Traffic light at 199/River St. grass-roots campaign goal
From our weekly issue dated October 01, 2008
Using Robbie Robinson and Cori Allen for inspiration, a Cave Junction mom has formed a crosswalk safety group to obtain traffic control for children crossing the busy intersection of Hwy. 199 and River Street in Cave Junction.
Patty Schalk, with daughter-in-law Jessica Welcome, have formed the Crosswalk Safety Committee and are working with Oregon Dept. of Transportation, and are looking for more community members to join.
ODOT, she said, is cooperating and has ideas including a traffic light system that would be in operation only at specific times, as when students from area schools have to cross the intersection.
Schalk considers Robinson and Allen her heroes because of their personal, heartfelt achievements to improve traffic safety.
“Robbie put his life on the line, literally, for the safety of our children, as well as for the safety of drivers,” said Schalk. Robinson and his wife, Joan, who operated Robbie’s Automotive at the intersection, shepherded school children across the street for several years.
“Cori campaigned to make the highway safer for everyone, and she did it, making it safer for drivers and children,” noted Schalk. After the death of her son near milepost 23 of 199, she worked with ODOT, resulting in guardrails to prevent the same type of crash in which her son died.
“Robbie and Joan both cared for the safety of the children enough to be the crossing guard standing in the middle of the crosswalk to stop traffic,” recalled Schalk.
“One incident, that I personally know of, left Robbie dodging from a speeding car while standing guard in the crosswalk, the crosswalk our kids use. What an awesome sacrifice.
“Cori & Darrel Allen are unseen heroes, also. They lost their son, Joshua, in a mid-day accident when his truck went over an embankment. Because of their loss, we have all gained. They took it upon themselves to see what they could do to prevent this from happening to anyone else.
“Thanks to their efforts we are all driving safer on Redwood Hwy. because of the new guardrails.”
Schalk said that the Crosswalk Safety Committee has been established in foresight, not hindsight.
“Thank God that the children have been safe,” she said. “You see, I too, have a son, Joshua (meaning Jesus) and it is his son, Hezekiah (meaning strength of God) who is the reason for the Crosswalk Safety Committee.”
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