Parents Upset about School Bus Stop's Location
The parents of several Saucon Valley School District students want a bus stop moved to a different location.
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At the Sept. 13 Saucon Valley School Board meeting, board members listened to the concerns of parents who believe their children are being forced to wait for the school bus at a dangerous bus stop.
Board members Charles Bartolet, Lanita Lum, Susan Baxter and Michael Karabin all agreed to ride on a bus to the stop, and put the item up for official discussion at the Sept. 27 school board meeting.
The bus stop, which was originally located on Route 378, was moved to South Benner Avenue and Moravia Street, then to Clewell and Sioux streets, and lastly to Finady Avenue, near the Bethlehem-Lower Saucon Township border.
The parents who spoke said they believe the safest and best option is to relocate the bus stop back to Benner Avenue and Moravia Street.
“This is about the safety of our children,” parent Paula Steuer said.
Steuer said the first stop on Route 378 was located near a strip club.
The stops at Clewell/Sioux and Finady Avenue are dangerous because of speeding cars, icy roads, bullets and a sexual predator who lives close to the stops, she said.
The district moved the bus stop from Benner Avenue and Moravia Street because it was deemed unsafe in snowy and icy weather.
Superintendent Sandra Fellin said the stop was recently moved to Finady Avenue from Clewell and Sioux due to the parents’ concerns.
"They moved the bus stop a lousy 100 feet simply to pacify us," Steuer said. “We still have guns, fast traffic and an icy walk. A sex offender can still watch all of those kids and he doesn’t have to leave his house.”
In addition, Steuer said the bus stop is located in the Bethlehem Area School District instead of in the Saucon Valley School District. She suggested the district move the stop back to Benner Avenue and Moravia Street and provide the students with a van to provide them with the safest transportation possible.
“There is no logic to what’s being done,” said parent Cynthia Lento. “It’s adding insult to injury. It makes you so angry steam comes out of your ears. Fear is in your heart. You cannot place these children in any more danger.”
Solicitor Mark Fitzgerald said the parents’ issue with the sex offender is an issue for the township, not the school board.
Fellin said that at the new bus stop on Finady Avenue, the sex offender cannot see the children. She also said she researched the parents’ concerns about guns fired in the area and there have been no such incidents.
“We did listen. We did check up,” she said. “We do our due diligence. We do not ignore comments.”
Paula
11:23 am on Monday, September 19, 2011
Thank you patch for making this a topic as it is extremely important. SV has refused to move our bus stop from a sexual predators home , they are threatening us to use 378 (Wyondotte Hill) as a bus stop or to relinquish our area back to Bethlehem School District. The problem began with the large to medium sized buses not being able to fit around corners and sliding on the hill ( only twice in 15 yrs). We went to a board meeting and asked them to give us a van . They said they didn't have any left. My friend, on Leithsville Rd. told me she was recently given a van and did not ask for it and does not want it. She called Wally and he insisted it was for safety reasons. They have no hills where they live . When they came to our area to "investigate" they brought a BIG bus, they say it was small but we ALL saw it. We also saw the very dramatic turn they pretended to perform so they could say NO to us yet again. Our children did not get a safe bus stop. Where they need to walk there are speeding cars , in the winter icy conditions (because someone isn't plowing & salting properly) and there is a sexual predator who can now watch our children from his front door. We see on the news children missing because of people like him. Why is SV making so light of this situation? Why not just prevent a legal battle , there ARE other options . Go to express times and read the article and post.
Steph
1:24 pm on Monday, September 19, 2011
Do you know the nature of this person's offense? Did he actually prey on children or do you just know that he's on the sex offender registry? Not to trivialize the subject in any way, but the fact of the matter is, if this guy raped an adult, he's probably not even going to look twice at your kids. It's also possible that, depending on where the offense took place and whether that state's statutory rape laws have a "Romeo & Juliet" clause, he could be on the sex offender list for being an having consensual sex with his 17-year-old girlfriend when he was 18 or 19. Again, not really a threat to your kids.
Now, if this is someone who has actually molested children, it's a whole 'nother story. It would be great if you could get the school district to move the bus stop, but the fact of the matter is this probably won't make your children *actually* safer from being molested, it will just make you *feel* safer. Statistically, they are much, much more likely to experience sexual abuse at the hands of someone they (and probably you) know and trust.
The best way to protect them is to teach them how to recognize and get out of that kind of situation. For the record, I grew up next door to a convicted child molester. I remember many, many talks about good touch/bad touch and not going anywhere with strangers (also the advice:"Kick to kill, God will forgive you!"), but every day I am grateful that my parents didn't give in to fear and they still let me go play outside!
