Anyone Catch This In Yesterday's Globe?
Geographically challenged Boston Globe reporter Matt Viser includes this unintentionally comedic aside in a story filed for yesterday's paper, titled "Patrick may overturn Romney picks":
In 2006...the Patrick-Murray ticket won 53 of the 60 communities in Worcester County. The two Democrats won the city of Worcester by 19,100 votes, and even carried Sturbridge, the hometown of Reed Hillman, the running mate of Republican gubernatorial candidate Kerry Healey.
Several people from the area were appointed to positions in the Patrick administration. Patrick's chief economic development adviser, Representative Daniel E. Bosley, is from North Adams.
According to Google maps, if you start at the Post Office on Ashland St here in beautiful 01247 and go out Rte 2 to I-190 down to Worcester, it's 111 miles. One hundred eleven miles is the distance from, say, Twin Donut in Allston to Brattleboro, Vermont. Or from City Hall Plaza in Boston to New London, CT. Noice woik, Magellan.
Hopefully, Boz will straighten them out before his next trip back home here to the Worcester County area. Does this mean Marlborough is a local call now? Are we now a 10-minute drive to the Centrum? Where did they put Springfield, now, down by New Haven, Connecticut?
When I lived back east, I used to maintain that we could draw two lines starting in Deerfield, MA, on I-91: one running northwest to Williamstown and one running southwest to Bash Bish Falls. Of the resulting three triangles created by those lines, I-91, and the Massachusetts border, you could cede the northernmost one to Vermont, the central one to New York, and the southern one to Connecticut. Very few Mass residents east of I-91 would notice any of it, and frankly I always thought it'd make a better fit.
Although now that I live here--well, I pretty much feel the same way.
I have friends back in Essex and Middlesex Counties who couldn't find North Adams on a map with a sextant, compass, and Mayor John Barrett III standing next to them. But they're not the newspaper with the largest circulation in New England, are they? I call for an IMMEDIATE correction. And a free subscription. Their funny pages are pretty good, and they have some of the best sportswriters in the country covering my teams. However, until they actually send their reporters out to see the Commonwealth that they cover--or at least have them look at a map--then I guess I'm stuck with the not-unpleasant local ham-and-egg operations. They're a bit light on the Boston sports, but hell, I guess that's why Al Gore invented the Internets.
posted by Ross @ 2:18 PM
28 comments
28 Comments:
Ross--- did you pick that one up-dead bang---and to think that I have been voting for the Bozman for 20 years- and he's from Worcester County---my bad---------but that's the eastern mass geographical mind set---------one of my favorite stories-- from some 25 years ago--- is when my wife and I went to a concert at Symphoney Hall----we had a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant---when my wife went into the ladis room- before we left to go to the concert==she overheard two women talking- one asked the other what she did on the weekend-- she repied that she and her husband had to go out to WESTERN Mass---and she thought they'd never get there-- it took soooooooooooooo long-----the first woman asked where in WESTERN Mass she had gone and the other woman replied "Springfield"---for the record- Springfield is closer to Boston -by car- than it is to North Adams---now that's the "eastern" mid set--- good pick up from that article--- chbpod
Yo Ross,
Ever think of sending in a column (or three) to the Transcript (speaking of large circulations)? We could use 'em.
-- Glenn
Yes, Ross, PUHLEEZE write a column for the Transcript......
Ross, when I first arrived at the state house in 1987, Shelby Scott was a state house reporter for Channel 4. I loved to listen to her tell stories when we were in late night sessions (which we had in those days!) Shelby was the first woman anchor in Boston, arriving in 1965. This was, as you can imagine, a big deal. So some women from Beacon Hill threw a party to celebrate the first woman anchor. Now, Shelby Scott came to Boston from her hometown of Seattle Washington where she was a local correspondent. One of the "grand dames" of Boston asked her where she was from, and Shelby, not really wanting to get into a long history, told her she was from "out west". When the woman got everyone's attention to introduce Shelby for a few remarks, she said, "Please welcome Shelby Scott. She's from Worcester"!!!! That is the mindset of the greater Boston area.
Of course, when I spoke to the Springfield Chamber of Commerce a few years ago, I got a laugh when I said, "I am happy to be back here in central Massachusetts."
OOPS! the last comment was from me. Sorry.
