In the News: King St, casino standards, softball clinic, Republican scholarships

Speed still a problem on Franklin's King Street

The town is considering placing two traffic-calming devices at the corner of Wachusett and King streets to help curb rampant speeding in the Gerald M. Parmenter Elementary School zone.

State to set casino application standards

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission met Monday afternoon in Boston to discuss how it would judge casino applications, including the one for the proposed project in Milford.

Lady Panthers Softball Clinic will be held April 6

Franklin High School Lady Panthers Softball Clinic will be held Saturday, April 6 – rain or shine – from 9 a.m. to noon at Franklin High School Field House for grades one through six.

Franklin Republicans offering scholarships

Once again, the Franklin Republican Town Committee is providing a scholarship opportunity for students.

New roof on King St

The fire damage from September 2012 is getting repaired. Robert Catalano's residence at 12-14 King St.

14 King St under repair

and a second view

14 King St under repair - 2nd view

The Sep 2012 story
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/09/franklin-police-officer-saves-man-in.html

Butterfly on King St

Walking back home with coffee from Cafe Dolce on Saturday morning, spotted this butterfly flitting from flower to flower along King St.

King St/i495 (Exit 16) Paving Update

The King St i495 (Exit 16) interchange is getting paved. According to a friendly worker as I ran by this morning to snap this photo, they should only need tonight (Weds) and then Thursday to finish the paving.

Great work guys, this has been a long time coming and will be welcomed when complete!


Franklin, MA

Catch basin does its thing

Coming down Upper Union St to the newly redesigned corner at King St, the catch basin (or rain garden?) is doing its thing along the side of the road.

MassHighway, now a Division of MA DOT is responsible for this construction which won't be completed until Summer of 2010. You can find out project status on the MA DOT website here


Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Police alert - injured officer status

I saw helicopters circling above i495 earlier today and couldn't find out what was up. Now this Franklin Police alert fills in the details.

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On Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 11:30 am Franklin Police Officers responded to a report of a police officer that had been struck by a motor vehicle while on paid detail duty at the intersections of King Street and Route 495 in Franklin. The suspect vehicle described by witnesses as a small red car fled the scene leaving the officer, 25 year police veteran Edward Clifford on the roadway. Franklin Firefighters were luckily on scene and immediately rendered first aid to Officer Clifford. Clifford was transported by Franklin Fire to the Milford Whitinsville Regional Hospital for injuries suffered. His condition is good as he was released and is recovering at this time at home.

Witness accounts of the accident and subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of Ari C. Cunard, age 25 of 301 Union Street apartment 220 in Franklin for the offenses of Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident and Operating a Motor Vehicle so as to Endanger the Lives and Safety of the Public. Cunard was located at her home address and subsequent to questioning by Franklin Police Officers admitted to having been the operator of the suspect motor vehicle, a 2006 Red Chevrolet Cobalt Massachusetts registration 698ES6. The suspect vehicle was located in the rear parking area of 301 Union Street where Ari Cunard resides. Ari Cunard was booked for the above listed offenses and held in the Franklin Station until released on bail for appearance in the Wrentham District Court on Wednesday the 4th of August.

Updated: 8/8/10
Boston Herald says Ari has a record:
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20100806alleged_hit-run_driver_busted_twice_at_hotels/

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Note: The police officers working on details are working on their own personal time earning extra money and money for Franklin. Franklin charges the contractors for the detail services which covers the cost of the police officers time, plus. This information has been confirmed in prior budget meeting discussions with police and town personnel.


Franklin, MA

Pulaski Blvd - Seek Alternate Route

For those traveling down King St, if you think you have successfully negotiated the construction around the i495 interchange, beginning March 29th, you'll need to consider an alternate route if you want to get to Bellingham, Woonsocket and other points south.

King St turns into Washington St at Cole's Tavern and becomes Pulaski Blvd as you cross the town line into Bellingham. Bellingham received a sizable amount of stimulus money to do the reconstruction of the road down into the intersection of RT 126.

I'll consider bailing out on either Forest St or Spring St to the back roads.

What will you do? Share your short cut here

Franklin, MA

Bellingham's Pulaski Boulevard construction receives funding

King St runs south into Washington St which in turn runs into Pulaski Blvd. Three different names, two towns, one road. For anyone taking this southern route to Woonsocket or RT 146 to Providence beware of construction to resume.

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Bellingham's Pulaski Boulevard construction receives funding

via The Milford Daily News Homepage RSS by Melanie Graham/Daily News staff on 10/12/09

The Pulaski Boulevard road improvement project has received $13 million in state and federal funding. The project was included in the 2010-2013 Traffic Improvement Plan (TIP).

Pulaski Boulevard was one of many plans in eastern Massachusetts considered for state roadway improvement funding, including hundreds of projects in Boston. If Pulaski Boulevard had not been placed on fiscal 2010 list, the town would have had to wait until 2014 for funding.

The $13 million will be in addition to the $4 million already invested by the town.

The estimated two year project plans to rebuild 2.3 miles of Pulaski Boulevard, spanning from the Franklin town line to Orchard Street, including work at the Crooks Corner, Lake Street and Center Street intersections.

Also in the construction plan is road widening, added sidewalks and storm drain improvements.

MassHighway is currently in the bid process for the Pulaski Boulevard projects.
For more details on the project, read tomorrow's Milford Daily News.

