Kyle Wright | Crestview News Bulletin
Large puddles formed in the uneven areas of Okaloosa Lane near the new Riverside Elementary and Shoal River Middle School after a rainstorm last week. Residents in the area are concerned about how buses will travel on the dirt road.
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Community photo: Future bus lane?
June 09, 2009 1:05 PM
Large puddles formed in the uneven areas of Okaloosa Lane near the new Riverside Elementary and Shoal River Middle School after a rainstorm last week. Residents in the area are concerned about how buses will travel on the dirt road to the east of the school. District 1 Okaloosa County Commissioner Wayne Harris said he “really wants” to do something about the road because of the potential danger to children.
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Reader's comments
| Hopefully the Crestview Bulletin saves this page and the comments so when the first casualty occurs they can quote all of us and show how it was a preventable tragedy. They should go ahead and get to work to see who is blocking the funds from this project so they can have someone to pin the blame on. I would hate to be in their shoes. |
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| BillyTom44 - Jun 15, 2009 08:26:48 PM | Remove Comment |
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| I really hope they do something about the folks burning trash and debris across the street from the elementary school. The other day when I was driving by the smoke was thick and the fumes smelled like burning plastics and diapers. Isn't there a law against burning garbage within so many feet of a school? |
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| CrestviewMom76 - Jun 14, 2009 09:40:47 PM | Remove Comment |
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| hey sonya marco, you are absolutely correct and what you are asking is exactly what was proposed by local engineers and private planners to the county planners and growth management before anyone knew about a school. THEY SAID NO. our county doesnt care. our county tax dollars are paying for fat axxes like durbin to sit up there and find ways to impede progress in this county. they have jobs like that because they couldnt make it in the private industry. they would have to actually work. our kids dont matter to the county. |
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| beenthere - Jun 13, 2009 12:25:51 AM | Remove Comment |
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| If it rains I will have to drop my kids off at school as the road will be too muddy and slippery for them to walk. Based on when I have to be at work and when school starts I will not have the time to do this. IT is really frustrating that my children's lives will be in danger because I don't qualify for the bus and I work two jobs Im being punished. Something better be done as I dont want my children taken from me! |
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| Mommy80 - Jun 12, 2009 12:14:06 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Hey JUST WONDERING you answered my question YOU must be a POLITICIAN. Just Wondering have you been to look at this road? If you have, can you not understand the concerns the citizens of Crestview have over the safety of their children going to school there. The issue at hand is whether Okaloosa lane needs paving or not. Thats a NO BRAINER, YES IT DOES. I live on the north end of Crestview so it does not matter to me whether it gets paved or not. But for the sake of the children going to school there it does matter IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. |
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| GETTER DONE - Jun 12, 2009 10:18:13 AM | Remove Comment |
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| This road is not only dangerous for our children that will be walking on it, but also for the dozens of buses that will be driving down this road multiple times daily. When it rains the road washes out almost completely making it impassable, this has occurred the last few times we have had severe storms. It is also a route that many parents will take to pick up and drop off their children. The mud also covers important markings on the road and will cake the new bus ramp with mud dripping off the buses. This does not even take into consideration the damage that this road will do to our buses and to personal vehicles. From the sounds of it this is a very dangerous road, one that unless paved and maintained properly may result in the injury or death of a child. I think it would be wise to at the VERY LEAST pave the road. Ideally it would make sense to connect one end over I-10 to Airmen's Memorial Road off John King and the other end a direct shot to 90 by purchasing the land that the house sits on and making it a straight shot to the road rather than a dangerous curve. People are going to use this road, regardless of how dangerous it is, it is our duty to ensure they are safe when doing so. |
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| SonyaMarco - Jun 12, 2009 09:26:21 AM | Remove Comment |
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| They can either pave it and remove from them all the liability if a kid gets hurt or killed on this road. OR they can not pave it and accept 100 percent of it WHEN it happens, as we all know it will eventually happen on such an unsafe road. If they choose the latter then they will have to at least send County workers to fix the road every few days, which equate to about 100 times per year to maintain it for all the car and bus traffic the new schools and redstone connection will generate. FIX THE ROAD MR HARRIS THIS IS THE NO1 PRIORITY IN CRESTVIEW! |
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| triptomtom - Jun 12, 2009 09:16:30 AM | Remove Comment |
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| I would like to thank everyone for responding to the article concerning this messy road problem. Of course the main concern is the safety of the children. But just know that this community has been trying to get the Okaloosa County Road Department/Commissioners to pave/fix Okaloosa Lane for many years. My family has lived in this community for around 50 years and the road had to be one of the oldest and first main roads which should have been paved.