Steph
1:51 pm on Monday, September 19, 2011
Oh, and I just want to add: I didn't want to disregard the other concerns such as the traffic. Depending on the ages of the children and whether parents or older children are available to walk with them, they may not be able to handle crossing busy streets, and that is a very valid concern, in which case moving the bus stop my very well result in a safer walk for those kids.
Just not safer in regard to the whole sexual predator issue, since most children who are victims of sexual molestation are "groomed" for weeks, months, or even years by their molester, whereas I'd bet most (if not all) of the students in question don't even know this person. And it's not like every sexual predator is even on that list. For all you know they could move the bus stop and it would be even closer to a sexual predator who just hasn't been caught yet. It may even be someone you know. Just food for thought.
Bobbie
3:25 pm on Monday, September 19, 2011
Again it is a terrible situation. I had to look at the locations listed in the above article to get a handle on where your stop is. I did not realize how far you are from the SV school district--approx. 5 miles, sometimes more depending which way you come from. And Donegan Elementary is only about 2.5 miles away and Broughal Middle School is less than a mile! If you do not get the results you are looking for from SV, maybe look into having your children attend the schools in Bethlehem School District. That would save you alot of time in driving and maybe there would be a different bus stop for them.
Paula
3:55 pm on Monday, September 19, 2011
watch 10 nbc news tonight at 6
Paula
9:12 pm on Monday, September 19, 2011
I think SV should behave like big boys and girls . Admit your wrong, fix the problem and we'll forgive you. You have done a fabulous job distressing an entire neighborhood -what a thrill it must be. Isn't that called BULLYING?
Paula
9:23 pm on Monday, September 19, 2011
When we were doing the interview for 10 CBN, this predator walked past us twice where I could have touched him. I would imagine if I were him-I would be running from the camera. Scarey personality trait.
Paula
9:27 pm on Monday, September 19, 2011
Steph, Involuntary deviant sexual intercourse. I believe they call this rape. So, WHY SV -is your head up your a-?
sue
8:09 am on Tuesday, September 20, 2011
"Any person who uses the information contained herein to threaten, intimidate, or harass the registrant
or their family, or who otherwise misuses this information, may be subject to criminal prosecution or
civil liability." This was taken directly from the Megan's Law PA web site. While i appreciate your concern for your child, I also feel that If the "person in question" has complied with all the terms and conditions of his/her sentencing and subsequent release for you to be acting in such a manner is violating this persons constitutional rights. You do have a right to protect your children, like every other parent you do this with supervision and diligence . It appears to me from ALL of your previous comments on this article and EVERY OTHER ONE that you so dislike caring for your own children that you are trying to force the school district to do it for you. While you started off eliciting sympathy for your plight, your outrageous behavior and vulgar language is causing this to dissipate rather rapidly. In NO WAY am I trying to minimize your distress or concerns. I am merely trying to point out how you are beginning to appear to others.
George
7:42 pm on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
sounds reasonable to me Sue!
Paula
9:54 am on Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Sue, I , as my neighbors did -check with the state of PA police in the beginning of this back in mid August. We did not mention his name. We legally are allowed to protect our children and we will continue to do so. I can not understand why you would be concerned with the predators rights and not the children's .This leads me to believe you are a school board member. If you are please don't hide as "Sue" -please be proud of yourself , like we all are and consider using your real identity. Thank you.
George
7:42 pm on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Paula, it is really odd watching you talk to yourself. You really sound like a person who is in the fight only for the money. Actually, you said that in one of your posts....
Paula
7:48 pm on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Thank you George. I am glad you feel this way. The way I understand it- "I" did not put the children's bus stop infront of a sexual predator. Have a great day.
George
10:51 pm on Wednesday, September 21, 2011
your words speak for themselves.
Paula
6:09 am on Thursday, September 22, 2011
I am sorry life is so difficult for you George, it seems you have a lot of hate in inside. I don't hate -I just have morals. Personally, you do not bother me, I will continue this until the end because Saucon Valley is wrong. Have a great day.
svparent
10:24 am on Thursday, September 22, 2011
Paula-if you don't feel comfortable with your kids at that bus stop-why don't you just drive them to school-like so many other parents do
Paula
10:42 am on Thursday, September 22, 2011
I do drive my 3 children in to school everyday. I am not alone in this fight-you see my neighbors and I between us have 14 children. I am also fighting for those kids. Sv is wrong. Please SUE, GEORGE, and SV PARENT justify yourselves and why you are writing in ways that give the impression our children SHOULD be standing near a sexual predator. Let me see if I can understand your side. Please.