Local government makes a difference

At the intersection of Eastbluff Drive and Bixia Street, there’s living proof that local government can make a difference in your life.

At the beginning of the month, a group of parents began circulating a petition to get the city to station a crossing guard at the corner, as well as at Vista del Oro and Vista del Sol. While waiting for a response, the Eastbluff Elementary School parents began patrolling the intersections themselves, decked out in orange vests and carrying stop signs.

They didn’t get the answer they wanted, though they did get more than 150 parents to sign the petition. A city study determined that the Eastbluff Drive corner didn’t meet state requirements for posting a guard. The state threshold is 500 vehicles and 40 elementary-aged kids in one hour at an intersection, but just 20 kids crossed the street there.

The story didn’t end with a state brick wall, however. Enter Mayor John Heffernan and City Councilwoman Leslie Daigle, whose district includes the intersection. They pressed for the city to pay for the guard and, voila, the person now wearing the bright orange and carrying a stop sign is going to be paid by the city.

“If you look at it, you can look at the traffic study and have numbers, but we’re also responsive to the number of PTA moms who want this,” Daigle told the Pilot. “It was close enough for us to err on the side of helping out the moms.”

In Newport Beach, residents expect the city to err on their side when it comes to providing services -- be it trash pickup, the libraries or paying for an extra crossing guard.

“It feels really, really, really good,” said Jennifer Mannon, one of the parents who pushed for getting a guard. “This issue affects a lot of people. A lot of parents are going to feel really good about this once they know.”

And that is just what City Council members want to hear.