Why was Earl Kennedy Road paved years ago and the small stretch of Okaloosa Lane was not? Earl Kennedy Road just makes a loop.
Yes, Mr Harris is the new county commissioner and we are prayful that he intends to keep his campaign promises, but this problem was a carry over from the prior commissioner. Mrs Campbell was well aware of the problem before there was ever a plan for these beautiful schools.
Oh yeah! You can't keep vehicles clean because of the rough muddy road. Also, the holes and bumps causes rattles, and brake and alignment problems. So we are constantly having to pay for the vehicles to be fixed.
The attention to the problem must be working. The Road Department brought in red clay, fixed the mud puddle and graded the largest part of Okaloosa Lane. However, they stopped at the stop sign at Earl Kennedy Rd. Why didn't they grade the small area from Earl Kennedy Rd to Redstone? That area has "pot holes" in it too!
I would also like to thank the Crestview News Bulletin for bringing this to the attention of everyone. Thanks! |
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| bj - Jun 11, 2009 10:48:09 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Getter Done Seems like you are acting like someone that is taking hear say as gospel. Ever been to a county commissioners meeting? Emailed or called your commissioner? I didn't think so. I'm sure you feel some self-rightous indignation right now, but as far as taking action, no, you have done nothing. |
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| Just Wondering - Jun 11, 2009 10:26:26 PM | Remove Comment |
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| The county has the funds they just don't want spend the money to get it done. I guess they have to reserve it to repave the roads of our more illustrious citizens. Interesting that the county wants our school district to fire teachers and take supplies from the children just to pave a road for safety reasons. |
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| yupdawg - Jun 11, 2009 08:10:05 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Hey JUST WONDERING are you a county or city official? Politicians talk the talk to get elected but can't walk the walk to get things done. To much red tape so to speak. If you can't figure out it's all about money then your not too bright. It's funny that it will probably take a child being hurt or worse to have the road paved. What a shame and disgrace that it will come to that. I spoke to the school director and he informed me that the county does not want to spend the money to pave it. I REPEAT DOES NOT WANT TO. They want the school board to spend school funds to pave it, which it should not fall on the school board to do. So JUST WONDERING hows that for acting? |
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| GETTER DONE - Jun 11, 2009 07:03:32 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Sounds like instead of complaining about the commissioners, you need to support and interface with our County Commissioner Wayne Harris. Paving dirt roads in the north end of the county was one of the platforms he was elected on and is currently working on. Stop whining and start acting! |
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| Just Wondering - Jun 11, 2009 05:23:36 PM | Remove Comment |
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| I would like to address the comments made by Matt. You sir, are probably one of the drivers who come blowing past the houses at 80 mph and having loads of fun in the mudhole on Okaloosa Lane. I do not live in the area. I grew up in that area as a child and that clay road has always been dangerous. I have witnessed several vehicles wreck due to the slippery surface and high rate of speed. The safety of our children is top priority and the city and county do not want to spend the money to pave it. Sounds like we the people need to vote out the county commissioners and city officials that make the decisions. |
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| wayne - Jun 11, 2009 11:39:28 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Looks like the road makes for an excellent breeding ground for mosquitos as it hasn't rained in days and I saw it was still full of water! the mud will get on the road and make it harder for cars to stop much like stopping in sand. A kid will eventually get hurt by getting hit by a car or slipping and breaking something or even from kids trampling the mud into the hallways. I find it ridiculous that they did not budget to get this fixed! What a way to tarnish a new model school. |
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| urlpd55 - Jun 11, 2009 10:33:30 AM | Remove Comment |
