bridges pg 110-3024
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Bridge work
is coming
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The Chase Road bridge in East Putnam is the first of three or four bridges that will benefit from the revamped federal and state bridge grant program.
Travis Sirrine, highway superintendent, said the program used to be 80 percent funded by the federal government for the repair/rebuild costs and the town picked up the remaining 20 percent. But now the federal government picks up 80 percent and the state kicks in the remaining 20 percent.
“Repairs and rebuilds are very expensive. Very tough on towns so this is a great program,” he said.
In addition to the Chase Road bridge, the state has on its list an East Putnam Road bridge, and a bridge on Five Mile River Road. In addition, he said, the state is looking into the bridge on Keech Brook in East Putnam. That one is not definitive yet, he said.
All the bridges are longer than 20 feet.
Sirrine said there is no local involvement at all. It is handled by the state completely. “We did meet with the state and three or four bridges are in line to get funded,” he said.
He said none of the bridges are dangerous. He said they are being “updated to modern standards.”
Across the country, he said, there are a lot of bridge failures that have brought this to the forefront. The state intends to be proactive and bring bridge standards up. Near the top of the list is making sure bridges can handle heavier weights, for example emergency vehicles.
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crosswalk pg 1 10-30-24
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Pedestrian beware!
Complicated crosswalk
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — A recent car vs. pedestrian accident brought to the forefront the unusual setup for the intersection of Bridge Street, Kennedy Drive and the Riverfront Commons shopping plaza.
Sept. 25 Putnam Police investigated a pedestrian-involved motor vehicle accident. A 2023 Chevrolet Silverado operated by 25-year-old Nicholas Sabitoni of Lincoln, R.I., was making a left turn out of the Riverfront Commons Plaza onto Kennedy Drive southbound and struck 66-year-old Robert Johnson of Putnam who was crossing Kennedy Drive in the marked crosswalk. Johnson was transported by Putnam EMS to Day Kimball Hospital for apparent minor injuries.
Police Chief Christopher D. Ferace said that the crosswalk signal in question, at the corner of Kennedy and Bridge (at the edge of Rotary Park), operates sporadically.
The traffic lights and the crosswalk signals are the responsibility of the owner of Riverfront Commons. When the plaza was revamped years ago, the town told the plaza owners that they would be responsible for putting in and maintaining the traffic lights and crosswalk signals.
Last year the traffic lights at that intersection glitched. The town tried asking the plaza management company, Jcorp Realty Inc. of Shelton, to get their traffic lights fixed. When there was no response, Highway Superintendent Travis Sirrine said he gave it a shot. “It wasn’t what we thought it was. It was something more technical and so Prime Electric did the work,” he said.
For the sporadic crosswalk signal, Chief Ferace said he has tried numerous times to reach Jcorp, without success.
Contacted Sept. 30 by the Putnam Town Crier, Daniel Johnson of Jcorp Realty said he was unaware of the crosswalk signal problem. He said he will ask the plaza’s electrician, Deary Electric, to go and check it.
He said he does remember a problem with the traffic light last year and “had Deary Electric take care of it.”
However Ferace said the police department had contacted Deary Electric before and the company said that they have not worked for Jcorp “in many years.”
The traffic signal was fixed by Prime Electric at the behest of the town.
Asked if the town billed Jcorp for the traffic signal work, Johnson said if they did, it’s unlikely the town will get paid because the town did not pay Jcorp’s bills to the town for taking care of the property around the old Putnam Public Library.
However, the old public library was owned by the town and the town’s Highway and Park and Recreation departments did all the maintenance — mowing, weed whacking and snow shoveling at the town’s library. The town has since sold the building.
Town Administrator Elaine Sistare said the town has the option of putting a lien on property for unpaid bills. For example when a property owner cannot pay for ordered demolition of blighted property, the town pays for the work and then puts a lien on the property.
While this is all getting worked out, Ferace recommended that pedestrians “Use caution and don’t assume that drivers are going to stop.”
This accident remains under investigation. Anyone who may have witnessed this incident is asked to contact the Putnam Police Department at 860-928-6565 our through our website at www.putnampolice.com
caption, page 4:
Crosswalk
This crosswalk signal at the corner of Kennedy Drive and Bridge Street is the responsibility of the shopping plaza owners. Linda Lemmon photo.
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HH Johnson pg 1 10-3-24
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Hometown Heroes of WWII
Lt. Johnson saved his company from destruction
By Michael Rocchetti
Herbert A. Johnson (1915-2009) Lieutenant U.S. Army, was assigned to the 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division which participated in the invasion landing in Algeria in 1942 and fought at both the battles of the Kasserine Pass and El Guettar
He was awarded the Silver Star for heroism in action in Tunisia North Africa. The former POW who was graduated from Putnam High School and the University of New Hampshire, was serving as a cover man for a “runner” and as a result was instrumental in saving his company from destruction by the enemy. A member of a heavy weapons company, he moved up with his unit to support the infantry in an attack on a German position on a hill. Before reaching their objective, they were cut off by the enemy on a plain. The Americans set up their weapons and a pitched battle ensued. While this was taking place, Lt. Johnson volunteered to investigate the situation by climbing the hill and a runner accompanied him. About 500 yards from the top he contacted a wounded American officer who revealed that his entire force had been either annihilated or captured and the Germans were strongly fortified there. As a result Lt Johnson started back to his own lines to warn his company of the danger that lay ahead. Before arriving there, he found himself cut off by a force of the enemy consisting of about 40 men. He and his runner, who was a sergeant, returned the fire. Then Lt. Johnson sent the runner to complete the mission alone while he held off the Germans. Consequently, his company escaped the trap awaiting them. However, Lt. Johnson was captured by the enemy, and spent the rest of the war at a German Prisoner of War Camp (Oflag 64) in Szubin, Poland. In addition to the Silver Star Medal, Lt. Johnson also was a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster.
After WWII, he remained in the Army, served in the Korean war, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Herbert Johnson was born Oct. 30, 1915, in Putnam to Herbert and Lillian Johnson. He had one sister. He married Sara Meyers and they had two children. He died on Nov. 18 2009, at the age of 94.
Hometown Heroes is a series published in the Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger with this mission: We owe it to our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines to make sure that they are never forgotten, and that the memory of their service and sacrifice will forever live on in the hearts and minds of the grateful people of Putnam.
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introducing pg 1 10-3-24
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Introducing ...
Family members introduced Amelia Leduc, 4, of Woodstock to cauliflower at the Putnam Saturday Farmers Market. Linda Lemmon photo.
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