Community Briefing

Be advised that this particular scam has been entering the Milwaukee area with at least one couple having fallen victim to the scam:

The following is copied from "Scamnot.org" For additional information on this and other scams that are being perpetrated please visit http://www.scamnot.org/index.asp

• Contact other family member before sending money, ask if they know of the situation.
• If the grandchild states that they are in jail or in a hospital, ask which one. Contact that institution to find out if the grandchild is actually in that facility.
• Consider where the child wants the money sent. If it is to be sent to somebody else, do not do it. Remember, if the child is in jail, another prisoner could have gotten your information from discussions with the grandchild
• If you send money ask that identification be provided by the receiver before the money is paid out.
• Regardless of the request to not talk to the parents, confirm through another family member that what you were told is true or do not send the money.

With the start of school, the presence of child pedestrians and school buses become common place on the village’s roadways.  Here are some rules for drivers to keep in mind when encounter both.

Motorists must stop on the street or highway 20 feet or more from any school bus that has stopped and is flashing red warning lights.

Ø      This applies to motorists approaching from both the rear and the opposing lanes.

Ø      All lanes of traffic must stop for the school bus except in the opposing lanes if the highway is divided with a center median

Ø      No vehicle may proceed until the bus resumes motion and has turned off the red warning lights.

Ø      The "STOP" arm on the side of a bus is an added communication device, but the lack of an extended "STOP" arm is not reason to pass a bus whose red lights are flashing.

A driver failing to follow these rules can be cited with fines of $235.00 and up to 4 points.  School bus drivers can report an observed violation to the police and citations may be issued based upon that report.  An owner of a vehicle involved in a violation may be cited for the infraction if the driver of the vehicle at the time the violation occurred cannot be identified.

The most important safety tip to reduce pedestrian injuries is to slow down and pay attention.  Remember the speed limit is 15 mph in school zones when children are present.  According to Wisconsin state law, drivers must:

Ø      Yield to pedestrians who have started crossing an intersection or crosswalk on a walk signal or on a green light.

Ø      Yield to Pedestrians who are crossing or waiting to cross the road within a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection where there is no traffic lights or control signals.

Ø      Yield to pedestrians when a vehicle is crossing a sidewalk or entering a driveway

In addition, drivers may not legally overtake and pass any vehicle that has stopped for pedestrians at an intersection or crosswalk.

Drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians legally crossing the roadway may be issued citations with fines ranging from $109.00 to $235.00 (depending on the violation).

Parents and motorists traveling through school zones need to pay close attention as the probability of a child darting out into traffic is much higher.      

With your help and increased police patrols in the village’s school zones we hope to have a safe and enjoyable school year. 

• Yield to pedestrians when crossing a sidewalk or entering an alley or driveway
• Yield to pedestrians who have started crossing at an intersection or crosswalk on a “walk” signal or a green light, if there is no walk signal
• Yield to pedestrians who are crossing the highway within a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection where there are no traffic lights or control signals
• Not overtake and pass any vehicle that stops at an intersection or crosswalk to permit a pedestrian or bicyclist to cross the roadway safely

• Yield to drivers when crossing a road where there is no intersection or crosswalk or where the pedestrian does not have a green or “walk” signal and where vehicles have a green signal
• Not suddenly move into the path of a closely approaching vehicle that does not have sufficient time to yield for a pedestrian
• Walk on and along the left side of a highway when not walking on a sidewalk.  Note:  This law does not apply to bicycles.  Bicycles operate under the same laws as other legal vehicles on the road and should always stay on the right side of the road.
• Not enter a crosswalk or otherside cross traffic lanes where vehicles have already entered the intersection.  This is a serious advisement to runners and joggers who, even though they are on a sidewalk with a marked crossing or white walk signal, they must make sure a vehicle is not already moving to cross their path prior to them entering the intersection.

Information obtained from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation