{"id":153994,"date":"2026-03-05T14:27:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:27:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/153994\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T14:27:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:27:14","slug":"manhattan-beach-celebrates-crossing-guard-appreciation-day-daily-breeze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/153994\/","title":{"rendered":"Manhattan Beach celebrates Crossing Guard Appreciation Day \u2013 Daily Breeze"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every morning for the past 11 years, I\u2019ve walked my kids to school.<\/p>\n

First, it was me pushing my newborn and 3-year-old in a double stroller while my kindergartener trotted confidently ahead, his backpack bobbing and nearly as big as he was.<\/p>\n

Then it was my two little boys racing each other down the sidewalk while I jogged behind them to keep up, my youngest bouncing in the stroller.<\/p>\n

Now, I trail behind as that once-stroller-bound child \u2014 now a fifth grader \u2014 sprints ahead and I yell (for the umpteenth time), \u201cCross with the crossing guard!\u201d as the guard lifts a big red stop sign and escorts her safely across the street.<\/p>\n

To that crossing guard \u2014 and all the ones before you \u2014 I want to say: thank you.<\/p>\n

Thank you for shepherding my kids safely across the street. God knows they didn\u2019t always pay attention, and you did.<\/p>\n

\"Crossing<\/p>\n

Crossing Guard Nicole Mitchell of Inglewood gets emotional as she looks at her certificate of appreciation last week. (Photo by Melissa Heckscher, The Beach Reporter\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Manhattan<\/p>\n

Manhattan Beach Mayor David Lesser, crossing guard Nicole Mitchell and Janet Jones during the city\u2019s \u201cCrossing Guard Appreciation Month.\u201d (Photo by Melissa Heckscher, The Beach Reporter\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Manhattan<\/p>\n

Manhattan Beach Mayor David Lesser surprised crossing guard Nicole Mitchell of Inglewood with a certificate of appreciation on Feb. 26. (Photo by Melissa Heckscher, The Beach Reporter\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Nicole<\/p>\n

Nicole Mitchell of Inglewood stands at Peck and Second Street near Pennekamp Elementary, where she works as a crossing guard. (Photo by Melissa Heckscher, The Beach Reporter\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Richard<\/p>\n

Richard Umbarger of Redondo Beach stands outside Grandview Elementary, where he has worked as a crossing guard for 20 years. (Photo by Melissa Heckscher, The Beach Reporter\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Crossing<\/p>\n

Crossing Guard Nicole Mitchell of Inglewood holds back tears as she talks to Manhattan Beach Mayor David Lesser about the job. (Photo by Melissa Heckscher, The Beach Reporter\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Pennekamp<\/p>\n

Pennekamp crossing guard Ron Lysik receives a certificate from Manhattan Beach Mayor David Lesser last week. (Photo by Melissa Heckscher, The Beach Reporter\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 7<\/p>\n

Crossing Guard Nicole Mitchell of Inglewood gets emotional as she looks at her certificate of appreciation last week. (Photo by Melissa Heckscher, The Beach Reporter\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

Thank you for standing in the rain without an umbrella (you need that free hand to direct traffic), letting water pour down your neon vest while children splash past you in barely used raincoats and rubber boots.<\/p>\n

Thank you for stepping into intersections and meeting impatient drivers with an outstretched hand, and a firm glare when they inch into the crosswalk.<\/p>\n

You are the heroes in plain sight.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m not the only one who feels that way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like, in this world, so many people who do great things are unseen,\u201d said Manhattan Beach resident Janet Jones. \u201cI think they deserve to be seen. I think they deserve to be acknowledged.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three years ago, Jones created Manhattan Beach\u2019s \u201cCrossing Guard Appreciation Day.\u201d February is already designated \u201cCrossing Guard Appreciation Month,\u201d but Jones wanted to add a local, more personal touch.<\/p>\n

It was a simple idea with a powerful message: honoring the crossing guards of Manhattan Beach with a certificate and heartfelt thanks.<\/p>\n

Last week, Jones and Manhattan Beach Mayor David Lesser distributed those gratitude certificates \u2014 along with swag bags and flowers (the latter donated by Growing Wild florist) \u2014 to the city\u2019s crossing guards.<\/p>\n

\u201cEach one of them has a story,\u201d said Jones, a longtime philanthropist who is also the founder of the Single Mom Project, a successful local nonprofit dedicated to helping struggling single mothers. \u201cThey\u2019re not just standing there with a stop sign. They\u2019re parents. They\u2019re grandparents. They\u2019re caregivers. They\u2019re part of this community.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than a stop sign<\/p>\n

Meet Pennekamp Elementary crossing guard Nicole Mitchell.<\/p>\n

When I arrived to meet her just before her afternoon shift on Feb. 26, she was chatting with a dad on a bicycle \u2014 a toddler perched happily on the bike\u2019s rear seat. They were laughing about something, and before they pulled away, the toddler smiled and waved goodbye.<\/p>\n

Before I could get a word in, a car rolled to a stop at the intersection, the driver leaning out the window to pass Mitchell an apple.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe always brings me fruit,\u201d Mitchell said to me with a smile.<\/p>\n

