TO ALL MY FRIENDS: This is the reason I’ve been absent the past couple of days. Thanks for your patience. Amy
Candles For Nina
Nina, who is far away
I know you hear my prayer
My heart and soul (my daughter)
is right there, been there
since it happened,
the Horrible Thing
Wrong place, wrong time
The pavement, no springing
up from this blow, it seems
As your friends stared
the ambulance came
Carried you with care
Now Nina, you’re in limbo
Twixt here and no one knows
Through my girl, in spirit,
I’m there, I feel so close
Your friends, angry, crying
and Nina, that’s for you
Sad, praying, lighting candles
And God is right there, too
© 2014 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Image courtesy of WikiMedia Commons
Nina Fitzpatrick is a student at Laguna Beach Institute of Arts and Design. One moment Nina is a vibrant, artistic, cool woman…the next, it’s moment to moment. It happened in a crosswalk at the school – a crosswalk students have complained about repeatedly,
WHAT FOLLOWED WAS WRONG INFO AND I HAVE APOLOGIZED TO SCHOOL AND TRIED TO EMAIL. WRITER WAS ANONYMOUS BY EMAIL AS WELL:
…but about which the school did nothing, citing budget concerns. Seriously? (END OF MISTAKE, what follows is redaction)
Real story: LCAD (Laguna College of Arts and Design – I wrote wrong name) was indeed the recipient of numerous complaints, including near misses – BUT the road is apparently privately owned, and the OWNERS would not do anything, even when the SCHOOL offered to help pay. The only good news is that LCAD went public and it looks like their demand for stop lights at the crosswalk is being heard; it made the paper, etc. I logged into my edits to write the person who said I was “kicking them while they were down” (see comments, lower portions) but they did not leave a valid email. This sort of sucked, but I get it.
So I am mailing a hard copy of the original plus the redaction to the school and hoping they distribute it widely. In the meantime, my complaint is valid; however, my blaming the school was TOTALLY based on numerous instances of hearsay. So much for that. Nothing can bring Nina back, and I am so sorry I hurt folks who may have read this comment. LCAD is a marvelous school and has done wonderful things for all its students. Amen.
Sharp Little Pencil 
Linda E.H.
How tragic. I’ll keep Nina in my thoughts and prayers.
Karen Tisci
May prayers go out to Nina and everyone around. Gods love will keep you surrounded.
J Cosmo Newbery
Ouch. My thoughts are with you, Nina and her friends.
Karen Mauk Holmes
So sorry for you, Nina and her family. Prayers going out for all of you.
brian miller
oh i am so sorry and i hope that all is well..and that they do something about the crosswalk…sad that is had to come to this…
Sherry Blue Sky
Oh Amy, how terrible. May the prayers bring a miracle, for Nina and for all of you who love her.
Meena Rose
Nina, hang in there, precious. Love surrounds you and carries you. My prayers, my thoughts and my well wishes are with you and yours and all who love you.
El Guapo
Words fail me.
Polly
So sorry to learn of this Amy. My thoughts with you and Riley and Nina and Nina’s parents and all the friends at the hospital – hope and wishes to all flying your way xx
coalblack
Budget concerns! Like GM, that wouldn’t spend 90 cents to repair a defect that killed a number of young drivers. I’ll be keeping her in my thoughts, now that I understand who Nina is.
Roger Green
Since you were kind enough to let me know of this beforehand, I was musing on the relationship between art (poetry, music) and tragedy. I got royally ticked by someone (I know who) who complained about the lack of same after 9/11. Thus was on 9/17/01; I thought this was an absurd notion.
Different thought: the notion of the pedestrian having the right of way, while totally logical – look at the weight and harm differential – is often untrue, and it really ticks me off,
Best to Riley and her friend and their support group
http://vivinfrance.wordpress.com
Will do (think and pray, I mean)
mybeautfulthings
Dear Amy, my heart goes out to you all in this tragic circumstance and I send healing vibes and chi and love all the way from Cornwall and hope that the love surrounding Nina, coming from you all and from all over the world will help her recovery.
Hope and love, Sally
McGuffy Ann
Prayers and peace.
Kenia Cris
Keeping Nina in my prayers and thoughts.
Pamela
I healing thoughts are sent to Nina. I am so sorry.
Pamela
jadepagepress
prayers
whimsygizmo
Oh, Amy. Many, many prayers for Nina and her family, and your sweet Riley.
Buddah Moskowitz
My prayers for her.
Anonymous
I attend this school (it is Laguna College of Art + Design) and today was very hard to be there knowing what happened to Nina last Thursday. And as much of a tragedy as this is, the school was trying very hard to make the cross walk safer. They had been turned down by the owners of the road several times, even when a teacher had offered to pay out of pocket for a stop light to be put in. Still there was nothing the school could do, because they do not own the road. The school is not to blame, this was a horrible tragedy we all wish could have been avoided and hurts our entire school. But making the school out to be a part of the problem, is only kicking us when we are down. Please continue to pray for Nina’s family, and a healing over our school.
Sharp Little Pencil
Dear LCAD member, I am so sorry that I hurt your feelings and tarnished the school. I did not mean to do that – it was hearsay, and not from my daughter, that the school told students it was not in the SCHOOL’S budget to do anything. I was writing from this premise.
As you can see by all the people who have posted, Nina received a lot of support and prayers from everyone on my blog. I hope you will take heart and this and know that I did not intend to… take it out on the school. I apologize, sincerely. Peace, Amy
Sharp Little Pencil
Anonymous, I hope you come back to read this, since your email address wasn’t real. I do wish you had felt empowered to leave your actual address so you would know about this apology. I’ll let Riley know, and maybe she can figure out who you are so she can let you know… Peace, Amy
Sara v
Oh Amy, I am so sad! I am praying, sending love and healing thoughts. Hugs to you and your family xoxo
kaykuala
It’s so sad that it was a tragedy waiting to happen. Where a young person is involved in a tragedy it really hurts.
(Came by from your Book of Nina posting. Am aware of the sad outcome that Nina didn’t make it!) I’m sorry! Thanks Amelita!
Hank
grapeling
Ah, shit. She was a student of a friend of mine who teaches at LCAD. He’s quite upset. The elderly driver, according to news reports, didn’t see her in the crosswalk. I drive that patch of road frequently (living in LB) and though the cross walk is well lit, there’s so much activity to distract the eye, I’m shocked, but not surprised. I am so sorry for Riley’s loss of her friend, and of course for Nina’s family. Terrible. ~
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