A good sign for safety

Danette Goulet

Motorists zipping down Balboa Boulevard will know when they reach the

school zone for Newport Elementary School -- now that there are

florescent green street signs to mark it.

All four of the school warning and school crossing signs surrounding

Newport Elementary were replaced last week with shockingly bright neon

warning signs.

The signs were a gift from the Newport Harbor squadron of the Sons of the

American Legion, a fund-raising organization composed of children and

grandchildren of military veterans.

Organization member Michael Brigandi, whose 12-year-old granddaughter,

Taylor, attends Newport Elementary, saw neon school signs when he was out

of state on a trip.

“I got very excited because they’re dramatically more visible,” he said.

Brigandi asked the city for approval and contacted the company that

manufactures the signs, Zumar Industries Inc., for a price. He then went

back to the Sons of the American Legion for the money. For a little more

than $500, the organization bought the signs, which were eagerly posted

by the city.

“We’re seeing more and more of [organizations providing for communities].

People are taking an interest -- especially in schools,” said Paul

Kelleher, who oversees traffic and signs for the city of Newport Beach.

“I’d like to see a lot more of it -- it’s great.”

The move toward the more visible neon signs is one many communities are

making for safety reasons, Kelleher said.

Newport Elementary Principal Denise Knutsen and parents are very

concerned about the need for drivers to slow down in school zones.

Because the school does not have a parking lot, students either walk to

school or are dropped off at the curb, putting all the children at the

edge of the road twice a day.

Knutsen, who spends her mornings and afternoons out on the sidewalk

looking out for children’s safety, is overjoyed by the new acquisition.

“The florescent really stands out,” she said. “We’re just fortunate that

we have a community that cares so much.”