The board of trustees heard Monday night from many village parents about their concerns over the safety of children trying to cross Walnut Street at two intersections near the elementary school.

Sarah Stewart told the board that she had come before them previously on the same subject and that although she appreciated the lowering of the speed limit on Walnut Street, she believed the village should install stop signs on Walnut Street at the intersections of Elm Street and Susquehanna Avenue.

Stewart said her concern arose from witnessing a near accident between a child and car at the intersection of Walnut St. and Susquehanna Ave.

Parents told the board that motorists are not giving the right-of-way to children as they try to cross Walnut Street on their way to and from school.

A number of parents had attended the police committee meeting a week earlier where they made a pitch for the all-way stop signs and were told by the committee that it would take a recommendation for the signs to the full board.

"At the police committee last Tuesday, I left thinking that we would have stop signs, said Kate Leonardo.

But later at the streets committee meeting, stop signs were discussed and it was decided that they may not be the best approach. The stops, they believed, might make it more confusing for drivers, said trustee Stu Taugher.

Taugher said the answer may be for the village to "bite the bullet" and install flashing yellow lights on Walnut Street.

"The warning light really does a good job," he said.

Karen Katz said she had a problem with the warning lights because Walnut would remain a through street.

Taugher, who chairs the police committee, said, the department has stepped up enforcement of the reduced speed limit in the school zone and issued six tickets last week.

Parents also expressed concern about the fact that the crossing guard is not at the corner of Susquehanna and Walnut at the time the middle school students reach the intersection.

Last week crossing guard Cricket Kenny stayed longer to help the middle school students, but she said Tuesday that she doesn't believe students that age need the help because they have learned to watch carefully while crossing the street.

"We haven't established that a sixth grader needs assistance crossing the street," said police chief Michael Crippen.

DPW Superintendent Brian Clancy said he questioned putting in the stop signs which would be in affect all the time for a situation that exists for half an hour in the morning and afternoon for 180 days a years.

"I would be more in favor of a live body," he said, "rather than a sign to protect the children of the community."

But some parents said it was not just a school issue and that the traffic is terrible all the time.

Mayor Waller told the parents that the board had just received their packet of information that evening and it would be unfair to ask trustees to make a decision on the spot. The board, she said, planned a special meeting next week and they would take it up at that time.

But when the meeting reached the police committee report, Taugher proposed setting a public hearing on the stop sign issue, Waller recommended that the board wait until its meeting next week.

"We will come up with what we think is the best solution," she said.

The board plans to meet Thursday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m.