"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)
Ten years ago, or so, my kids loved the television show and children's game entitled, "Where in the World is Carmen Sandeigo?" The point of the game was to teach kids geography, and at least in the case of my kids, it worked pretty well. That game was obviously the inspiration for the title of this piece: "Where in the World is Framingham Centre?"
About five or six weeks ago, the State installed new directional highway signs on Route 126 at the Route 9 interchange. In fact, they not only installed signs right at the "cloverleaf" but in that whole Route 126/30/9 area which longtime Framingham residents refer to as "The Junction". The signs look nice and for the most part they're helpful. The problem is there's a major directional error!
One sign correctly directs drivers to follow Route 9 West to Framingham Centre. Another directs drivers to follow Route 126 South to Framingham Centre. Anyone who has lived in Framingham for much more than a year knows which sign is correct and which one is incorrect. The sign directing people to follow Route 9 West to Framingham Centre is correct. Framingham Centre is NOT the same thing as "downtown Framingham". It's no more the same thing as downtown Framingham than Pastor Dennis Baril of Rehoboth is the same as Pastor Bob Baril of Framingham. (Yes, there IS a Pastor Dennis Baril of Rehoboth. We're probably VERY distant cousins but we're not closely related.) Framingham Centre is in fact the original cultural, governmental, and commercial center of Framingham from the 1700s. It was considered the main commercial, governmental, and commercial center of Framingham until around 1900. It's STILL a pretty busy commercial center and is the location of Framingham State College, but Framingham's town hall was moved to downtown Framingham, formerly known as South Framingham, in the early 20th Century. The Route 126 sign SHOULD direct people to "Downtown Framingham" and not to "Framingham Centre".
I actually put out an e-mail a few weeks ago to the members of Framingham Downtown Renaissance about this. I figured that since we've got a Selectman, a State Rep., a State Senator, and the headof the Framingham Chamber of Commerce all in that group (and all received copies of my e-mail) that someone would respond to me and someone would make a phone call or something to correct the problem. No response. As of now, the incorrect sign still remains.
Is the incorrect sign really such a big deal? Well, imagine yourself in Framingham for the first time and trying to find your way to Framingham Centre. "Good luck!"
Ten years ago, or so, my kids loved the television show and children's game entitled, "Where in the World is Carmen Sandeigo?" The point of the game was to teach kids geography, and at least in the case of my kids, it worked pretty well. That game was obviously the inspiration for the title of this piece: "Where in the World is Framingham Centre?"
About five or six weeks ago, the State installed new directional highway signs on Route 126 at the Route 9 interchange. In fact, they not only installed signs right at the "cloverleaf" but in that whole Route 126/30/9 area which longtime Framingham residents refer to as "The Junction". The signs look nice and for the most part they're helpful. The problem is there's a major directional error!
One sign correctly directs drivers to follow Route 9 West to Framingham Centre. Another directs drivers to follow Route 126 South to Framingham Centre. Anyone who has lived in Framingham for much more than a year knows which sign is correct and which one is incorrect. The sign directing people to follow Route 9 West to Framingham Centre is correct. Framingham Centre is NOT the same thing as "downtown Framingham". It's no more the same thing as downtown Framingham than Pastor Dennis Baril of Rehoboth is the same as Pastor Bob Baril of Framingham. (Yes, there IS a Pastor Dennis Baril of Rehoboth. We're probably VERY distant cousins but we're not closely related.) Framingham Centre is in fact the original cultural, governmental, and commercial center of Framingham from the 1700s. It was considered the main commercial, governmental, and commercial center of Framingham until around 1900. It's STILL a pretty busy commercial center and is the location of Framingham State College, but Framingham's town hall was moved to downtown Framingham, formerly known as South Framingham, in the early 20th Century. The Route 126 sign SHOULD direct people to "Downtown Framingham" and not to "Framingham Centre".
I actually put out an e-mail a few weeks ago to the members of Framingham Downtown Renaissance about this. I figured that since we've got a Selectman, a State Rep., a State Senator, and the headof the Framingham Chamber of Commerce all in that group (and all received copies of my e-mail) that someone would respond to me and someone would make a phone call or something to correct the problem. No response. As of now, the incorrect sign still remains.
Is the incorrect sign really such a big deal? Well, imagine yourself in Framingham for the first time and trying to find your way to Framingham Centre. "Good luck!"
3 comments:
people in that area ask all the time where downtown is... i bet it's confusing if you're not from here... i don't think anyone still goes to framingham center... is that big green area even used much anymore?
well she sneaks around the world from kiev to carolina... she's a stinky fingered filture from berlin down to belize... take for a ride on the slow boat to china... tell me where in the world is carmen sandiego?
yes the whole downtown vs. centre thing is frustrating. it is stupid, in my opinion, that they do not change it.
carmen sadeigo rocks my socks off!
yes the whole downtown vs. centre thing is frustrating. it is stupid, in my opinion, that they do not change it.
carmen sadiego rocks my socks off!
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