Police and School Officials Honor Crossing Guards at Appreciation Breakfast

The Fort Lee Board of Education, Superintendent, Mayor, Police Chief and other school and police officials paid tribute to some unsung heroes Wednesday—Fort Lee’s school crossing guards.

At an appreciation breakfast held at Lewis F. Cole Middle School and sponsored by all six Fort Lee school PTAs and KPAC, 45 Crossing guards were recognized for their service to the community, receiving certificates of appreciation from Crossing Guard Liaison Officer Daren Baumgardt of the Fort Lee Police Department.

Some veteran crossing guards also received plaques from the Police Department commemorating their many years of “dedicated service,” including Dennis Bianchetto, Young S. Ok and Bong Hi Ok for 15 years of service; Yolanda Cabrera for 19 years; Barbara Silvia for 22 years and Mary Cerchio for a whopping 31 years of service—with Cerchio’s honor garnering a standing ovation.

Middle school principal Rosemary Giacomelli served as master of ceremonies, opening the presentation by reading a poem written by middle school Art teacher Nina Anderson—something Anderson does every year. The poem, “The Crossing Guard,” includes the lines, “These rocks gather no moss … You are the unsung heroes, because you work so hard.”

Superintendent Raymond Bandlow, Mayor Mark Sokolich, Police Chief Thomas Ripoli, Fort Lee School Board president Carmelo Luppino and middle school PTA president Lisa Riskin followed with tributes of their own and personal anecdotes about the often thankless but always important job the crossing guards do.

Bandlow said the rainy, windy weather Wednesday morning was appropriate “for an occasion like this, where we are recognizing our crossing guards for all that you do in keeping our children safe and what you have to endure, not only from our children, but also from the weather.”

Sokolich called the men and women who serve as crossing guards “a big part of the personality of Fort Lee.”

“[Fort Lee] is the traffic capitol of the world,” Sokolich said, addressing the guards. “So you’re more than crossing guards. You’re a lot more than that to us. You put a face on Fort Lee. Your wave in the morning, your smile in the morning, the way you greet the children as they go to school, the way you greet [their parents], it gives them an incredible feeling of security to know that each and every one of you is at your respective corner here in Fort Lee.”

Ripoli told the gathered crossing guards to “never downplay the importance of your position,” before sharing a story from “years ago” when the police had to serve as crossing guards and those duties nearly interfered with making an arrest.

Luppino, who noted that he’s a lifelong resident of Fort Lee, said, “Since you guys have taken the post, it’s a whole different town.”

Luppino shared a story about when one crossing guard carried his daughter—hobbled by a foot injury from playing soccer—to the door of her school.

Riskin said parents’ number one concern is that their children are safe when they go to school and that they are able to come home safely.

“All of you, you make that possible,” Riskin said. “I know of many instances, because I have stories too, that crossing guards have seen kids come to school in the morning, and they don’t see them walk home.”

She recalled two specific instances when crossing guards brought that to the attention of school officials.

“When you remember things like that and you care with your heart that much, it makes us as parents feel very, very happy that you’re taking care of our kids and that they’re safe,” Riskin said.