Winona Police Honor Crossing Guard
January 19, 2022 at 2:57 a.m.
Winona Police Honor Crossing Guard
By Leah Sander-
At the Winona Lake Town Council meeting on Tuesday, Police Chief Joe Hawn and Sgt. Joe Bumbaugh honored crossing guard Christine Koontz. The two men previously recognized Koontz at a Warsaw Community Schools' meeting on Dec. 14.
The recognition stems from Koontz's efforts during a few incidents outside the school at the end of the fall semester.
The first happened on Nov. 12.
"I was parked at the fire station," said Bumbaugh. "She was in the middle of doing her job and providing safe passage through the crosswalk for the children there at Jefferson when we had an incident occur where a couple of gentlemen had an altercation going. The line of traffic was from the stop sign there ... back towards Wooster Road. One of the gentlemen decided to pass in the school zone area, the no passing area, and passed all the traffic and came out to confront another individual.
"That individual, when he was confronted, drove around the right side along the traffic and came up and squeezed between the traffic and my truck that was parked there and started through the crosswalk," said Bumbaugh. "Christine, in her quick actions, was able to usher some of the kids across and hold back others who were in the crosswalk in the process of crossing, so thanks to you, you know you've again kept the children of our community safe. It's what you do ... and you do it well and we just greatly appreciate that."
Also at the meeting was Hannah Kohler, one of the Jefferson students who Koontz helps escort across the road. Her parents, Todd and Jennifer Kohler, were also there.
Jennifer expressed her gratitude to Koontz for what she does to keep students safe.
"We're just very grateful for her," she said, describing the moment as a "scary situation."
"And then about a week later then we had another person run a stop arm on a school bus and we ended up getting him," said Hawn. Koontz also helped protect kids in that incident.
Hawn noted that Koontz has been a crossing guard for 11 years. She was a volunteer for the first nine years and is now paid for the service.
"She is just wonderful with the kids," said Hawn. "Joe and I see her all the time. She greets every kid coming up there, gives them a hug, smiles at them, calls them by name."
"I can't say enough for this lady right here because like Chief Hawn said, I mean she literally knows each and every one of those children that cross that crosswalk," said Bumbaugh. "She knows them by name, that's how much she cares for the children of the community and we appreciate what she does."
The men gave Koontz a framed "citation" honoring her for her efforts as well as a glass piece. It contains a photo taken by Al Disbro showing Koontz directing students and references the Biblical phrase: "Well done, good and faithful servant."
At the Winona Lake Town Council meeting on Tuesday, Police Chief Joe Hawn and Sgt. Joe Bumbaugh honored crossing guard Christine Koontz. The two men previously recognized Koontz at a Warsaw Community Schools' meeting on Dec. 14.
The recognition stems from Koontz's efforts during a few incidents outside the school at the end of the fall semester.
The first happened on Nov. 12.
"I was parked at the fire station," said Bumbaugh. "She was in the middle of doing her job and providing safe passage through the crosswalk for the children there at Jefferson when we had an incident occur where a couple of gentlemen had an altercation going. The line of traffic was from the stop sign there ... back towards Wooster Road. One of the gentlemen decided to pass in the school zone area, the no passing area, and passed all the traffic and came out to confront another individual.
"That individual, when he was confronted, drove around the right side along the traffic and came up and squeezed between the traffic and my truck that was parked there and started through the crosswalk," said Bumbaugh. "Christine, in her quick actions, was able to usher some of the kids across and hold back others who were in the crosswalk in the process of crossing, so thanks to you, you know you've again kept the children of our community safe. It's what you do ... and you do it well and we just greatly appreciate that."
Also at the meeting was Hannah Kohler, one of the Jefferson students who Koontz helps escort across the road. Her parents, Todd and Jennifer Kohler, were also there.
Jennifer expressed her gratitude to Koontz for what she does to keep students safe.
"We're just very grateful for her," she said, describing the moment as a "scary situation."
"And then about a week later then we had another person run a stop arm on a school bus and we ended up getting him," said Hawn. Koontz also helped protect kids in that incident.
Hawn noted that Koontz has been a crossing guard for 11 years. She was a volunteer for the first nine years and is now paid for the service.
"She is just wonderful with the kids," said Hawn. "Joe and I see her all the time. She greets every kid coming up there, gives them a hug, smiles at them, calls them by name."
"I can't say enough for this lady right here because like Chief Hawn said, I mean she literally knows each and every one of those children that cross that crosswalk," said Bumbaugh. "She knows them by name, that's how much she cares for the children of the community and we appreciate what she does."
The men gave Koontz a framed "citation" honoring her for her efforts as well as a glass piece. It contains a photo taken by Al Disbro showing Koontz directing students and references the Biblical phrase: "Well done, good and faithful servant."
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