...written by me, Catherine Palmer Paton, to help keep 'accidents' and collisions from happening or being worse than need be if truly not preventable..

.If the worst happens, my sincere condolences and support for you to take deep breaths, sit down, be open to guidance and think calmly with your hand on your heart. Think of the feeling you are having and name it if you can, then breathe calmly and think of a safe, nice time of being with a friend or sitting by the water and looking at a calm landscape or in a friendly park or place.

Let that be a calming feeling and set of thoughts, then reframe what you are experiencing...and if you are up for asking for healing and help from a higher plane that's can be helpful too. By then hopefully someone is helping you and just counting slowly to ten a few times may help people get on the same page.

Think of just the simplest things and little by little the next steps for help such as calling for help (dialing 911 and calling a friend to do that too if need be and make sure the details of one's whereabouts and safety are clear. If it's remote try to have someone help signal where one by going closer to a main road and even calling 911 or the police (if you have the direct number which in the Northwest Corner of CT For Troop by is 860-626-1820) to clarify directions and see if help is on the way.

Someone needing help was told a few times that help was coming but actually the police were not responding to a concern at The Falls since no one was actually drowning even though there was a serious risk of that with young children at the base of the dam with a few adults who then crossed through moving water to get back to shore.

They formed a line of adults and passed the children and held onto one another and thankfully all got back safely. The police then said if there were a real concern about safety to call the fire department, but the 911 folks did not clarify that. There should be signs and even a telling of this tale so people realize things like that have happened and likely will again. For more about the dangers of the falls, read 'Remembering Kaelan Alexander Palmer Paton" by Catherine Palmer Paton (me, his Mom...) 

Another time someone was acting beliligerent and the police who had been to that house before told the caller they did know which house it was. But they went to a neighbors in the middle of the night and had to be flagged down by the caller who ran a thousand feet or so to alert them. They would have figured it out eventually but sometimes 'every minute counts'.

It would be good to have Clear Large Reflective Markings on signage for one's home especially if off the beaten track.  More towns and states are assisting people with ways to get House Numbers posted but again sometimes it helps to be ready to be outside "if it's safe to do". Someone made a report of an unruly neighbor and when trying to get to the police, a gun was fired from next door.

For a moment the person didn't know if they were in direct danger and the police came to a screeching halt and backed up. Thankfully that was the only gunfire. It was not aimed at more than a hillside but the person was under the influence so was not allowed to drive. That didn't stop the person and he yelled at the neighbor who called about the concern (though it could have been a few people since it was a common occurrence and many lived nearby and tried to figure out game plans.) 

The police were alerted that the person was swearing at the neighbor when driving. Roadblocks were set up in a few places rather than waiting discreetly for the person to drive back to their home. People alerted the drunk driver once he had gotten to another place and while police knew where that was, they could not prove he the person drove there so no arrest was made.

The neighbor was told they could have pressed charges but for concern nothing would actually happen to the person, that was not done. Another person was intimidating and yelling at a person they knew without warning in a public area. The police were consulted as to options and the victim of that verbal close encounter could have pressed charges.

That person chose not to do so but the person yelling was not made aware of the crime they committed. More needs to be done to address ongoing or occasional concerns. Some people are not happy with newcomers in an area (whether passing through or for the day or longer, not on 'their road' or in their neighborhood or using the river or other public areas, particularly if leaving a mess or putting people even themselves at risk for harm.

The whole topic of federal or public property versus state or town or private property and how people can be clear about laws and ways for people to use 'any of the above' is a big one that needs more thought. Volunteer rescue people are being called to an array of matters whether a smoke alarm goes off or someone is lost or may be harming another person or themselves.

The police, fire, and medical responders work together whether paid or volunteer staff. There is plenty of room for the public to learn how to live and enjoy an area and driving without breaking laws or putting people in danger or need of a rescue which then can put those folks at risk. Thanks for everyone looking into these matters as they can. We may need to fine tune any public handbook on safety and managing life in our modern world even in small towns.

 RE: Speeding in Small Towns (and this could be Anytown USA but happened in the northwest corner of CT)

I heard someone driving down past the library and the church had a young child run across the street from the library to the church parking lot where many parents park or even have story time.

(Yes I left a word about that with them and hope things are being addressed but haven't really followed up, so feel free to do so if someone wants to at any public place but also talk it up among residents.

Even families need to check every time for safety and not have kids run out to meet people or get dropped off and not clearly walked inside (since some doors stick and they may run back in front of the car, or walk in front of a car when getting dropped off...)

Once is enough to remind us all that kids don't look both ways sometimes and even then may think the car will stop so run in front of a moving car anyway (even kids over 12...)

So lots to consider and yes, this is a bit long but feel free to print out and post and save me the trouble!

Maybe the former 'Survive the Drive Folks" (including Bob Green who has written to The Lakeville Journal about safe driving basics and serious statistics) would collaborate with us since he taught thousands about safe driving...now we just have to figure out the other details...

There could be a safer way to monitor kids and families at any place when outdoors for gatherings. Blocking off a driveway with a car parked in a certain spot (say where another car could drive around it in an emergency in the parking lot, not blocking the driveway at the road...)

Plus signage and speaking with the adults about keeping kids "in bounds" with running a plastic tape if need be for starters could help (not having them go around the building or out of site...)

If there's a regular event, things can be fine tuned. At story hour if possible, cars could pull in on the right of the church then park at the far end for instance and again kids could be coached to have an adult's hand if going back to their car or even when leaving it initially.

Those are guidelines for parties at someone's house or sporting events soo, just keeping track of kids. I was at an event where a child almost ran behind a quiet electric car backing up so that's another concern to keep in mind..how quiet some cars are..and of course, reminders not to leave people or pets in a car when running errands (a pain but again more planning and knowing their are fines and possible risk to those who may be left if older or younger etc is important to plan for accordingly.)

The idea of having a rule or guideline for parents or adults to go out with their children or another designated adult from the library would be one way to prevent that kind of problem (even in the library parking lot.)

That would make sense at any school, daycare and so on, even at the recreation center pool since people tend to speed in or back up without looking. Helping Kids learn that Their Job is to Hold Someone's Hand (and that they can ask for help finding the right kind of adult to help them if their parent or caregiver is not there) can be empowering.

There are many tweaks to how each of us lives and communicates that can prevent mishaps and worse. I share a lot on my blog and am happy to work with others along these lines. I have a lot about safer driving and and promoting voluntary outreaches (signs and even people monitoring things...)

Maybe putting up signs about 'Neighborhood Watch" area and writing to The Lakeville Journal to create forums would help more people plan ahead, have others do errands and not be in a rush, maybe find help with getting kids ready for school or watching kids before or after school etc.

There could be an hour of recreation possibly for kids to come early and leave late, have snacks and help with homework and so on to decrease the amount of traffic.

Maybe the churches and libraries could be used if the schools can't let people in due to regulations. That could help at the high school too, with the town so handy... 

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