So, how do you spell Philadelphia City Councilwoman Bass’ first name again?

The big ReStore Philadelphia Corridors sign posted along Germantown Avenue at West Rockland Street speaks to a commerce-department effort to revitalize neighborhood commercial strips.

It also speaks to a need for a civic spell-check function.

Tucked away under the name of the project, an image of the city’s seal and the mayor’s properly spelled name is a reference to the honorable 8th District councilwoman.

Making this reference notable is the fact that Cindy Bass’ first name is spelled “Cyndi.”

Whoops.

“How do you mess up her name?” asked Karen Lockhart Fegely, director of the city’s Office of Neighborhood Economic Development, when NewsWorks alerted her to the typo Thursday morning.

No easy answers

In trying to answer her own question, Fegely said she believes such signs are drafted by contractors who have been provided with a template that includes an area designated for the councilperson’s name. That part states “please insert name here,” which is not a difficult task. Usually.

In pursuit of further answers, NewsWorks called both the city Streets Department and the state Department of Transportation, one of which would contract out the project. Each blamed the other.

Cindy’s spokesman Joe Corrigan said the councilwoman took the misspelling in stride, but he saw bigger-picture implications in the tale.

“Mistakes happen,” he said, “but this is a prime example of why branches of government need to be transparent and work better together.”

Project moves forward

Fegely said the project will improve lower Germantown with a stretch of pedestrian-style lighting, new curbs and sidewalks, American with Disabilities Act-required ramps, trees and more.

The improvements will be along Germantown Avenue from Seymour Street to Ashmead Street and from Washington Lane to Johnson Street.

But when will the “unfortunate error on the ReStore project signs” be fixed?

“We are working to have the Councilwoman’s name corrected as soon as possible,” Fegely emailed Thursday afternoon.

Stay tuned to NewsWorks, which sincerely hopes there are no typos in this article, for any future developments.