Autumn in the North Cemetery.

Sixty miles west of Boston, Massachusetts there is the small New England town of Sturbridge. Located at the junction of I-90 (The Mass Pike), and I-84 it has become known as the "Crossroads of New England". The town was first settled over 300 years ago, and like other small New England towns it has grown just enough over the years to be in a difficult place today. How do we embrace the future without forgetting how we got to our present? How do we attract the right kind of growth, and maintain who we are? And, what about our culture out here in Central Massachusetts?



These pages will cause one to think about how to protect what we have, our future direction, and how to move on in the very best way.


Those thoughts, and other ramblings, will hopefully inspire more thought, conversation, action, and occasionally a smile...

...seems to be working so far

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Maybe, Just Maybe


2 Maine brothers killed in Bay State car accident

The Associated Press
Posted May 13, 2002, at 7:26 a.m.
STURBRIDGE, Mass. – Two brothers from Maine were killed Saturday when their car was struck by a tractor-trailer on Route 20 in Sturbridge.
Venner Curtis, 74, of North Haven and Ronald Curtis, 69, of Owls Head pulled out of a Best Western hotel and into the path of the oncoming truck at about 8:30 a.m., state police said.
Both men were taken to Harrington Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
The driver of the truck was uninjured but was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
No charges have been filed against the truck driver, state police Sgt. Edward Principe said.



I received the following comment this morning:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Main Street Improvement Proposals Wanted": 

"It appears that wish #3 is about to be fulfilled. In early January (2013), I observed trucks on either side of Route 20 near the corner of New Boston Road. After two weeks they left leaving a section of conduit sticking out of ground on either side of the highway. I speculate this is will accomodate electrical connections for a new traffic light at that location."

The intersection of New Boston Road, and Route 20.

Same corner looking up to where the Best Western Hotel
had stood until last week when it was torn down.
Hmmm.  Worth a look I figured.  So, after a run to Home Depot, I drove by the intersection really slow.  There, popping out of the ground, at the end of a trench running from the utility pole, was an orange conduit.  What's more was an identical orange conduit on the east bound side of Route 20 with a trench running towards the State Police barracks area.

 Well, if it walks like a duck...

 Then, again, it could be nothing more than just an orange conduit poking up out of the ground, but 11 years after brothers Venner and Ronald Curtis of Maine died at this intersection, I am hoping for something  a bit more than orange conduit.

 Maybe, just maybe.

Scribbled by on

1 comment:

  1. AnonymousFriday, February 08, 2013

    It was I who made that observation segeral weeks ago. At the time that conduit was installed, it appered the construction firm somehow was able to install it under Rt. 20 without tearing up the highway. I have searhed the state web sites looking for evidence that this will be used for a future traffic light. But unfortumately, I can find none.

    This brings up another issue, Wally: Why the secrecy? Why can't our town adminsitrator come forth and say that we're going to get a traffc light at New Boston Rd. Surely they know one way or the other. I constantly get this "us against them" feeling when discussing the way the town operates. In my former town of residence, we had a similar town administration that kept information from the residents. Someone finally retaliated by starting a newsletter titled Borough Bickerings. This monthly bulletin contained all the town's gossip, and tidbits of information regarding the operation of the town that was often just conveniently withheld from the public. This little newsletter created such a stir within the borough's administrative department. The clarifying statements and back peddeling came fast and furious. The town became more forthcoming with borough news and happenings. The old guard was driven out by younger residents with fresh idea, and a transparent agenda. I believe our town needs a similar independent newsletter to keep us abreast of the town happenings, and things the administration feels that we don't need to know. We need to keep the administration on its toes. To quote the Joker from one of the 1990's Batman movies, "This town needs an enema". We need to administer it.

    ReplyDelete



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