I did that today while reading the Town Common newspaper. On the front page there is an article about the brick sidewalks that are being put in here in town. There is also mention, in the same article, about the intersection of Main and Haynes Street.
Now, you may wonder why this article would be mentioning the two hot button issues here in town in the same article, well, it is because the Board of Selectmen voted 4 to 1 to limit the brick sidewalk project at the the intersection of Main and Haynes Street based on the DOT engineer, Linda Terry's recommendation to leave the sidewalks up there as concrete because....
...wait for it...wait for it....
"My assumption is that truck traffic will continue to ride up on this curbing and after sometime the brick will not be able to take this additional loading", she wrote in an email to Town Administrator Shaun Suhoski.
Oh, I don't know, Terry, maybe the states engineer for the DOT admitting that the width of Haynes Street at the intersection is not wide enough to allow a proper turning radius of a truck, and that the design is flawed might be enough to correct the problem!
Now, what about our TA, Shaun Suhoski? Why didn't he push to fix the intersection instead of settling for a flawed plan? In its email to him, the state admitted that the intersection will not allow for a proper turning radius without trucks using the new sidewalks. Whose family will standing at the corner, on those sidewalks next time that happens?
Have I gone to sleep and awoken in the Land of the Tiny Brained People, or is it because those in a position to change a mistake, correct a problem have no idea on how to do it, so, they make do?
Please let it be the Land of the Tiny Brained People, then there would be a decent excuse.
There will come a day when the residents of this town are going gather at the intersection of Haynes and Main and scream up at that newly refurbished Town Hall, "Enough stupidity!!" They will demand answers, no longer stand to have their money spent willy-nilly, and take back control of their town.
I hope that day is soon.
I wish it was today.
We think the same way here, and are learning that many of our own townsfolk are laughing at the "I couldn't care about you less" of this/these "my way or the highway projects." If it wasn't so sad the rest of us would be laughing, too.
ReplyDeleteThe next thing that will hopefully happen is that those of us who are able to get to the town hall and make a little noise, as did those individuals at the Sept. 7 meeting, get there and make some "cricket sounds" when necessary.
For many years now there has been the air of intimidation around here and some folks think they will be ostracized and laughed at. It's time the powers that be find out just who is laughing at who (whom?). I wonder if ostrich's with their heads buried in the sand can hear crickets? I wonder if they can recognize law suits when they come up and bite them in the "tail feathers."
And don't forget, crickets don't storm right in and bully folks around. The hop in, sit and listen and give out a friendly little "chip" now and then. The thing is, that as the temperature goes up in the room, a cricket chirps a little louder more frequently, probably attracting more crickets and more chirps, and sooner or later the crickets will be heard.
ReplyDeleteIs this town being governed by some of the Twittlebug family? Here's link to a site where you can a watch a little Twittlebug project. 'Remind you of anything???
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2wme1Uhyhg&feature=related
I always enjoyed those bugs. Nice to know they are still with us here in town.
ReplyDeleteGreat article, Wally. No, you are not stupid, and if we look around the center of town, and the area of intersection across from the town hall, it does look like tiny brains have had their influence.
ReplyDeleteHow can the powers that be get away with changing plans, buying and causing more costly materials to be used, and causing or allowing a dangerous intersection to be made more dangerous without even asking permission from those who they have indebted to pay for these things?
I hope folks will be finding more time to state their views, and to "ask the selectmen," by phone or print or in person at an upcoming meeting.
Anybody got a crystal ball? The study for the sewer on route 15 is due any day. Want to predict what tiny brains will have to say then?....guess where the connection would be made ??? You guessed it! The intersection of Haynes and 131! Just thinking ahead.....
ReplyDelete