Ah, Shelby Scott. If it ever snows in Boston again, we'll see if they drag her out of retirement. "Yes, it's snowing out here. And my butt is cold. Back to you, Ted."
Anyway, I sent the Globe reporter an email late yesterday. I'm curious to see his response. This is what I sent him:
To: maviser@globe.com
From: ross666y@yahoo.com
Re: Patrick may overturn Romney picks
Hi Matt.
My name is Ross Jacobs, and I run a blog here in North Adams, MA, which you identify as being in the Worcester County area in your above-titled story.
I found it interesting that a reporter for a major paper inside the borders of the Commonwealth would put our little mountain metropolis over 100 miles from
its home in the Northern Berkshires. To that end, I posted an entry on my blog at http://berkshiresense.blogspot.com, and if you care to comment on the post we'd (and when I say "we", I mean me and the 6-10 people who read my blog) love to hear what you have to say.
Thanks a ton, and hope to see you out here one of these days. Bear in mind, though, it may be a longer drive than you think.
I'll let you know if he responds, and maybe we can hold off breaking out the torches and pitchforks if the dude is sufficiently penitent. Otherwise, well, I guess we can rent a big van, storm into Dorchester, lay siege to the Globe building, then hit the Copley Plaza mall for some shopping, go see a show, and head to Chinatown for dim sum. Tara likes the China Pearl on Tyler Street...
another example of someone not knowing where we are----and Boz man correct me whenever I get it wrong---seems that the Boz had a "smoker" fund-raiser back some time ago-at the American Legion---but I know that one of the guests was Augie Grace- who had been a freshman rep with Dan---- the main speaker was to be George Keverian- Speaker of the House and then running for State Treasurer---he showed up at least an hour late--- came into the hall and said something like "Where the hell is this place--I'm exhausted- I thought we'd never get here" and he went on to say that he was exhausted from the day before-- he hhad been in Provincetown- dropped his wallet- and kicked it all the way to Harwichport before he dared bend over to pick it up-----NOT TOO BRIGHT-- a local reporter picked up on it and -maybe not the actual statement- but that George had made an anti-gay remark made the Boston press---he was not elected---I also know that when -years ago- my wife had a weekend admissions job at NASC-- people were always showing up late for appointments---"We started looking for signs to North Adams once we got to Worcester"-----There's Worcester for you again-------we may be in the boonies---but they are the best boonies in America----
PS to Boz- what's Augie Grace doing now I thought he was one heck of a guy---chbpod
Clark,
Augie was a great guy and went to work for either Kerry or Kennedy, or maybe both. I believe he is presently looking for employment.
Back when I was the exec direc of the CDC in the early eighties, I had a Boston bureaucrat that had to come out to check the financials every so often. I will never forget the first time they called and asked if they could get out here and back in one day!
Bill Bulger, when he was President of the Senate used to say that when he told Sen. Webber to come to the capital, Peter showed up in Albany!
That is why we stated a legislator's day in the Berkshires several years ago. This year we had almost one hundred staff, families, and elected officials out for two or three days. Once we get people out here,they are struck by the beauty and will come back. It's that initial visit that is hard. Most people in Boston talk about going "down the Cape" (no one goes to the cape, they go down the cape), or they go to the beaches of N.H. and Maine. It is interesting because in the rest of the US, the Berkshires has been branded as a cultural resort. If you go to Guido's market in Pittsfield in the summer and ask how things are going, they will tell you that there are a lot of "212er's" around. That we identify tourists with the area code for Manhatten says a lot about who comes out here. But then again, even the Springfield Paper closed their Berkshire bureau and refers to the Pioneer Valley as Western Mass.
Now, I think I will go out and mow my grass!! What weather!
Mow your grass BOZ??? why not use goats--- as in "Oh ghosts you said father- I thought you said goats!"
Augie is looking?? I know you were pretty close- maybe you should introduce him to his Bro-------that legislators day was a terrific idea-- although you got some heat when one day was spent at Saratoga---now if we only developed the Glen properly---greyhounds-- ponies-- OTB-- Jai Alai---slots-- tables---golf and strippers (notice I paired these two on purpose)----and windmills (but only on the top of Mt. Greylock)----lol-------chbpod
Chris--turns out you DO have to hit me over the head twice with a tire iron to get me to pay attention to some things. Defect ID #41, fix deployed 1/6/06.
