Oconto: Anyone driving on Madison Street at Michigan Avenue before and after school the past 11 years has seen Tony Ahnen, a crossing guard, on duty.

He started his "career" when former police chief Oren Woodworth called him one day in 1990, saying there was a shortage of crossing guards and asking if he could help out.

"He said he knew I was a good man and suggested I try it for two weeks, and if I liked it I could have the job,' said Ahnen. "I enjoyed it so much, being with the kids reminded me of my six grandchildren." Since then he has served 4,000 hours.

Ahnen said the first day he let the children know that they must follow rules, but more importantly that he was their friend and was there to protect them. Some of the tudens were in first grade when he started as crossing guard, and they are now seniors.

"The last day of school I have them all suckers, and one day a grown boy came past me and said he still remembered that," Ahnen said.

Many times, he said, he's received handmade Christmas cards and candy from the kids, as a way of thanking him for keeping them safe.

"These were among the best Christmas presents I ever got," he said.

"I feel the kids are my extended family," said Ahnen, who has been married to wife, Frances, for 43 years. They have five sons, five grandaughters and one grandson.

"I love kids and they love me," Ahnen said. "After school, if any kid is standing around I would ask them if they had a ride home. If they didn't, I'd take them inside school so they could call their home."

Grinning while he talked, he spoke of a day when it was extremely hot outside, and he wore shorts while on duty. "One first grader came up to me and said, "I didn't know you hade legs."

The job has its extreme, he noted. About five years ago temperatures dropped to 10 to 20 below zero for two weeks straight.

He also spoke of a ghrandparent who came to him once and said he had been talking with his granddaughter, and asked Ahnen if he know he was close to God in her eyes. The man told him that his granddaughter remembered Ahnen telling her that if anyone ever called her bad names they should tell their teacher. Shesaid instead she would tell the crossing guard, as he takes care of everything.

Ahnen served in the Army after graduating from Oconto High School He then went to work at Cruiser's Boats, where he stayed for 27 years. After he retired, he decided to drive a vehicle for Ackerman Medical transfer.

"I enjoyed working with the elderly as well, and nw drive a bus for Commission on Aging, taking the elderly to appointments and shopping," he said. "I just enjoy working with people."

While working as a crossing guard, he tells of several close calls. "Once a car came up behind me while I was taking kids across the street. He only stopped a foot from my leg. Another time a pickup truck went by so closely, it took the stop sign out of my hand with its side mirror, and once a whindshield on a vehicle was so frosted, I had to drop my sign and run because the driver couldn't see where was going."

As long as he's able, Ahnen says he'll be on the same street corner on school days, wearing his blaze-orange vest with yellow stripes, placing a pylon on the street and carrying his big sign.

"All it takes is a smile or thank-you and that makes everything worthwhile."