TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — When Mia Schoenfeld and Ana Nieto walked into the Hillsborough County Commission chambers earlier this summer, the sixth graders weren’t there for a field trip. They were there to push for a crosswalk along Nine Eagles Road, a busy stretch connecting the neighborhoods of Waterchase, Westwood Lakes and Nine Eagles.
“We wanted to build a crosswalk to help, like, pedestrian safety and sort of to prevent, like, car crashes and kids getting hurt and stuff like that,” said middle schooler Mia Schoenfeld. “Because we know that there are a bunch of middle school kids that ride to school every day on their like electric scooters or bikes, and we know how unsafe it is because the cars are going very fast.”
Nieto said she felt the same.
WATCH: “We needed to fix that”: Tampa Girl Scouts push for crosswalk to protect Farnell Middle School students
“We noticed there was, like, a lot of kids and pedestrians crossing the street, and there’s a bunch of cars as well, so we needed to fix that.”
The two are members of Girl Scout Troop 1843, a group of rising sixth graders who turned what started as a Bronze Award project, the Girl Scouts’ community service initiative, into a campaign for real change.
“At first, honestly, it wasn’t really like that,” Schoenfeld said. “Like we had this bronze award project that we needed to do, and in the beginning, we were thinking, what’s something easy that we could just do and get over with? Because we were like, you know, it’s kind of boring. We just want to eat our snacks.”
But the project grew bigger than they expected.
“It was an idea. We did not really think it was gonna happen,” she said. “We were kind of like, oh, if it happens, yeah, if it doesn’t happen, it’s all right, you know. But then a few months ago, it was an idea, and now it’s something that is possibly going to happen. So we’re really proud of that.”
To back up their request, the Scouts did far more than just show up to speak. The girls have surveyed neighbors, gathered data, even carried out their own pedestrian traffic study, funded by themselves.
“We did a bunch of lemonade stands,” Schoenfeld said. “And thanks to Nadia Combs, she helped us, like, grow a lot, and she wanted us to succeed. And we’re really happy that we have her, like, on our team to help us. So that was really good. We did like, bunch of like, traffic safety and stuff. We got a bunch of signatures from like other pedestrians and kids.”
Combs, a Hillsborough County Public Schools Board Member, stood before commissioners to vouch for the troop.
“Several months ago, this troop reached out to me because they had some concerns about the safety,” Combs told the board. “They also created lemonade stands, so that way, they could collect money. And they also did their own traffic study to really look at what’s happening in that area and also reach out to the community. And finally, they also did a public works office request. So they’ve done all of that.”
For the girls, the issue is urgent.
“When we had our lemonade stand to get community feedback on a crosswalk, we had a difficult time crossing the busy street and saw someone almost get hit by a car,” said Emma Androff, another troop member, as she addressed the board.
“Since there’s nowhere to cross, people have to run across the street and hope that drivers are paying attention. Also, we have seen more accidents in our neighborhood with E-bikes and scooters, and kids are getting very hurt. Please help protect us and other kids in this area by supporting this crosswalk. We don’t want anyone else to get hurt, and without this crosswalk, it’s just a matter of time.”
Another Scout told commissioners, “As we have been working on our bronze award project, I personally have noticed that there is an abundance of people trying to cross Nine Eagles Road, and I know that many of my friends will be using it to get to and from school, which means they will be crossing the street and risking their lives daily.”
One girl added, “I find it hard to cross the street when I’m going or coming home from Westwood Lakes, because the cars are going just too fast and don’t know when to stop. My troop and I believe that adding a crosswalk is a safe plan, not just for us, but for pedestrian safety and all the middle school kids who are going or coming home from school.”
The county commissioners, who often hear from adult lobbyists and policy experts, were visibly impressed.
“They were actually really proud of our speeches,” Schoenfeld said afterward. “They said that we were great and that we would be future leaders. And that was, like, really nice of them to say that.”
Commission Chair Ken Hagan told the Scouts directly, “Here’s some of the most articulate, well-spoken speakers that we ever have in this boardroom, not just today, but every meeting. You certainly put me to shame with your speaking ability.”
He recalled a similar moment years earlier, when an elementary school class lobbied the board for a dog park.
“As a result of this fifth-grade class, the first-ever Hillsborough County dog park is in Lutz,” he said. “That happened because of kids your age. And that’s real.”
Commissioner Hagan directed county staff to look into providing a crosswalk in the kids neighborhood.
For the Scouts, the project is about more than earning an award.
“Part of being a Girl Scout is trying to make the world a better place,” one of the girls told the commissioners. “That is why my troop and I are advocating for a crosswalk in our community. We hope to provide a safe zone for all walkers and bikers to access local schools and businesses. There have been so many close calls where distracted drivers almost hit a pedestrian. Having a crosswalk will help drivers see parents, kids, families, and know to slow down and be careful.”
Schoenfeld added a reminder about what the Bronze Award really means.
“For each year of your Girl Scouts, there’s bronze, silver and gold awards, and they’re basically awards that you get to help your community, you know, to make the world a better place. And that’s what Girl Scouts do.”
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
