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Expensive Route 128 widening
goes on and on
DID YOU
KNOW…
The $323
million widening of Route 128, between Route 24 in Randolph and
Route 9 in Wellesley, is now in its sixth year and seems to
be another never-ending “Big Dig” project. The 14.3 mile
project, which cuts through seven different communities, will
add one lane in each direction and will take another eight years
to complete.
There is
also a separate but related portion of the project that is of
special interest to Canton, and will cost an additional $118
million. It will reconfigure and rebuild the dangerous Route 128
interchange with I-95 into a safer, three-level interchange. For
many years, it has been the site of numerous accidents,
including several fatalities, and has earned the nickname of
“Dead Man’s Curve.” As for now, both portions of the overall
project are supposed to be completed by 2016.
In case you
haven’t heard or noticed, there are three new patrolmen on the
Canton Police force, and all three grew up in town: Kevin
Foley, a former Canton High quarterback and veteran who
served two tours in Iraq; Sean Goode, who served in the
Coast Guard; and Ensley Cotard, who becomes the second
Hispanic officer on the force. The three newcomers must now
complete the police academy.
The
Canton-based biotech firm Organogenesis. Inc.’s Apligraf®
treatment has been approved for full reimbursement by health
insurance companies in Switzerland. The company’s product uses
living cells and acts as a skin graft that can heal wounds in
patients with diabetic foot ulcers and various leg ulcers.
Thousands of
unionized Shaw’s Supermarket employees narrowly avoided a
strike this past week when they negotiated and ratified a new
five-year contract, which involved a range of raises for
different classes of employees, and the company dropped its
proposal to freeze the pension plan for employees.
Governor
Patrick has signed into law a $3 billion bill to repair or
replace up to 300 neglected Massachusetts bridges. Among the
bridges slated for work in the first year is the Ponkapoag Trail
Bridge over Interstate 93 in Milton at an estimated $2.65
million; $4 million is slated to replace an access road over
Route 24 in Randolph; and $4.4 million will be spent to repair
the Belmont Street Bridge over Route 24 in Brockton.
Things
are really tough. In the past 30 months, there were over 19
foreclosures in Canton, but surrounding towns fared even worse.
Sharon had 35 foreclosures, Braintree 43, Milton 48, Stoughton
76, and Randolph has the most on the South Shore with 150.
Overall, there were 1,200 foreclosures on the South Shore in the
past 30 months (2006, 2007 and 2008). By comparison, most
communities had only one, if any, in 2005.
The city of
Boston recently attained another dubious honor when it was
announced that it is the city with the second-highest monthly
parking rate ($460) in the United States and is now second only
to New York City. The daily rate to park your car in Boston now
averages $33, which is behind New York’s $35-$40 and Honolulu’s
$44. If you’re interested in what some other cities charge, San
Francisco is $28 daily and $350 monthly; Los Angeles is at
$27.50/$196; and Chicago is $30/$310; but be happy you don’t
live in London. Our British cousins have to pay $68 per day, or
$1,167 per month, to keep their cars in downtown London. Between
the cost of parking and the cost for gasoline, public
transportation looks better and better every day, doesn’t it?
With the
recent passage of the override, the Canton School Committee has
reportedly replaced 20 of the 22 teaching positions lost last
year due to the budget cuts then in force, and the committee
also agreed to hire another teacher at the Hansen Elementary
School to help reduce first grade class sizes.
The
Canton Lions Club is promoting its eighth annual Legendary
Voices Concert featuring “Rod Stewart and his Band” on
October 25 at the Canton High School Auditorium at 7 p.m.
Professional marketing personnel will be calling residents and
businesses on behalf of the Canton Lions. For more info, call
Canton Lion Charlie Penders at 781.828.9364.
MAC
congratulates Joe Pascarelli, 57, on his recent
retirement from the Stoughton Police Department after 32 years
on the force. For the past ten years, he was the department’s
criminal prosecutor in Stoughton District Court, and he was also
a Stoughton selectman from 2004 to 2007. Joe was a standout
athlete at Stoughton High and still actively plays slo-pitch
softball on the Hannington’s of Canton over 55 team, helping his
team win two consecutive championships. He was also a long-time
youth coach for Pop Warner football and Little League as well as
high school football, which his two sons played.
Finally,
Canton’s Draper Knitting Company’s equine therapy saddle pad
will be used at the Olympic Games in Beijing by Canadian
equestrian competitor Selena O’Hanlon, who has been regularly
using the pad on her horse, “Colombo,” since March. Draper is
one of the last locally owned textile companies with a
manufacturing plant in the region.
The Canton
Recreation Commission is gearing up for the annual Homecoming
Parade. Anyone who is interested in marching should contact
Joe Uliano at 781-828-4529.
The man
who works and is never bored is never old. Work and interest in
worthwhile things are the best remedy for age.
That this is all for now folks; see you next week.
Joe DeFelice can be reached at
manaboutcanton@aol.com
August 21, 2008
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