The Herald received a letter to the editor this week from Jill Anderson, thanking officials for the new signal at Jonathan Elementary School.

The letter:

I would like to thank the city of Chaska and School District 112 for working together to install a much-needed stoplight on Pioneer Trail at the entrance to Jonathan Elementary School (JES).

This intersection is used by many elementary-age students that walk or ride their bikes to school each weekday and has become increasingly dangerous as commuter, bus, and parent traffic have increased on Pioneer Trail. The decision to put a stoplight at the intersection was made through careful research and discussion.

It has significantly increased safety on Pioneer Trail and improved the flow of car and school bus traffic into and out of JES.

In particular I would like to thank City Engineer Bill Monk for working very hard to find and implement solutions to enhance the safety of the intersection for all that use it. Thanks also to Steve Pumper at District 112 for his help getting the project done.

And finally, a special thanks to our Principal Nancy Wittman-Beltz, along with Jan Lundquist, JES staff, and the safety patrol, whose combined efforts make sure that each student gets to school and back home as safely as possible each and every school day.

Anderson hits the nail on the head.

I particularly applaud her inclusion of the safety patrol.

Those kids do a WONDERFUL job ensuring the safety of kids walking from their Jonathan homes, across the pedestrian-dangerous Pioneer Trail/Village Road intersection to Jonathan Elementary School.

There are a lot of stupid drivers that speed along Pioneer Trail like it's an Interstate highway, paying no attention to pedestrians.

The traffic signal should go a long way in assisting the safety patrol, as they help fellow students walk to school safely.

Jonathan Elementary School Safety Patrol: Keep up the great work!