Clark, Contrary to the Eagle, we never went to Saratoga. The Eagle slammed me for having the north Berkshire leg of the legislator’s days being at the track. The truth was that I wasn't even involved in the planning that year as I was out of town that same week and wasn't here to take anyone anywhere. I believe that there were several legislators who go to Saratoga every year that stopped here first and that was the genesis of the story. But no one bothered to check with me form the paper and that is how the story was played. I came back and tried to set the record straight but was told it was yesterday's news. Ah well. I know that you probably think that if it was in the newspaper it must be true, but as Carl Kolchak said to Tony Vincennzo, "Judge for yourself its believability, and then try to tell yourself, wherever you may be, it couldn't happen here."
Hey Boz-- newspapers???? we don't need no stinking mewspapers---chbpod
While we are on movie quotes, here is something I wrote to one of my staffers about six months ago concerning one of your favorite subjects. We had had an email from a concerned citizen and I wrote an email back. this is what I would have liked to have sent back, but a "Few Good Men" in my office said that wouldn't be prudent!::
We live in a world that has electricity, and those watts have to be guarded by men with things like windmills. Whose gonna do that? Cape People? The Egans? The Kennedy's? We have more responsibility here than they could possibly fathom. They weep for the fishermen, and curse the Cape Wind people. They have that luxury. They have the luxury of not knowing what we know. That development of the Cape, while tragic, probably saved oil and spoil from fossil fuels. And that their construction and existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to the Cape people, saves lives. I know deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you don't want me on that Cape, you need me on that Cape. We use words like renewables, efficiency, and environment. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain this project to a group who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very electricity that they provide, then question the manner in which they provide it. I prefer they said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a generator, and stand to spin some juice. Either way, I don't give a damn what they think they are entitled to.
Many years ago when conversing with some Bostonians, I was asked where are you from? I said North Adams. One looked at the other in a state of obvious confusion and asked "Were is he from"? The other replied "Out on the north shore somewhere, I don't know I've never been out that way"! If you try to reference our location to Albany, NY most people are totally clueless, and act like they don't believe you, when you tell them Albany is the capitol of NY.--- raz
Years ago- Dick Gregory spoke at NASC-- he opened his remarks by asking the question-- have you ever tried to book a flight to North Adams Massachusetts from San Francisco?? Why didn't they tell me that Albany is closer than Boston?-chbpod
Dan-- windmills only produce electricity--the Florida Mt. wind plant with 20 turbines at 1.5 mw will produce 30 megawatts of electricity (when it is working a full capability (which is maybe 30% of the time) the Mass capability is 30,000 mw-----Florida will therefore produce one tenth of one percent of the capability (and that's if it is operating at full capacity 24/7 which it will not--- it will not reduce greenhouse gases as the fossil fuel plants will still have to be operating at full production or at best on spinning reserve--it will not reduce our "reliance" on foreign oil---windmills are merely symbols for environmentalists to watch and make them feel good---and for others to watch and make them feel sad---and that which makes the Berkshires attractive will be despoiled by these hideous devices---of course now that you're no longer an elected official representing Florida and Monroe----you no longer have to advocate payments in lieu of taxes for them at the expense of the rest of us-----maybe You Can't Handle the Truth----chbpod
Clark, using your logic, we should put up one big ass generator someplace and let is generate all the power in Masdsachusetts. That isn't practical nor good policy.
We generate small amounts of power in dozens of places. That is a good thing. We get closer to the end user so there is less line loss and greater integrity to the system. No one expects the windmmills to solve our generation needs nor wipe out global warming but it is a piece of a larger picture. And, I am not in favor of windmills on every mountain top (how else could we go sing it from the mountain tops if we couldn't get there??!!)But we need them in some places just as we neeed solar, tidal, landfill gas recapture, geothermal, and every other type of renewable power.
BTW, Hull is now looking at putting up, I believe, their third windmill and will generate the bulk of the town's power from their windmills. That is a good thing.
