Community Corner

Patriot Football in Foxborough Will Go Forward Thursday Night As Planned

Foxborough Selectmen held an emergency meeting to discuss the ongoing power restoration efforts. Safety officials determine there is no public safety hazard with Patriot Football Thursday night.

An Emergency Board of Selectmen Meeting was called to order this afternoon, 4:30 p.m., at Foxborough's Town Hall to discuss the current power restoration efforts in Foxborough and to hear from Foxborough Public Safety officials as to whether there should be a Patriots football game Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.

After power restoration and safety updates from Town Manager, Kevin Paicos, National Grid liaison to Foxborough, Tom Coughlin, Fire Chief Roger Hatfield, and Police Chief Edward O'Leary, to the Board of Selectmen determined, in a vote of 5-0, that the New England Patriots preseason game Thursday night at Gillette would not pose a public safety hazard to the residents of Foxborough.

Board Chairman, Lawrence Harrington, asked Police Chief O'Leary and Fire Chief Hatfield point blank, "Does having the Patriots game put public safety in Foxborough at risk?"

Find out what's happening in Foxboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

O'Leary responded confidently.

"Absolutely not," he said.

Find out what's happening in Foxboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Fire Chief Hatfield noted that the number of safety personnel during a game at Gillette is already greatly "enhanced."

Chief O'Leary looked over a traffic plan for Foxborough and believes that new measures and adjustments will keep Foxborough residents, as well as visiting fans, safe.

"We have looked at the traffic plan in Foxborough and as the community is energized and traffic lights and signals are back on, then we can adjust personnel needs," he said. "I have been in contact with State Police and we are going to be adjusting man power on certain posts and roads that lead into Route 1. Given the plan and additional light devices at certain intersections, it will allow fans arriving to Foxborough and Foxborough residents to drive safe."

Harrington also asked Coughlin, National Grid's liaison, "if the game would take away from his folks energizing the rest of the town."

Coughlin responded, "Absolutely not. We will complete this restoration as it was any other storm and [we want to thank] the town for being so supportive of us."

Coughlin noted that his crew will be in Foxborough until the job is done.

Selectmen, Lorraine Brue, questioned what percentage of Foxborough residents will be powered up before the game.

"Elderly, disabled, many others in other communities?" she said.

The progress in town, according to Coughlin, will be "significantly improved by tonight."

Selectmen Mark Sullivan said, "lets get back to the game. We have had worse conditions before back in 04' with blizzard conditions. No one could even get to the game."

Harrington noted the economic benefits of Thursday's Patriots game.

"There are lots of businesses that have been out of business over the last 3-4 days and [will reap the benefits of having a game Thursday], he said. "The economic value to the community is substantial, not just to Foxborough."

Paicos kicked of the emergency board meeting by giving Selectmen an update on the power restoration progress in Foxborough.

"Water, wells, senior centers, town hall, the public safety building and more businesses and homes are back on street power," said Paicos.

Chief Hatfield also noted that "significant progress" had been made Wednesday in town. More National Grid crews have been working throughout the day and extra tree crews were brought in to assist Foxborough workers.

Residents have asked the question as to why a few streets still have not been fully cleared of debris. Hatfield's answer is that Foxborough workers cannot clear any debris until National Grid gives the OK that the wires are dead.

"We were one of the hardest hit areas," noted Paicos.

A power restoration update from Paicos included which primary and main lines are either up and running or will be by Wednesday night:

  • Route 140 North and South
  • Mechanic Street, largely up now and will be finished this evening
  • Route 1
  • Main Road - Cohasset street
  • Main Road - North Street, which has booster stations.
  • Main Road - Chestnut street

In addition to those primaries and main roads, approximately ten portable lights will be distributed around town.

"National Grid was slow to get here and there needs to be a reckoning," said Paicos. "We will be damn sure they do it better next time. Since Coughlin showed up, progress has been made at lightening speed and they are not going anywhere until the job is done."

Many Foxborough residents were outraged this week when learning of the r Residents were questioning the "priority" in which power was being restored.

Officials noted that the Kraft Organization paid millions, after experiencing a blackout during the 1996 AFC Championship game, for a dedicated restoration line from Wrentham. The Gillette facility has two electrical feeds - one feed comes from Foxborough, the other from Wrentham, providing a backup in case of a power outage.

What happened in Foxborough, with businesses and certain areas in town up before others, according to officials, was not a case of special treatment. In the case of an emergency, the town will list out it's priorities to the electric company, which will typically include public safety buildings, town hall, senior centers, main power lines that hook up to traffic lights, booster stations and water wells.

"Businesses up before seniors?" questioned selectmen Lynda Walsh. "We need to go by our priorities [next time]."

Instead, what happened after the storm passed, according to Foxborough officials, was simply "no action" from National Grid on restoring power for priorities, businesses and residential homes.

"There was a period of time with no communication from National Grid," said Paicos.

Harrington concluded the main power restoration problem in Foxborough, "was that it all started two days late."


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