Eight-year-old pushes town to step up in Randolph
Girl wrote to mayor to stop speeding, littering at bus stop
RANDOLPH – An 8-year-old Center Grove Elementary School student was tired of seeing litter near her bus stop and being fearful of speeding cars as they passed.
“We picked up three bags of garbage in our yard the other day,” said Lena Kristoff, mother of Kira, 8, and Maya, 10. “And the other day when getting off the bus, a neighbor a few houses down almost got hit by a car. We don’t even like to cross the road.”
So Kira Kristoff decided to take matters into her own hands, writing the mayor to ask that the issues be address.
“Because the mayor fixes everything,” Kira said, adding she decided enough was enough after hearing loud noise from passing cars while in her bedroom.
“I’d like to tell you that people are throwing trash in my yard and we constantly pick it up. Our house is on a bend and the garbage gets trapped and ends up in our yard. Can we come up with a solution?” read the letter.
“I also want to say that people are always speeding on our road and it scares me. Sometimes they don’t even stop for my bus. There is no bus stop sign at our bus stop.”
“It was so cute,” Lena Kristoff said. “She ended the letter with ‘Love, Kira’ and put it in a bright envelope to make sure it stuck out.”
And stick out it did.
To Lena Kristoff’s surprise, she received a letter back from Mayor Roman Hirniak, saying her street would be added to the Clean Community Watch List, meaning township officials will periodically patrol and clean up the area.
“Whenever you have someone reach out, it’s important to follow through,” Hirniak said. “I got a lot of help writing that letter from our Township Manager Stephen Mountain. He helped me write a letter that I felt good signing. A carefully crafted response for an 8-year-old.”
The message was also passed along to the Randolph Police Department, who sent Officer Richard Biase to the Kristoff’s Franklin Road home Tuesday to address the speeding issue.
“This is a big turnout all for one letter,” Lena Kristoff said.
There Biase was joined by Hirniak and Mountain, and Kira and Maya happily showed the group around her house before heading outside to point out the dangers of the bus stop and litter in the yard.
Biase took information from the girls, asking about the frequency of cars on the road and which direction they tend to come from. Then he offered some solutions.
“I’ve been thinking about your problem a lot, and I notice there are no ‘School Bus Stop Ahead’ signs,” Biase said. “So let me see if we can get some put up. I think we can help you out with this.”
Biase also let Kira and Maya use a radar gun to measure the speed of passing vehicles. One person was caught going 37 MPH in the 35 MPH zone, but they agreed to let him off with a warning. Everyone agreed that a Randolph police officer standing on the corner likely kept speeders at bay Tuesday evening.
The school bus picks up Kira, Maya, and several other students at the bus stop in the middle of the morning rush hour, which may contribute to the speeding.
In addition to the sign, Biase planned to bring a measuring device to test the average speeds of drivers throughout the day.
“That way we can analyze the data and come to a conclusion,” he said. “Possibly assigning resources at certain hours to address the issue.”
Biase also suggested moving back about 50 feet further away from the bend in the road for the bus pickup, giving drivers more time to react.
Mountain and Hirniak said they try to respond to every email and call they receive, but cautioned not to underestimate the power of a handwritten letter for getting something done.
“This speaks to the passion of our younger residents. There’s no cynicism like there can be in adults,” Hirniak said. “In a township of 26,000 residents, a letter from an 8-year-old isn’t ignored.”
Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636;mizzo@GannettNJ.com