Week in Review: Car v. Train in West Medford, Support in Aftermath of Sikh Temple Shooting

A car was crushed in an accident with a train this morning at the High Street rail crossing after its driver drove around the lowered crossing gates, according to transit police. Arthur Brennan, 69, drove his Buick LeSabre with New Hampshire plates around the gates about 8 a.m. and was struck by an Amtrak Downeaster train headed for Boston, Deputy Transit Police Chief Robert Lenehan said Thursday morning. "This fellow was the first person in line and apparently did not want to wait for the train to cross," Lenehan said. Brennan was treated at the hospital for minor injuries and issued at citation and $50 fine.

State: Cradock Bridge Replacement to Cost $8.5M, Could Take Three Years: Replacing the Cradock Bridge in Medford Square will cost about $8.5 million and take three construction seasons to complete, according to state officials. At least three lanes will be open for traffic at all times during construction on the bridge, which takes cars and pedestrians on Main Street over the Mystic River. Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2014, Project Manager Paul King said during a presentation to the Medford City Council last week. The design features of the new bridge will include small arches and other design details that are considered historic elements of the current bridge, built in 1909, King said.

About $3 million has been earmarked for several projects in Medford, including a parking control system, in a transportation bill signed by Gov. Deval Patrick last week. The earmarks, put in by local legislators, don't guarantee the money is spent on the specific projects. "The legislature can put anything it wants into the bond bill, the hope is the governor will allocate it," State Rep. Paul Donato said Tuesday. “The governor is the only one who can spend the money.”

Countdown Clocks Debut at South Station, May Come to Wellington: Subway riders will know at a glance when the next train is coming; at South Station, at least. The MBTA flipped the switch Wednesday morning on experimental signs at South Station which indicate when the next train is expected. If all goes well, the signs would be put into service at Park Street later in August and Downtown Crossing in September. That's according to a Boston Globe report on the pilot program. Eventually, all stations in the system would get the signs.

Faiths Join Together in Support of Sikh Community, Shooting Victims: Faiths came together in Medford Sunday in solidarity and support for the Sikh community. The Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar, a Sikh Temple in Medford, held an interfaith prayer service mid-day Sunday for the victims of a shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin one week earlier. Representatives of at least a half dozen religious sects were in attendance. The temple's congregants sat cross-legged, heads covered in the second flood of 226 Mystic Avenue as speakers reflected on the tragedy. "We are all the children of one god," Gurinder Singh, president of Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar said. "Hopefully, this will be a new beginning for all of us."