EASTHAMPTON – Two women have banded together to improve the safety of crosswalks across Easthampton after the death of Denise Herzog.
Herzog, 63, a potter and ceramicist who helped found the Cottage Street Studios in the 1980s, was struck and killed by a minivan in a crosswalk a short distance from One Cottage Street in December. Within a week, Cindy Bow, an Easthampton resident and friend of Herzog, spent several days walking throughout town with a homemade flag to raise awareness for pedestrian and driver safety.
“It’s how I handled my grief,” Bow said. By taking a stick, some felt and duct tape, Bow spent several days getting drivers to be more attentive to pedestrians. “I wanted to plaster signs all over the road to say ‘slow down and pay attention.’”
Bow’s actions caught the attention of Juliette Mooers, Bow’s neighbor and the owner of Valley Art Supplies. Both women had seen a post on Facebook about a flag system used in other parts of the country at crosswalks, and they were inspired to take action in the aftermath of losing a beloved member of the community.
“It happened via word of mouth,” Mooers said. What started with a homemade flag quickly evolved into the two making nearly 40 flags made from felt, wooden dowels and bright orange weather resistant material with the help of Mooers’ husband.
Using a half-cut art storage tube and a donated safety cone to hold the flags, Bow and Mooers set up the first Safe Walks crosswalks on the very same street where Herzog was struck.
To use Safe Walks, pedestrians grab a flag and hold it up in the air as they cross, then place the flag on the opposite holder for others to use.
Members of the community quickly began contacting Bow and Mooers with suggestions for locations for Safe Walks, to volunteer to maintain the flag system and with donations.
“My kids are seeing that two people can start this community effort after something so tragic,” Mooers said. “Driving on Union Street and Cottage Street, the flags in the periphery are a reminder that people are out and about.”
With 14 crosswalks on Cottage and Unions Streets, Mooers said it can be difficult to see people attempting to cross the road behind cars parked on the side of the street.
“I’ve seen people using them and appreciating them,” Bow said, adding that the elderly, disabled, teens and people of all ages and have used the Safe Walks system.
“It’s for the whole community to use and to help all, not just one person,” Bow said.
Luis Fieldman can be reached at lfieldman@gazettenet.com.