By CRAIG FREILICH

POTSDAM -- A longtime Haggerty Road resident is concerned that the rising number of children playing in that quiet section of the village and the seemingly increasing speed of some drivers there is raising the specter of potential tragedy.

John Gamble of 19 Haggerty Rd, a resident for more than 40 years, expressed his worry for at the meeting of the Village of Potsdam Board of Trustees Oct. 16.

He explained that some drivers apparently have been taking Bradley Drive and Haggerty Road as an alternative route between Leroy Street and May Road and are taking advantage of a couple of straight stretches to speed up, disregarding speed limits.

He is asking village officials to investigate if an extra stop sign or two and some “Kids at Play” signs might be helpful.

Gamble said the number of pre-school and school-aged children in the neighborhood has risen and fallen over the years, but that now there are about 40 who use the street, seeking a place to play and ride their bikes together.

He said that as far as he knows, no one has been hit by a car, but that he and his neighbors are noticing higher vehicle speeds and have heard screeching tires.

“There is no trouble with people in the neighborhood” because they are aware that children will be in the streets, he said after the meeting.

But there are people who “cut through this neighborhood from point A to point B as quickly as they can . It doesn’t happen a lot, but it only takes one,” he said.

And he’s not alone in his concern. He easily gathered 51 signatures from residents in the area for a letter to the village board asking for help. “Everyone I approached was happy to sign it,” he said.

Board members, Police Chief Mark Murray and DPW Supervisor Jim Corbett agreed that the situation is worth a look, and said they expect something can be done in the not too distant future.