When It Comes To Experience, No One Can Match the Reading Crossing Guards

Marsha Leighton is an expert when it comes to Reading children. The cute ones, the little ones, the quiet and the loud ones. And then there are the fifth-grade boys.

"Some [children] are just quiet, shy. They're all very polite," said Leighton. "The only time I've ever had any kind of a little problem, it's mostly the fifth-grade boys, about now, March, April when they're starting to feel their oats. I keep my eye right on them, but they're all good, They're really all good."

Leighton has been keeping an eye on Reading children since 1992. She's one of the longest serving crossing guards in town, and in many ways a walking history book when it comes to Reading schools. She started at the old Highland School, site of the current library, but a fire forced her to move to the Pearl Street School. From there she attended Birch Meadow, then Parker, then Coolidge, and finally the high school. After six schools there was a seventh to learn hairdressing skills, which she turned into a 20-year career.

Leighton is part of an experienced group of Reading crossing guards that average more than 20 years on the job. In addition to Leighton there's Tina Lantz (started in 1994), LuAnn Mackinnon (1990), Cindy Asci (1994), Lucy Intonti (1996), and Joseph Lopiccolo (2001).

For Leighton, no school was needed to become a crossing guard, just maybe a little help from a friend.

"My husband's high school friend was the safety officer at the time, Joe Veno, and I thought, gee, I could put in an application to become a crossing guard," said Leighton. "I put the application in and about a week later, it was the first part of August of 1992, he called me up and said, 'Hey Marsha, is this you on the application to be a school crossing guard' and I said yes it is. He said, why don't you come in and we'll talk. I was hired, and the rest is history. I enjoy it. It's been challenging at times but mostly it's been very enjoyable. I think I've made up my mind that I like doing it."

Lantz agrees with Leighton.

"I enjoy seeing the parents, the children. I enjoy being outside, and enjoy the freedom of it. I love dogs too and I carry dog biscuits. I enjoy the camaraderie. I enjoy the kids. They make me laugh. That's why I've stuck with it. And I get paid. What more can I say."

Lantz has taken it one step further, improving the area around her post of 21 years by adopting an island next to the Birch Meadow School.

"It was desolate," said Lantz of the island she has transformed. "I said, you know what, I wonder if it's a space I can adopt. Since 2002 I've been working that garden. Year after year I kept plugging away, plugging away."

She's now won four awards in the town's Adopt-an-Island contest and no longer has to bring her own lawnmower and rake.

Mackinnon may not have an island at the corner of West and Westcroft but she does share a regard for Reading children.

"I love the kids. The kids are really wonderful, they're polite. The kids in Reading are a different breed," said Mackinnon, a Somerville native who graduated from Matignon. "I hear people from other towns complain ... but every time I cross the kids they thank me, every single time. I say come to Reading, because they're not like that."

Leighton, 70, has two children of her own. Daughter Wendy lives in Danvers with her four kids, and son Jason is in the Air Force and has one son. Her career as a crossing guard actually started at Barrows but after less than a full school year there was an opening at Joshua Eaton, and the corner of Summer and Oak has been her home for the last 25 years.

Kids have changed through the years, and that change isn't limited to Reading.

"Well, cell phones of course is the big thing," said Leighton. "I had maybe 6-7 years ago, a family that was using walkie-talkies. Which I thought was pretty innovative. The two brothers would come down and the older one had the walkie-talkie and say 'Ok, mom we're at the crossing guard. We're going to cross with her. See you in about five minutes. I thought that was pretty good. There's another family that's been doing it too this year."

Leighton may love the children, but the cars on Summer Street, that's another issue.

"There are some people who don't even get this is a school zone first of all and they want to push the limits. They just fly through like ... why is she standing there," said Leighton, who added she's seen a fender bender but "nothing too major."

There's another thing crossing guards know better than you or I, the weather.

"It's the first thing I do in the morning, turn the TV on and listen to the weather. One particular time, it could have been 8-10 years ago, we were all here in the afternoon and a snow squall came thru and it was heavy, thick, and blew everybody's mind because we didn't know what to do. It wasn't anything that was expected. But we got through it. It was quite a surprise."

Leighton's green Volvo will be parked at the corner of Oak and Summer tomorrow as she awaits the flood of Joshua Eaton students. And how long will she continue to be there?

"I have no clue. As long as I have my health ..."

And children to keep an eye on. Tina, LuAnn, Cindy, Lucy, and Joseph would all agree.

Photo of Marsha Leighton by Bob Holmes