Acushnet Army veteran couple gets creative to get people to pay attention to road

An Acushnet couple got creative in hopes of slowing things down on the country road they live along.

For more than 25 years, Laurie and Jim Rollins have lived along Gammons Road in Acushnet in a beautiful log cabin like home.

"Living out here in the country you'd expect it to be a nice quiet road but unfortunately it's usually to the contrary," said Laurie. "You can hear them coming like a freight train in a lot of instances. People don't realize this is not 1-95 this is Gammons Road in Acushnet, we're out in the country."

According to the Rollins, over the years, they've seen dozens of car accidents as a result of people speeding and losing control or texting and driving.

"Basically, you get from Acushnet to Fairhaven on this road and so people use it all the time,” said Jim.

The Rollins are both U.S. Army veterans.

They met while in the service in the 1980s and are proud of what they and their family have accomplished for our country.

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The outside of their home bears memorial art for those who have served.

"I did a lot of decorations with paintings of red, white, and blue things like that on the fence," said Laurie. "I go along with my wife, she's the artist, she says she wants to put up a John Wayne or anything else to paint the fence. I say, fine, what can I do to help."

"John Wayne" is not a part of the veteran art. He's a big buck statue that Laurie put up outside of their home four years ago.

It stands about eight-feet tall next to several other animal statues in the front of their home.

"I put the deer in because they looked really cute and then I decided I wanted something bigger and that's how John Wayne came about," said Laurie. "I name everything. We don't refer to him as the buck in the front that's John Wayne. I loved his movies. I love all of his movies, but I also love the person that he seemed to be."

The deer might look real, but they won't jump out to cross the road.

Every holiday, the Rollins decorate John Wayne for whatever theme is necessary.

This month, he's dressed in surfer attire for the summer month.

"He's been out here four years and gets decorated definitely for Christmas, when we have a birthday, things like that he gets a few balloons, Mother's Day, Fourth of July," said Laurie. "He's always a part of our decorations."

While John Wayne looks cool, he also has a purpose.

Next to him, is a sign that reads, "Honk if you're lookin at me and not at your cell phone!"

The Rollins said the purpose of putting the sign up is to prevent people from crashing and to get them to pay attention to what's in front of them.

"We've heard some honks, yeah we have," said Laurie. "I like to think that he is being seen, and people are slowing down enough to perhaps take in the beauty of the area and to be more safe."