CLEARING A PATH— Lead crossing guard Barbara McLaren oversees a program that safeguards more than 6,000 schoolchildren a week at 15 elementary schools. McLaren, a Simi resident since 1959, was honored recently for her 20 years of service to the city. "You're a brave woman given the way that some people drive in this town," Mayor Paul Miller told McLaren, a grandmother of nine. WENDY PIERRO Acorn Newspapers For the past 20 years, Barbara McLaren has been protecting Simi youths as they make their way to and from school each day. And at age 72, the city's lead crossing guard shows no signs of slowing down—not for a few years, anyway.

Because of her two decades of service to the city crossing guard program, McLaren was awarded with a certificate of recognition and a pin at the June 1 City Council meeting.

"She has been instrumental in helping safeguard the crossing of over 6,000 schoolchildren a week at 15 elementary schools," said Debbie Solomon, director of community services.

McLaren received a standing ovation in the packed council chambers. Standing in the center of the room, the bespectacled, white-haired lady was obviously humbled by the attention.

DEDICATED—Barbara McLaren stops traffic for school-bound pedestrians on June 9 in front of Township Elementary School. "It's rather amazing," Mayor Paul Miller said as he presented her award. "You're a brave woman given the way that some people drive in this town."

McLaren has lived in Simi with her husband, Ralph, since 1959. The high school sweethearts raised four children here and now have nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Before she became a crossing guard, McLaren and her husband owned a mom-and-pop auto shop in Canoga Park for 25 years.

"I was a lady mechanic," McLaren said proudly. "I could tear down engines and repair things."

But when the rent skyrocketed, the couple could no longer afford to run the shop. McLaren ended up taking a job as a counter person at Chateau Cleaners in Simi, but the constant stapling gave her carpal tunnel syndrome.

That's when she looked into becoming a crossing guard, which wouldn't aggravate her hand problems and would give her the opportunity to work outdoors and interact with kids.

Because she had no experience as a crossing guard, the city hired her as a substitute guard in October 1988.

In February of the following year, she was assigned her own post at Appleton Road and Royal Avenue, where she served for seven years assisting Mountain View Elementary School students.

McLaren said she enjoyed finally having her own post and that she wanted to make a good impression on the kids.

"You want to get to be friends because if they like you they mind you better," said McLaren, who has seen the kids she once crossed grow up, go to college and have families of their own.

Although there is a traffic signal at Sycamore Drive and Royal Avenue, McLaren said a blind corner to the east of her post made for a precarious situation.

"We didn't have the traffic we have today," said McLaren, who then was responsible for crossing 60 children a day. "But you had to always be alert."

She said the guards' biggest frustration—aside from gusty Santa Ana winds—is impatient drivers who seem to be unaware of the rules.

The law states a driver cannot cross a crosswalk until the children are out of the street and on the curb and the crossing guard has returned to a place of safety.

McLaren said most drivers will wait for the kids but not the guard.

"You have to always be on the lookout for cars, people still on cellphones. . . . They have other things on their mind," she said. "We do have to hold them up sometimes. Our first priority is the safety of the children and then getting ourselves safely out of the street."

McLaren said the city has a "wonderful safety record," but she did get "bumped" one day by a young driver who took her foot off the brake too soon.

She said the program is much safer than it was when she first started because guards are now equipped with not only a stop sign and a neon vest but also a whistle and yellow traffic cones.

As lead guard— she was promoted in September 1995— McLaren is responsible for overseeing the actions and safety of 17 crossing guards and three substitutes. Her day is broken up into morning and afternoon shifts during which she visits three to four crossing guard posts.

Besides the daily monitoring, McLaren also does field training, and she estimated that she has trained 150 guards over the years.

She said training is one of the most challenging aspects of her job because she has to teach people to think like a pedestrian and it takes longer for some to pick it up than others.

Her least favorite part of the job is correcting guards when they make a mistake.

"I try really hard not to hurt feelings because I've been on the other end," she said.

One perk of the job is the flexible, part-time schedule, which allows her to take an art class Monday morning at the Senior Center while on her break

But even better than that, she said, is getting to know the other guards, many of whom are retirees.

McLaren said that in the next couple of years she may give up the lead guard position to once again take up a post and wield the red stop sign.

"It keeps your mind working," she said. "It's a challenge."