I have less criticism-- for site specific wind power------let's say at the NA Transfer Station--- and Drury High School----you obviously recognize that wind power is not a panacea---but it would provide such an infinitesimal part of our electricity---- and as such not do diddley (as in Bo) in reducing greenhouse gases-----as I said- wind turbines are symbols and feel good objects of environmentalists- that make them feel like they are doing something---when they are really accomplishing nothing---- I have read several articles recently that deal with cow and sheep flatulence ---methane gas---is worse than CO2---what do we do?? stick a cork in it??---Where's the Beef??/ Beef- it's what's for dinner---your problem is that you lived too near to Yankee Rowe----that's why you have a glow that lights up a room--- and you thought it was your shining personality----so Watt's up?? or is it Wazzup??----will I see you at the MMA convention next weekend-- be down there (The Lenox) Thursday evening--- great Irish pub "Solas"-----Guiness on tap-- life is good--- chbpod
I agree. I think all the power projects should be site specific. I don't mind Mnmroe and Florida, but have questions on Savoy.
Maybe we can pipe all that cow flatulence. What powers your cow? MooPoo!
I hadn't thought of the MMA conference. If I go, will ctrem buy me a beer?
Chris, I am still going to stay here in North Adams. It is beginning to hit me as to how much time I will be in Boston, but I need to be out here for two reasons. First, I am a Berkshire boy through and through and couldn't conceive of moving. But second, I think it makes me better if I have to go across the state evey week. I know what makes the economy work in the Pioneer Valley as well as Fitchburg/ Leominster, and of course, the Berkshires.
I am gong to be in Boston all week and will be around Thursday and Friday. I hope we do get together for a cocktail or dinner. When is Clark getting in and is anyone else going?
Boz-- I expect to be at The Lenox late afternoon-Thursday - preferrably 3 ish---don't like the traffic---on Thursday-- City Bar is open at 5-- and Solas- the Irish pub is very open--- CJT is coming in late-- and Al is not sure whether he's coming or going-- but I'd love to buy you a couple or so of pints of Guiness--- and get you off those FUCKING WINDMILLS---chbpod
Hello-
Every week Worcester Magazine scours the web for the best of locally meaningful blogs, and reprints excerpts from these entries in our Blog Log column. It’s sort of a blog in reverse, if you will.
We wanted to let you know that one of your entries has been chosen to run in the coming week’s issue and will appear with full credit given to the author and blog we got it from.
Be sure to check out this week’s issue, and feel free to contact us at editorial@worcestermag.com
Thanks!
The staff
Sweet! I'm locally meaningful! Always an improvement over locally meaningless. I'll post a link when it shows up. Thank you, "the staff"...
Hey Ross you be famous-- even Worcester knows about you---since I post anonomously wuth my chbpod tag- they certainly won't print one of my posts--- got to be either your original post or maybe one of the Boz' comments--what's your pick???? actually I probably should apologize for the use of this thread for some weekend planning ala Boz and cjtrem---- but I knew that they were hitched to your blog and it seemed quicker than a three way e-mail------so apologies are offered------chbpod
Why didn't I think of that? Instead of asking Ross for a column, The Transcript could have just stolen it, with attribution, I guess. Time to bone up on blogs. Meanwhile, congratulations all for establishing a link to the coast (Worcester). That's near Concord, right?
By the rude bridge----
that arched the flood--
their flag to April's breeze unfurled--
there the embattled farmers stood-
and fired the shot heard
east of 128---well I never said I was a poet-- chbpod
I think we can all agree that most people in the eastern end of the state think that North Berkshire is some god forsaken outpost, that is somewhere out there on the way to the Grand Canyon. Some of us agree that monster wind machines are being sold to small towns, as the solution to 16 years of republican fiscal leadership. What we have here is priceless and waiting to be discovered. Perhaps it is time to reconsider turning the beautiful Berkshires into "that ugly place where electricity comes from". Now is the time to decide how we want to present ourselves to the world. There is no justification to subsidize turning this area into Deere Island West, just to power the energy hungry excess of "modern" society.
Every time my family drives toward Brattleboro, we stop to view the windmills on Route 100 in Vermont. We have never heard any noise audible over that of the wind itself. The last time we were there, we saw 2 artists sitting in the graveyard there, painting a scene with the windmills in the backgound. I would have no problem living near that site with that really quite attractive row of windmills visible in my backyard, and I don't understand how anyone who has been there could object to such a project. (Naturally, one might feel different if the machines were 100 feet from one's house.)
If the windmills are built with self-interested (private) money with little or no subsidization, then obviously they are saving more than enough fuel to justify their construction. (Indeed, the external costs associated with drilling and moving fossil fuel, as well as with subsidizing corrupt foreign government, would justify some subsidies. Of course, windmills won't generate as much power as nuke plants, but that's another whole argument.)
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