Adam Rogan
Grainville pupil, year 11
The year has been a tough one. In some ways a lot has gone on and in other ways not very much.
I was not at school for much of the year obviously. I spent a lot of time with my key worker working on the sensory garden at Grainville. I enjoyed that, it was better than being in school or in the A.R.C. But my support sessions with Autism Jersey were cancelled.
My cat Disco was very sadly run over in the summer. He was a rescue cat from Greece and we had had him since he was a small kitten. I was very upset about it, but as things turned out it really was just the tip of the iceberg for me.
I discovered that Disco was the second cat to have been killed on our road. My neighbour’s cat had also been killed and naturally she was very upset about it too.
She had tried to do something about the speed of the cars on the road by starting a petition but nothing had come of it. I decided to take the matter into my own hands.
The problem is that drivers speed on the road and there are several blind corners. No one seems to give a thought to the other users of the road. It is dangerous for the old people who live in Maison Cabot and
the families that live opposite. There is no pavement and many people cross the road to get to the local shop or the pub or the bus stop. I was very upset about Disco being killed but I became worried that the next incident could involve a child or an adult.
I encouraged people to sign the petition on line. I rang up BBC Radio Jersey to talk to Ashlea Tracey about the problem. The response from people was very positive and I was interviewed on television.
At the same time, I contacted the Parish Hall and asked to speak to the Connetable of Trinity Philip Le Sueur. He agreed to meet with me to discuss the matter. He introduced me to Dave Malpass who is in charge of painting speed signs on the road and Kevin Lewis the Minister for Infrastructure. I spoke to all of them about traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps, a zebra crossing and a path for pedestrians. I then spoke to the Deputy Chief Minister Senator Lyndon Farham. He agreed that some measures should be implemented.
I am really pleased with the way these discussions have gone. The Connetable of Trinity has shown me the plans for the measures we have discussed. It is my understanding that these measures will now be implemented, subject to the budget being found.
It will be a great outcome for the safety of our community.
