Saturday, November 17, 2007
New Stop Signs on Southgate
Michael Morton reports on new stops signs that have been added to Southgate creating 4-way stops where for the previous 20 years there was no stop required.
Yes, the signs are new. Bright red and white. But folks are blowing right by them.
It is not that they are crazy. The human body learns well. No signs were there for 20 years. The drivers are into their zone, their mind spinning along on the errands they are making; whether going shopping, or picking up the little one, or dropping off the middle one. They have been trained to travel without the stop signs. The mind is not aware of the change because it is a small change.
When unlearning is required, it takes time. It will take a big sign, or something significant to catch their attention to start making the change.
The police can position a cruiser to attract attention. Or the neighborhood can get together and in groups create awareness with balloons, costumes, anything to break the normal attention span of the drivers on Southgate.
Hopefully, it will not be a serious accident!
Veterans among us
Horace Mann Middle School's celebration of Veteran's Day is highlighted in an article by Michael Morton.
Asked by a group of eighth-graders yesterday whether he had wanted to be drafted during the Korean War, veteran Donald Barrow replied that young people back then held different assumptions.
"It was just something you grew up expecting," he said as he sat next to his grandson, student Andrew Wilson. "It was part of growing up at that time."
Horace Mann Middle School took a slightly different approach to celebrating Veterans Day yesterday. While it held the standard school assembly filled with invited guests and patriotic messages, the school also had students break into small groups later to learn firsthand from those who served in the military.
In one classroom, Douglas Bernard, the step-grandfather of math teacher Kim Bishaw, related both humorous and tragic memories from his time as an infantryman in World War II.
Read more about the day's event, especially the interaction between the veterans and students in this wonderful learning experience.
As a plug for one of my other projects; I am working with my father to record his oral history. Dad, Gerald (Jerry) Sherlock, grew up in Pawtucket, RI and served in the US Marines 4th Division during World War II on Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. We have recorded up through the war and are just now getting into the post war period where he come home to find work, find and eventually marry my mother. You can listen to Jerry's Story here.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Sprinkler Law Taking affect
The Fire Safety Act, signed into law by former Gov. Mitt Romney in 2004, requires all bars, nightclubs and other entertainment venues that hold 100 people or more to have automatic sprinklers. The legislation was passed in the wake of The Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island, which killed 100 people in February 2003.
Gee, why are some folks complaining now? It is not like this just came out yesterday. For those in business prior to the law being signed, they have had time to get their act together.
Ira Cantor's writing in the Franklin Gazette has details on the three establishments in Franklin required to put them in. (I think there might be a couple more but they are already not operating for a variety of reasons so the count is skewed.)
Franklin Historic Walking Trail Proposed
Seeking to follow in the footsteps of Boston and its Freedom Trail, leaders of a downtown booster group announced yesterday that they want their own walking route connecting points of local culture.
"There are so many historical sites," said Lisa Piana, the executive director of the Downtown Partnership. Citing one, she added, "I would guess 90 percent of residents haven't been to the (Horace Mann) museum."
The trail proposal was one of several topics discussed during a meeting on downtown revitalization at Dean College which drew two dozen merchants, politicians and educators.
Good News Wanted
| If you have good news about Franklin, like this, or like this. Good news that may not make it to the local paper, send it along and I'll see what we can do to get it published here. Send it to shersteve at gmail dot com. Be aware that I have limited access during normal business hours. You can reference my disclosure statement. Only good news, please. There is enough bad news in the world already. |
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