Published September 21, 2010
I get the feeling this stretch of Shrewsbury Street — one of the main drags in Worcester — used to really be someplace.
262 Shrewsbury St., Worcester (Andrew Phelps)
262 Shrewsbury St., Worcester
Where To Eat Good Hot Dogs In Worcester (Weds-Mon)
Published September 21, 2010
Every day this week I’m asking our Twitter followers (@WBUR) to tell us where to eat in the cities and towns along #Route9.
@Hnicho1 was first out of the gate:
easy- coney island.4 hot dogs, straight up.
George’s Coney Island Lunch on Southbridge Street, to be precise. “Best hot dogs, maybe in the state,” he added.
I read the tweet back to Oakes; his eyes lit up and he drove us straight there. (Bob grew up in Worcester County. He’s got a million stories.)
I was excited to photograph the beloved neon sign, maybe get a dog. I even survived the terrifying Kelley Square rotary to get there. Upon arrival, however, there was one problem (see second photo).
On the Coney Island sign in Worcester, the mustard drips in neon. (Andrew Phelps/WBUR)
I picked the wrong day to visit Coney Island. (Andrew Phelps/WBUR)
The Heart Of The Commonwealth
Published September 21, 2010
Stained glass window in the Grand Hall at Union Station, Worcester (Andrew Phelps)
The heart is printed on all the street signs in Worcester and on the beautiful stained-glass ceiling of Union Station here in downtown Worcester. It’s the heart of the commonwealth.
Tuesday Morning: Worcester
Published September 21, 2010
What’s news on a chilly Tuesday morning in Worcester — where Morning Edition has been broadcasting live as part of our special Route 9 road trip:
IBM To Buy Marlborough’s Netezza For $1.7B
Computing giant IBM Corp. continued its local shopping spree yesterday, agreeing to pay $1.7 billion for Netezza Corp, a Marlborough firm that makes systems for analyzing massive amounts of corporate data. The deal is the second-largest acquisition of a Massachusetts technology company this year, and the fourth by IBM. (The Boston Globe)
Clark Will Pay Worcester $6.7M
Clark University has become the third local private college to step up and agree to make annual payments to the city in lieu of property taxes. (T&G)
Worcester Commuters Plead For More Trains
Every weekday, more than 15,000 people find their way between Boston and Worcester by train. The Patrick administration is working to nearly double the number of trains on the line by adding another 10 in each direction. (WBUR)
Cahill: Stop Commuter Rail Expansion
Saying simply, “we just don’t have the money,” independent candidate for governor Timothy Cahill defended his call to pull back state support from transportation expansion projects. (WBUR)
Auburn Man Pleads Guilty To Having Explosives
Anthony Simulynas pleaded guilty Monday in Worcester Superior Court to 16 counts of possessing an infernal machine, two counts of possessing a firearm or ammunition without a firearm identification card, and improperly storing a firearm. Authorities said they seized 85 weapons, about 800 pounds of ammunition and two boxes of suspected explosive devices from the home in February 2009. (AP)
Edited Raw: How Radio Is Made
Published September 20, 2010
It isn’t always pretty, but radio gets made.
Here is behind-the-scenes video from our Route 9 broadcast in Framingham. Warning: This video is only for die-hard public radio fans.
[youtube url=”M-seBPeMTxg”]
Where To Eat In Framingham (What You Said)
Published September 20, 2010
Elias Fernandes is the owner of Padaria Brasil Bakery in downtown Framingham, where WBUR broadcast live Monday morning. (Andrew Phelps/WBUR)
We started the morning on Route 9 thinking about food: The smell of fresh bread and pastries permeated the air at Padaria Brasil Bakery in downtown Framingham. Highly recommended are the coconut bread and my personal favorite, the pao de queijo — Brazilian cheese bread.
On Twitter, I asked people for lunch suggestions in Framingham. You all must have been hungry… See everyone’s suggestions and add your own after the jump.
Behind The Scenes On Route 9
Published September 20, 2010
Whew! We finished our live broadcast from Framingham, telling the stories of people and issues along Route 9. You can catch up on Monday morning’s stories on the Route 9: Framingham page. (And don’t miss the video trailer starring host Bob Oakes.)
I’ll be updating this Flickr gallery all day with photos and videos from the scene at Padaria Brasil Bakery in Framingham.
Next stop: Worcester.
Monday Morning: Framingham
Published September 20, 2010
What’s news on a cool Monday morning in Framingham — the retail Mecca of Massachusetts, where WBUR is broadcasting live today as part of our special week-long series, “Finding A Way Along Route 9.”
Candidates Visit Framingham’s Temple Beth Am
After enjoying a 40-foot breakfast buffet, voters at Temple Beth Am got a heaping helping of politics Sunday morning. Gubernatorial candidate Tim Cahill, state auditor candidate Mary Connaughton and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray showed up to speak to the crowd, as did a slew of candidates for other local and statewide seats. (MetroWest Daily News)
Mass. Immigrants Send Billions Back Home
Across the state, immigrants showed their enduring devotion to their loved ones last year by sending $1.8 billion home to more than 200 countries, according to the first full accounting of the cash that flows out of Massachusetts. The findings are based on a Globe review of annual reports that money-transfer companies such as MoneyGram and Western Union are required to file each year with the state. (The Boston Globe)
What Jobs Shortage?
While national unemployment levels hover around 10%, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of jobs available in Framingham. (Framingham.com)
Through Glory Days And A Retail Boom, A Steak House Survives
In the 1960s, the glory days, this stretch of Route 9 was the Golden Mile. And Tim Hanna, the owner of Ken’s Steak House in Framingham, has seen it all. Now his business is an island in a sea of chain stores. (WBUR)
Weymouth 48, Framingham 21: Flyers Foiled
The Framingham football team entered yesterday’s Bay State Conference Carey division matchup with visiting Weymouth looking for a win that would redefine the start to its season. That goal never materialized. (MetroWest Daily News)
Help me out, Framingham. What’s news?
Hubbub Is Going On The Road!
Published September 17, 2010
Thirty stories. Twelve journalists. Five communities across Massachusetts.
Since the Great Recession, Massachusetts’ cities and towns have been reeling from dwindling tax receipts and cuts to state aid. With sluggish job growth, unrelenting foreclosures and a Congress unwilling to extend more federal stimulus money, the problems are only going to get worse.
WBUR’s Morning Edition is going on the road next week, broadcasting live from cities and towns on Route 9. Hubbub is going along, too. I put together this video trailer for our special series, “Finding A Way Along Route 9.”
For the technically curious, the video was shot handheld on a Canon 7D SLR. Music by k.Rockshire (licensed Creative Commons).
Happy 380th Birthday, Boston
Published September 17, 2010
Happy and safe birthday, Boston. (Stéfan Le Dû/Flickr)
Hi, Hubbubers, sorry about how quiet things are here. I’m up to my eyeballs in work to prepare for a very special project next week — which I’ll tell you more about later today.
Meantime, I want to wish our fair city a happy birthday. @NotifyBoston tweets:
Happy Birthday Boston! Governor John Winthrop founded the City of Boston on this day, Sept. 17, 1630.
Next time you complain about the roads, the public transit or the weather, ask yourself how you would feel at that age.
What’s your birthday wish for Boston?