Then, it was time for work.<\/p>\n

Mitchell stepped toward the four-way intersection at Peck Avenue and Second Street. She slipped on her neon vest, gripped her stop sign tightly and looked toward the street as she talked to me. The kids weren\u2019t out yet, so she was relaxed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a very busy intersection,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I have it so under control.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she does. Mitchell has worked as a crossing guard for eight years \u2014 three of them at Pennekamp.<\/p>\n

She loves the job. Loves the community. Even loves the dogs (whom she knows all by name).<\/p>\n

Still, she doesn\u2019t sugarcoat the risks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had some very close calls out here,\u201d she said, pointing to a stop sign partially hidden by foliage. \u201cA lot of people pass it because they can\u2019t really see it. And they just fly through.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you won\u2019t ever hear about there being an accident right here,\u201d Mitchell added. \u201cI guarantee you. Not while I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitchell is known among Pennekamp families as the guard who waves to every single driver who rolls past. I\u2019ve waved back countless times without knowing her name. I\u2019m glad I finally do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love my post, I love my corner and I love the community,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cThey\u2019ve been so nice to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it isn\u2019t easy. Mitchell also works a night shift as a caregiver for adults with disabilities from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., then clocks in for her 7:30 to 9 a.m. shift at Pennekamp. After that, she heads home to care for her elderly mother, who has dementia, before coming back for the afternoon shift.<\/p>\n

I asked her when she sleeps. She just shrugged and said, without a hint of complaint, \u201cI find time.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a part-time job that pays about $19.50 an hour, roughly $78 a day, according to All City Management Services, which contracts with the city to provide crossing guard services.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not about the hours. It\u2019s not about what I get paid,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cIt\u2019s the kids that keep me here.\u201d<\/p>\n

And I believe her. Mitchell has one of those infectious spirits. She\u2019s the kind of person you like instantly.<\/p>\n

She also understands the weight of the job.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not just a crossing guard,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen those kids leave that gate, I\u2019m responsible for them. I\u2019ve got to direct the cars. These kids depend on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The people who stand guard<\/p>\n

Rebecca Vanderblumen, who began working as a crossing guard this fall and serves as a substitute throughout the South Bay, echoed that sense of vigilance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of responsibility,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have to be vigilant of who\u2019s crossing because there\u2019s so much traffic. Nowadays, the drivers don\u2019t pay attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vanderblumen left a nearly 20-year administrative job before starting crossing guard work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve only been here for like three months,\u201d she said, \u201cand I feel more appreciated at this job than at any office job I\u2019ve had.\u201d<\/p>\n

Filling in where needed, she said the role has unexpectedly changed her pace of life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s helped me to slow my life down,\u201d she said, \u201cand just appreciate life.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Grandview Elementary, meanwhile, 79-year-old Richard Umbarger has stood at the same corner for nearly 20 years.<\/p>\n

A former civil engineer, he said this work suits him better.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the only time I get to talk with somebody other than my family,\u201d Umbarger said. \u201cAnd it keeps me moving. I could easily be a couch potato.\u201d<\/p>\n

Umbarger has five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He\u2019s the kind of man who keeps dog treats in his trunk for passing pups. (\u201cThey all know me,\u201d he said with a chuckle.) And h high-fives all the Parks and Recreation kids as they pass.<\/p>\n

But like the others, he has seen the stakes up close.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had people that have driven right through the crosswalk while I\u2019m standing there,\u201d Umbarger said. \u201cI\u2019ve had a couple of close calls where people just weren\u2019t paying attention. I\u2019ve been brushed numerous times.\u201d<\/p>\n

What he\u2019s describing isn\u2019t rare. While there are no statistics on the number of crashes avoided by crossing guards, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that traffic-related injuries remain one of the leading causes of death for children in the United States \u2014 with most child pedestrian injuries occurring at or near intersections. Studies show that adult-supervised crossings significantly reduce pedestrian injury risk, particularly for elementary-aged children.<\/p>\n

\u201cManhattan Beach goes beyond many other cities in contracting for crossing guards at its busiest intersections near schools,\u201d said Lesser, who mentioned that the city budgets up to $550,000 a year for crossing guard services. \u201cThey are part of our prioritization of public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heroes in uniform<\/p>\n

Crossing guards are not fighting fires. They are not fighting wars. But they\u2019re wearing uniforms just the same.<\/p>\n

They step into traffic so our children don\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n

They watch for the car that doesn\u2019t slow down.<\/p>\n

They pay attention when drivers don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

So to the crossing guards who have shepherded my children across intersections for the past 11 years \u2014 and to the ones who will guide all of the children to come \u2014 thank you.<\/p>\n

You matter. And it\u2019s about time we thanked you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every morning for the past 11 years, I\u2019ve walked my kids to school. First, it was me pushing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":153995,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[9965,2136,9966,75,9967,84,83,9,24,63,4861,4863,4862],"class_list":{"0":"post-153994","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manhattan","8":"tag-beach-cities","9":"tag-california","10":"tag-los-angeles-county","11":"tag-manhattan","12":"tag-manhattan-beach","13":"tag-manhattan-headlines","14":"tag-manhattan-news","15":"tag-new-york","16":"tag-new-york-city","17":"tag-nyc","18":"tag-tbr-kindness","19":"tag-tbr-news","20":"tag-the-beach-reporter"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=153994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/153994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=153994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=153994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=153994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}