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| I must also agree on this road needing to be fixed! I have seen folks offroading in their trucks on this road, tearing it up. It is a danger to our kids and will trash the new roads and bus ramp by covering it in mud! The kids that have to walk this road will not be able to on rainy days as it is too muddy and slippery! I wonder how long before a bus full of children loses control on this steep muddy road? I also found it humorous that they did not even finish the sidewalk to the houses on Redstone, that it starts near a swamp full of snakes. So the kids will walk on the grass, killing it and turning it into a dirt trail that leads to the sidewalk about a quarter mile from the housing areas. |
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| TommyP - Jun 11, 2009 08:38:55 AM | Remove Comment |
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| No school on fairchild but the buses run all the dirt roads in the County. That road is not as bad as a lot of others. They do have a paved entrance to that school. yes I am sure the cars run 50 mph on that road as the employees of L3 do on Fairchild every day but I will bet the Sheriff's Department does as good of a job policing the others as they do mine, 100 calls will get you an officer for about 2 hours sitting in plain view of all traffic, big deal huh? Call the road in every week for repair like I do and at least you will get a grader. There is no way we will get any Obama money up here in the North end, they are spending it where it counts, on one intersection on 123 and the South end airport. |
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| Citizen - Jun 11, 2009 12:46:23 AM | Remove Comment |
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| I live on Okaloosa Ln. Yes, this was a dirt country road when I moved here although, there was not two schools right across the street with a new Redstone, quadruple the traffic flow, mud racing at night and who knows what else. So, Yeah I am a loudmouth resident. I have two kids that will be walking this back country road with no speed limit signs or traffic warnings of any kind. We do know this is 2009 right! I should get a cart and a horse to take my kids to school I guess. There are a lot of children in our area that will be traveling this high bank country road that is only one and a half miles from hwy 85. If anyone really thinks this not going to be a major route to and from the schools is badly mistaken. At the current time there is nobody maintaining the road from Earl Kennedy to Redstone. The county grades the road from Aplin Rd. to Earl Kennedy except, the huge puddle pictured above. I would second the post about the mud and dust and danger to everyone involved from kids, drivers, and homeowners. Living where I do, I see things that no one else does in relation to this. Cars go by my house very fast easily exceeding 50mph and very frequent. I could go on and on but the bottom line is, This is an embarrassment to the community.
I would add Fairchild road and Arena Rd the high priority list as well although, there importance in comparison just got trumped. |
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| Mike - Jun 10, 2009 11:53:40 PM | Remove Comment |
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| I drove on the dirt road today and was delighted to see a pile of burning trash across the street. I bet the children will love this aroma as it fills their lungs during recess! I also saw a snake swimming in that mud puddle. Should be an interesting new school year. |
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| sdfsad - Jun 10, 2009 07:21:26 PM | Remove Comment |
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| there are children that will be forced to walk on this dirt road. No sidewalks were built and when it rains the road is slippery and nearly impossible to walk on! The buses will most likely take this road daily and for good reason as it would save tons of gas! The road needs to be paved, and the idea of making it a straight shot to 90 and an overpass to John King makes too much sense! Pave it with Obama money already! |
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| twinmom77 - Jun 10, 2009 11:17:01 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Every article I have read about the new schools has said the buses and school traffic will be using the newly paved Redstone Extension and not Okaloosa Lane. That's the whole reason the road was extended and paved. The schools' car and bus entrances are on Redstone, not Okaloosa Lane. All this sounds to me like an effort by a few loudmouthed residents to force the paving of a country lane that has nothing to do school traffic. Didn't you notice it was a dirt road when you moved there? |
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| Matt - Jun 10, 2009 09:44:48 AM | Remove Comment |
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