METHUEN — City officials plan to put in place a plaque and hold a ceremony at Railroad Square in honor of longtime community activist Maureen Donovan.
Railroad Square is the intersection of Railroad, Pelham, Lowell and Osgood streets. It was one of the most hazardous intersections around until officials installed traffic signals several years ago, after lobbying by Donovan.
"Maureen Donovan was instrumental and worked a number of years contacting officials at the local and state level, along with members of Citizens Against Unsafe Society, to get traffic signals installed at this location," states a City Council resolution that councilors adopted last week.
"Maureen's tireless efforts resulted in the $200,000 project coming to fruition with the installation of the traffic signals at Railroad Square, in the best interest of public safety and the citizens of Methuen."
"It's just that I'm a pain," Donovan said of her success in convincing the powers that be to install the lights.
That's only a sliver of what Donovan has done during some 20 years of community service, officials said. Donovan helps out at the Senior Center. Additionally, she has served on the City Council and is on the Charter Commission. At the state level she worked hard fighting to get a bill passed banning prison furloughs for first-degree murderers.
"Maureen is one in a million," said Councilor Jeanne Pappalardo, who sponsored the council resolution to honor Donovan.
"When life is good, you better give back," Donovan said. "I just have been blessed in so many ways. I'm not saying there haven't been bumps along the way."
Donovan said she is "embarrassed" and "humbled" by the resolution. She is fighting lung cancer, which she called "no big deal."
"I'm going to get better and I'm going to be fine," she said.
Dononvan said she has a lesson to learn from the illness.
"Maybe learn how to be better with sick people," she said.
