Fosgate helps kids stay safe in Waupaca

By Greg Seubert

Larry Fosgate has come full circle.

As a child growing up in Waupaca, he remembers crossing guards that helped him and other students cross busy streets before and after school.

He’s been doing the same thing for nearly 20 years.

Fosgate has been a crossing guard for the Waupaca Police Department since September 2004 and will show up at Churchill Street and Park Avenue on Thursday, Sept. 1, for the start of the 2022-23 school year.

The corner of Churchill and Park turns into one of Waupaca’s most congested areas for a few minutes before and after school. The intersection is how most parents and school bus drivers enter or leave Waupaca Middle School and the Waupaca Learning Center.

The intersection has been Fosgate’s corner for several years after starting his crossing guard experience 18 years ago at the corner of Royalton and Harding streets near the Waupaca County Courthouse.

“I was only there about three weeks and they decided not to have any crossing guards there anymore,” he said. “From there, I went to the corner of Churchill and Columbia. Then, I was at the corner by the rec center for a while. I heard the guy that was over here quit, so I came over here.”

Classic Nash Metropolitan

A lot of people will recognize Fosgate by his car, a 1960 Nash Metropolitan, which he bought in October 2009 . He only drives the car if the weather’s nice and parks it next to where he waits for students in a lot at Nelson’s Shell.

He’s displayed the car for years at the Iola Car Show and plans to take it again to this year’s show, which runs from July 7-9.

Fosgate said he’s met hundreds of kids over the years.

“They seem to know me by my name,” he said. “They call me Larry.”

He doesn’t chat with the students much as they head off to school in the morning or home in the afternoon.

Crossing guards are stationed at designated school crossing zones in the city and work about 10 hours a week.

Fosgate shows up at about 6:45 a.m.; stays until about 8 a.m.; and returns in the afternoon shortly before school lets out and works for another hour.

He’s also spending six weeks this summer during the Waupaca School District’s three-week-long summer school sessions in June and July.

“I like doing this,” Fosgate said. “I thought it would be interesting. The only thing that could really stop me would be my health.”