HILLSDALE—Not much gets past crossing guard Dorothy “Dottie” Higinson, who’s been shepherding students safely to and from George G. White School, 120 Magnolia Ave., in all seasons — arrivals and dismissals — for 32 years.
So on Friday, Oct. 28, when, following her morning post, police chief Robert Francaviglia asked her to accompany him into the school — Come on, I want to show you something — she knew it was important.
“I thought, ‘Oh, whose toes did I step on?’ and then I see he’s happy… so we went inside there, and we went into the gym, and I saw all the kids in the bleachers, and I thought, ‘What’s this?’”
Then the kids — fifth- and sixth-graders — launched into the birthday song, then chanted her name as only a gym full of youngsters can.
“And they asked how old I was. When they were told I’m 90, they nearly dropped dead,” Higinson said.
Higinson, who started as the school’s crossing guard at the busy Magnolia and Liberty intersection in October 1991 (following a stint crossing for St. John’s Academy), also accepted a plaque honoring her years of service “and as a reminder of how lucky the students of Hillsdale were to such a dedicated and loyal crossing guard.”
The gesture was the idea of superintendent Robert V. Lombardy Jr., who had no trouble convincing Francaviglia, Dottie’s supervisor, to take part.
Higinson told Pascack Press Nov. 1, “I had tears in my eyes. The police give you something when you’re 20 years, 25, years, or 30… I forgot about it,” she said. “But this…”
Police Captain Sean Smith told Pascack Press, “The Hillsdale Police Department wants to remind everyone how important and dangerous a job school crossing guard can be. Congratulations and happy birthday to Dorothy Higinson, a staple of the community.”
Smith agreed, “We coerced her. She’s very sharp, and we said, Dottie, can you come into the school, and she said what’s this all about, and I caught it on video.”
Smith said of crossing kids, with drivers sometimes ignoring the guard or hurling verbal abuse, “It’s a very, very dangerous job. you have to be alert at all times just to get those children across the street. It’s not an easy task, especially in inclement weather.”
He said, “It’s not a glamorous job, put it that way, for someone to do it for over 30 years. It takes a special person.”
He said there are some 15 crossing guards on the roster, including substitutes. George G. White School also posts a guard at Magnolia and Hillsdale Avenue, also a very busy intersection.
“Dottie’s a real figure in town. She’s been in town a long time. She’s notable — her family’s name carries weight as far as service in town,” said Smith, who’s also a published local historian. “She’s a no-nonsense type of crossing guard; that’s what she’s known for, and that’s what you need to be.”
He added, “But she’s very compassionate, and she’s fostered a connection with the students. It’s not just one year, it’s every year that she’s worked; she’s able to make a connection with the student body. She’ll know kids on a first-name basis, she’ll give them high-fives; but at the same time she’s not taking any nonsense from motorists and people parking illegally.”
Smith said since Covid-19 the borough has seen a shortage of crossing guards — as have other municipalities. “It’s a four-season job, and for seniors especially it’s not easy in the wintertime, getting out of the house… so we’re always in need of crossing guards. We have some substitutes but we’re always looking for qualified applicants.” The department is advertising on its web page.
Higinson told Pascack Press she’s hanging up the reflective jacket and stop sign in September 2023 — “Enough’s enough” — but that she’s not done working.
She had a long career working for a doctor, until his passing, which led her to taking on crossing duties in 1991.
Actually, it was a neighbor of hers at the time, Hillsdale police officer Robert Miele, who essentially tricked her into applying for the job. He asked for her signature on a piece of paper. “‘OK, now you’re a crossing guard,’ he said. I figured I’d give it a year. And here I am.”
There have been close calls. “It’s scary. Many times my sign is shaking and someone doesn’t stop, and someone says, ‘I don’t know how they missed you.’ But you’re safe and the kids are safe. Thank God. That’s the important thing, that the kids are safe: They’ve got their whole life ahead of them.”
She goes by Dot and Dottie, but “The kids that I cross know me as Get back on that corner! I want them to be safe. I want them to be safe. And no one on that corner has been hurt, not when I’m on duty. That’s my biggest concern, is stay back on the corner,” she says.
Higinson missed the job during Covid and loves when former students come back from high school or college to say hello, to give her a hug and a smile. “I always feel if you’re good to people, people will be good back to you… it works. My mother always said, you receive what you give. Most of the time, most of the time.”
And her next steps? Her daughter wants to know too. “I worked all my life. I’ll find something to do, if I’m still here. I don’t know how people can waste a whole day, sitting at home.”
It happens that George G. White School is not much older than Higinson, at a neat 100 years. A referendum is set for next year on a proposal to raze the school and build new across the street. But some town staples, we’ll bet, can’t be improved on.
The Hillsdale Police Department says on its website it’s hiring for crossing guards — full time and substitute. The requirements: minimum 18 years old, valid driver’s license, good moral character. The commitment is approximately 3–4 hours per day, depending on the schedule. Contact Lou Spagnoli at the Hillsdale Police Department for an application or for more information.
Higinson directs us to a stipulation of her own: “Crossing guards should like children. Otherwise they should not be crossing guards.”