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• Subscribe to The Milford Daily News Homepage RSS using Google Reader
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Note: While the article references more information in tomorrows Milford Daily News, that particular tomorrow has not arrived yet. Stay tuned for an update sometime.

New turn available at King/140

There is a new left turn/drive straight lane alongside a right turn only lane when you travel King Street approaching 140.

This picture shows the lane markings with no cars blocking the view (yes, a lucky bit of timing).



An even luckier bit of timing shows this picture with a red light for the King St traffic. The right lane is making a right turn as the West bound 140 traffic is turning on to King St while the East bound 140 traffic is sitting at their red light.



The pedestrian and traffic light island was shortened to widen the intersection allowing the three lanes (one going out King St to i495, and the two lanes heading from King towards Chestnut St).

This is part of the traffic preparations for the Walgreens to open on the corner later this year.

King St and I495 Construction

From the MassHighway website, this is the project description for the I495 and King St intersection construction work underway.

FRANKLIN- RECONSTRUCTION ON KING STREET AND I-495 RAMPS

This is a safety and traffic improvements project. It extends along King Street from Union Street to Upper Union Street and also includes Upper Union Street from King Street to Constitution Boulevard and all four I-495 ramps at King Street. It involves roadway improvements as well as intersection signalization improvements.

Project includes widening of King Street to provide two lanes in each direction with left and right turning lanes at appropriate locations; widening and realignment of Upper Union Street to make Constitution Boulevard the major traffic movement; upgrading the signals at the King and Upper Union Street intersection and providing two left turn lanes from King Street onto Upper Union Street.

New signals will be installed at the intersections of I-495 southbound and northbound ramps, and the signals at the King and Union Street intersection will be upgraded. The signals along King Street will be synchronized to provide better traffic flow along King Street.

Existing concrete pavement will be removed from all four I-495 ramps and ramps will be reconstructed with full depth asphalt pavement. In addition, project involves drainage improvements, curbing, new sidewalks, wheelchair ramps, pavement markings, signing, landscaping, a closed circuit television camera for traffic monitoring on I-495, and other incidental work. This project will require temporary and permanent easements for its implementation.

You can find this on the MassHighway web site here. Select Franklin to see the current project status. Project 602962. By the way, it also shows completed projects.

Note: Like most State websites, the performance is better with IE than Firefox.

oh no, the start of a sink hole! and King Street was just recently redone

oh no, the start of a sink hole! and the street was just recently redone, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Found on King St heading towards RT 140, between Summer St and Summer St.

I'll come back later to try and measure how deep it is.

Updated 3/8/09 - I did measure it and it is 8" deep, deceiving but potentially dangerous.

King St - construction progress

Time is flying. Haven't taken a snapshot in awhile and the construction has moved quickly along in the meantime.





This would be numbered 190 or 192 King St.

First floor

The new foundation for the house to be numbered either 190 or 192 King Street is getting the first floor laid down.







Enjoy!

Another foundation!

Another foundation!, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Yes, for all the talk of the economy in dire straits, there is a new foundation on King St between 188 King (under construction) and 194 King (recently renovated).

188 King St - progress

188 King St - progress, originally uploaded by shersteve.

The progress is significant.

Prior pictures can be found here and here.

1st floor framed

From foundation to 1st floor framed in 1 week

The foundation at 188 King St was being set up 2 weeks ago and posted here

Mobile post sent by shersteve using Utterz. Replies.

In the news - King St/I495 construction, storyteller at library

King Street work slated at long last
By Rachel Lebeaux
Globe Correspondent / August 17, 2008

A long-awaited overhaul for busy King Street in Franklin has received an injection of state funds that will allow the project - offering improved traffic flow, better signals, and enhanced vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle safety - to move forward next spring.

The state Transportation Improvement Program has allotted $3.8 million in state and federal funds toward the project, which focuses on upgrades to the Interstate 495 ramps at King Street. Work will extend along King Street from Union Street to Upper Union Street, and include construction on Upper Union Street from King Street to Constitution Boulevard.

The project is slated to go out for bid this fall, with construction starting next spring. Robert "Brutus" Cantoreggi, director of Franklin's Department of Public Works, said he expects construction will last 18 months. While there are likely to be delays, the roads involved in the project will remain open, he said.

The project is aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving safety measures at several bustling intersections along King Street and at Interstate 495.

Read the full article in the Boston Globe here

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FRANKLIN -

On Tuesday, Aug. 26, the Franklin Public Library is hosting Carolyn Martino, professional storyteller, actress, writer and educator at 7 p.m. in the Meeting Room.

"Enjoy the musical rhythms and joyous logic of all that is Italian in a Bella Notte of Italian storytelling as Martino captures you with her humor, warmth and style,'' says Margaret Ellis, the library's literacy coordinator.

This program is funded by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners with funds from the LSTA, a Federal source of library funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Originally published in the Franklin Gazette on Friday August 15, 2008.

Franklin changes

Go away for a few days and upon return to Franklin you can find some changes.

A new foundation is being put together for a house in an empty lot on King St:






Work on the columns at the old Town Hall, new museum resumes downtown:






And quite a stir is being raised over some feral cats. The article appeared yesterday in the Milford Daily News and got picked up by the Boston Globe today.

King Street - sidewalk detour reasons gone

King Street - sidewalk detour reasons gone, originally uploaded by shersteve.

When King Street was re-done, the sidewalk took a turn to go around two stately trees.

Alas, the trees are no longer.

The sidewalk however, still makes the curve around what used to be.