C'mon, it wasn't that bad. In fact, most of you nailed the news on council's about-face on what to do with its moldy, old night club. Some brave souls even ventured to write about the surprise fuss over the aquatics project, though you had little, if any, background. Good instincts! That story has a far greater personal and financial implications for your average Missoulian.
Ginny Merriam did a solid job of reporting both angles. In simple, clear prose, she told her readers what happened and what it might mean, and she put the news in context with just enough background. She also gave readers a sense of the debate (the pros and cons) and the captured the frustration some speakers felt. Her story would have made perfect sense to readers familiar with the issues and those seeing them for the first time. The only thing I might have added to her reporting on the swimming pools would have been a response from the mayor to his critics. (Did you catch a whiff of election politics in both issues? The city's critics included two City Council candidates.)
I was especially proud of those you who sat through some of the energy expert's criticism of the cities' bid to buy NorthWestern Energy. As dense as that subject must have seemed, I'll bet you understood the thrust of his main argument: the cheap hydroelectric power the cities' hope to offer customers may not be there.
If anything, I hope Monday night drove home the need to be as prepared as you can be before the meeting and to listen hard, even when it the jargon gets thick. And don't be afraid to grab people to answer your questions.
Questions? Comments? Observations? Bad jokes?
2 comments:
Seeing the Game 5 would have just given you false hope, DP.
Keriann -- The sewer SID didn't get much attention because the real debate and vote over whether to do this project happened months ago. The actual awarding of the bids is kind of a formality. Clayton tried to get something stirred up by everyone else was clearly bored by it -- or afraid to rile up constitutents again.
Jacob -- The city is going ahead with its study of space needs and plans to build an annex. That's why the Heron would be a temporary home. But who knows? They could be there a long time at this rate. I think they ought to leave a neon sign in the window, don't you? A disco ball in the ceiling might actually increase attendence.
PBulge -- Trust that instinct to bounce your "clever" leads off somebody else. Whenever I'm tempted to write something like that, I ask myself if it could possibly make sense to anyone who wasn't an insider. The answer is usually "no." Actually, the answer is usually "huh?"
Post a Comment