Then and now: Memories of the crossing guard

The crossing guard shack in South Lake Tahoe still exists. Photo/Bill Kingman

This photo, above,  shows then and now. Still standing at the crosswalk on Highway 50 at Lyons Avenue is a telephone booth-sized structure with windows, door, and shake roof. It was the weather shelter for Mrs. Rosie the Crossing Guard.

Rosie Borges worked as a crossing guard for the Lake Tahoe Unified School District and city of South Lake Tahoe between 1974 and 1994. Her son, local chiropractor (and Tahoe historian) David Borges, says she was a crossing guard in San Jose from 1958 to 1965 before the family moved to Lake Tahoe.

That crosswalk across Highway 50 served Al Tahoe Elementary School, the high school (which became the middle school), and St. Theresa Church and School. Rosie was very protective of the kids she crossed. They followed the rules implicitly, and she was dedicated to getting a smile out of all of the drivers that stopped in front of her.

Dave Borges tells one folklore story about his mom when a car tried to go through the crosswalk while she was crossing children. She hit the car with her hand-held stop sign, reported the incident to the police and the driver got a ticket. Drivers and students quickly learned not to mess with crossing guard Mrs. Rosie.

Rosie Borges was a fixture as a crossing guard. Photo/Dave Borges

One record of note is she had 100 percent success for 28 years. No children were injured when she was performing her duties as a crossing guard.

— Bill Kingman