Drivers in various spots in the city have been dodging construction and problems areas lately. Highway Department workers have been on the streets, repainting sidewalk lines in various spots, forcing traffic into a single lane where they are working. Police officers have been directing cars around the workers as they paint and wait for it to dry
Speaking of traffic detours, the scene on busy downtown Merrimack Street last week became a bit chaotic, as police closed down the street because of an underground fire in wires in a manhole. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for firefighters to get the fire under control, allowing cars to return to the street and businesses to regain customers.
The Hillie football team and its fans — among them the Lamplighter — are gearing up for the opening of the season this Friday, but they’ll have to travel to see the game. Haverhill High plays at Malden on Saturday. For those who can’t make the opener on the road, the Hillies will be home for game two against Tewksbury on Sept. 14, a Friday night under the lights at Trinity Stadium.
If you drive on Lawrence Street, you’ve likely seen people using the park next to Round Pond. The park, a simple arrangement of benches along the south side of the pond, has been drawing moms pushing baby carriages, dads and kids fishing, and couples enjoying the late-summer weather. It’s a great place to fish thanks to the state, which stocks the pond each year.
The Route 125 project in Bradford has been a magnet for problems, notably the argument between state officials running the project, who want South Central Street off the square to become one way, while neighbors oppose the change. The latest problem with the project featured thieves trying to steal metal from a storage area on Middlesex Street, according to police, who said they caught two men driving away with stolen metal equipment meant for the project.
