Worcester isn’t west!
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As if gambling isn’t controversial enough on its own, Gov. Patrick’s proposed "casino zones" — three regions that would each host one Vegas-style complex — are also stirring up trouble. Specifically, some residents in the far west object to being lumped in with Worcester County, and they fear getting cut out of the action. "It’s another example of people misunderstanding what Western Massachusetts is," Chicopee mayor Michael D. Bissonnette told the Springfield Republican. "Western Massachusetts is the four western counties." (That would be Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire.)
We’d like to dispel the stereotype of Bostonians thinking that the "west" begins in Dedham, so we’ll remind our Area Code 617 readers that that the blogosphere does extend beyond Route 128. Walking the Berkshires, for example, gives a western perspective on the casino brouhaha. But is it too late to bring the state together? The Berkshire blogger darkly warns of "longstanding resentment, dare I say even secessionist grumbling out here that Boston hasn’t got a clue about what lies West of Worcester."
