In Springfield, pedestrian rights activists had a win May 30 when construction started on a $4 million project. “It's hard to imagine an intersection that is less friendly to pedestrians,” Stacey Beuttell told the Valley Post on June 3. She works for Walk Boston, a group that, despite its name, works statewide to make walking safer. Beuttell said the Springfield project is a victory. The intersection that will be fixed is at the corner of Alden, Walnut, Hancock, and Ashley streets. The mayor says it will be done by the end of next year.

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In Keene, pedestrian rights activists had a win June 3 when construction started on a $300,000 project. “These types of improvements improve the quality of life and make the town a more attractive place to live, work and play,” Greg Bakos told the Valley Post on May 31. He was born in Keene and is on the board of a group that works to make New Hampshire safer for pedestrians and bicycle riders. The group has a web site at www.bwaNH.org.

On Main Street workers will build raised traffic islands for crosswalks near Westwood Center and at Elliot Street. The workers will also install flashing lights at the crosswalks. The lights will be turned on when a pedestrian presses a button.

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In Brattleboro, pedestrian rights activists are asking the state to install crosswalks ASAP on one of the busiest roads in town, Putney Road. “We need crosswalks at Black Mountain Road and at Hannaford and Staples,” Christian Stromberg told the Valley Post in an interview at his office in Brattleboro on June 3. He started and owns the Saxtons River Distillery off Putney Road.

State senators Jeanette White and Becca Balint vowed to help the activists. They represent the county that's home to Brattleboro.

In 2002, Ken Upmal of the state transportation department promised at a public meeting in Brattleboro to install the crosswalks “in a few years.” The Valley Post was there. In a phone interview on May 31, 2019, Upmal promised to install the crosswalks by the year 2025.

Brattleboro has the nation's highest rate of pedestrian death by car. That's according to:

www.localmotion.org/in_memory_of_cindy_joy_pike

On October 4, 2017 a woman was hit by a truck while she was walking across Putney Road between the Hannaford grocery store and the True Value hardware store. She was taken to Dartmouth hospital because her injuries were too severe for the Brattleboro hospital to handle.

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In Northampton, environmental activists had a win late last month when the city announced it will probably invest $650,000 to protect open space. On June 3 a spokesman for the mayor told the Valley Post the land could be turned into houses if the city doesn't save it. The land is 100 acres at 254 Old Wilson Road. It's a defunct golf course. There is more land at the site that the city says it is not planning to save. That land will probably be turned into houses. Some of the 100 acres can't be developed anyway because it's wetlands. Nonetheless, it's a win at a time when the USA is losing 6,000 acres of open space every day.

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In Northampton on June 15 there will be a rally calling on congress to impeach Trump. The rally starts at 2 p.m. at Pulaski park. Details are at:

www.facebook.com/events/600414623784946

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In Amherst on June 6, there will be a march calling on politicians to guarantee clean drinking water to everyone on earth. Water pipes made of lead in Flint, Michigan will be removed by next year, according to a judge. About 9,000 children drank poisoned water due to corrupt politicians.

"Unsafe water kills more people each year than war and all other forms of violence combined,” according to:

www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know

To find out when and where the march starts, contact the organizers via their web site: www.NewEnglandPeacePagoda.org.

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In Brattleboro, free rides are available to a June 8 march for single payer health care. The march starts in Barre, Vermont at noon. Details are at www.WorkersCenter.org. For rides from Brattleboro call Ellen Schwartz at (802) 257-4436 or e-mail her at windham@workerscenter.org.