Community Corner

Stopping Traffic for 40 Years

Bernadette Sparks' four decades as a crossing guard were celebrated by the students at Nativity of Our Lord.

If you have driven regularly past at rush hour during the last 40 years, there's a good chance you've come across Bernadette Sparks and her no-nonsense, long-arm of the law.

For most of the past four decades working as a crossing guard for the Warminster Police Department, Sparks has stood up to thousands of cars and held them back while ensuring students walking to and from the elementary school arrived safely.

"She's completely dedicated to her job," said Lieutenant Dominic Varacallo, a member of the Warminster Police Department for 16 years. "She cares for each of these kids like they were one of her own. They are really lucky to have her looking out for them."

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The students and faculty of Nativity showed their appreciation for Sparks commitment to their safety by a surprise celebration of her 40 years of service Thursday morning in the Nativity church hall.

"They asked me to come in and talk to the kindergartners about traffic safety," said an overwhelmed Sparks. "I was so shocked, it didn't even register what was happening at first."

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Sparks was joined on the stage by Varacallo and four other officers, her husband, John, a retired police officer, and State Representative Bernie O'Neill, who presented Sparks with a commendation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

"This is job that is a lot tougher and more dangerous than people realize," said O'Neill. "My father was a crossing guard for St Joseph's-St. Robert's and was hit by a drunk driver in 1980. His injuries forced him to retire."

Fortunately, Sparks has only a handful of run-ins with motorists as she watched the traffic volume grow year after year as Street Road expanded from two to four lanes. The worst incident happened about 30 years ago, when a driver clipped her hand and spun Sparks around, causing her to get jostled by a bus coming from the opposite direction.

"I was out of a commission for a couple weeks," said Sparks. "Once I was on my feet, I went right back out there."

The recognition for her 40 year tenure is no indication that Sparks plans to stop. As far as she's concerned, Sparks will remain a regular fixture in front of Nativity as long as she can.

"I get up in the morning, make sure my name isn't in the paper, then get my uniform on and get to my spot," she said. 


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