There is a new crosswalk in Esko near Northridge Park

Canosia Road in Esko near Northridge Park can get very busy and dangerous to cross, but a new crosswalk could hopefully make crossing the street safer.

“We originally wanted the crosswalk by the school, and there’s been a lot of close calls. There have been some people who have been hurt there. So, we just wanted it to be safer,” said Carli Bloom.

The creative idea was developed by three local Girl Scout Troop 4079 members who worked on it, towards their silver award. It’s a way of making sure everyone in the community is safe when crossing the streets.

“All of us have really witnessed just how dangerous crosswalks are, and we wanted to do something that would leave a mark on the community even when we left. Hopefully, for many years to come, it will still be here,” Annika Halvorson mentioned.

The girls petitioned the town board; met with local officials and the highway department to execute their plan. At one point near the end of the planning process, the idea was derailed by the high cost and red tape; but that didn’t stop these girls from making their idea a reality.

“It kept happening and we kept seeing it happen, we were more aware of the issue. It kept popping up, and we were noticing it more and more. So, it was just like, we have to do this. Like, this is going to be good for our community; we want to help people. This is like we need to bring attention to this issue,” Clarie Fontaine stated.

In towns like Esko, having something that may seem small taken care of like this can and will make a big difference for everyone in this community as the young girls explained.

“It’ll keep people safer, and maybe it’ll make people drive more carefully. It helps drivers see more to stop and it really helps bring safety to the community.”

The new addition to the Esko community will make crossing in that area much safer especially as the sports season is on the horizon.