- A snow-covered crosswalk at a Lansing school raised concerns among parents and crossing guards
- The school district cleaned the crosswalks after multiple neighbors reached out
- Video shows how Fox 47 News found out about the story that ended with change
Around 2:55 p.m. Wednesday the Fox 47 News team took a phone call from a neighbor concerned about the sidewalks near Lewton Elementary School.
Patricia Buycks, a crossing guard with more than 30 years of experience, told me about the sidewalks completely buried in snow.
Buycks was concerned about the safety of kids walking on snow that was also covering ice.
It's supposed to be all about the kids. Safety is number one," Buycks said.
At around 3:30 p.m., I met Buycks near the corner of Lewton Place and Pamela Place. The sidewalks acrros the street from the school were cleared because they were residential property.
WATCH: EAST LANSING NEIGHBORS DIG OUT AFTER WEDNESDAY'S STORM
The city requires homeowners to clear their sidewalks following a big snow event.
Most of the sidewalk on the school's side was beneath the snow. When Buycks went to speak with the school district and city leaders, she was met with a blame game.
"That's when it started to be 'well it's the city's problem, it's the school district's problem'", Buycks said. "Here we are stuck in the middle and the sidewalks still aren't done."
As Buycks and I spoke, a representative of the Lansing School District arrived to take pictures and document what was happening.
The representative told me that there was a crew on the way to clear the snow off the sidewalks.
When the bell rang around 3:50 p.m., students started to come out while parents went to pick them up.
WATCH: LANSING PREPARES FOR SNOW
One parent, Gannon Burgett, picked up his two children and hiked through a field of snow where a sidewalk hid beneath.
"We've got boots. That's what Michigan weather is all abou so it doesn't bother me too much," Burgett said.
Brianna Bergmann, who came to pick up her four-year-old son Benny, was frustrated that her son's safety seemingly came second.
Bergmann said she and her mother had reached out to the school district multiple times to address the snow covering the walkways.
"[Benny has] fallen a couple of times on the ice that's on the school's property," Bergmann said. "No kid wants to slip when they're going to school because there's ice."
Around 4:15 p.m, the school district sent the following statement:
"A section of sidewalk next to our Lewton School was not cleared of recent snowfall. We apologize for any inconvenience this caused. The district will clear that section of sidewalk as soon as possible."
About the same time, I witnessed one man beginning to shovel the driveway and a second man walking with a shovel getting ready to help.
Bergmann said she's grateful that the district got around to clearing the walkways but she wonders why it took so long.
"I appreciate that they're doing something about it but it shouldn't take for the news to come out here for something to be done," Bergmann said.
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
