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Though our blogs are still relatively new, there is a comment that has been running through many of them that we need to address.
At least some of you are not happy with our coverage and we have heard more than once that we don't cover enough hard news.
We don't always hear everything that's going on in Phoenixville and that's where you can come in and help us. You know you can always call us or email us to tip us off about a story you've heard, whether it's rumor or not and we'll do our best to track it down and find out what we can find out.
So what are some of the things you want us to investigate? What should we be spending more time on? In addition, what sorts of videos do you wish you'd be seeing?
We really are trying to make the paper (and website) better and give you the news that YOU want. We just need your help to figure out some of what that is. Please continue to give us feedback and call, email, or post on the blog about the stories you want.
Posted by
The Phoenix Staff
At least some of you are not happy with our coverage and we have heard more than once that we don't cover enough hard news.
We don't always hear everything that's going on in Phoenixville and that's where you can come in and help us. You know you can always call us or email us to tip us off about a story you've heard, whether it's rumor or not and we'll do our best to track it down and find out what we can find out.
So what are some of the things you want us to investigate? What should we be spending more time on? In addition, what sorts of videos do you wish you'd be seeing?
We really are trying to make the paper (and website) better and give you the news that YOU want. We just need your help to figure out some of what that is. Please continue to give us feedback and call, email, or post on the blog about the stories you want.
Posted by
The Phoenix Staff
posted by The Phoenix Files at
9:12 AM
17 Comments:
Congrats! The first step is realizing there is a problem. Now we can work on solving the problem.
OK. Here goes a lesson in investigation 101. Take a look at blog sites. Stories have been posted since 12/31 about a possible illegal meeting held at Mayor Leo's house. Let me see, OH wait!?!? This is a sunshine law violation if there were more than 4 members there, duh. - story 1.
Story 2 - there was a story that a certain ponytailed CDC person was seeking kickbacks on downtown sales of properties. OH wait?!?! This is also illegal. Might want to talk to a former antiques dealer that moved down the street. - Story 2.
Story 3 - Pick up the darn phone and talk to people and dig for a flipping story. After all, does anyone think it peculiar that one property owner cna have multiple fires in 2 locations??? Think about it. Faulty wiring, at night, when the unit is not running - DUH!
Any chance that I could become a "guest columnist"?
What's the big construction job at the site of the old General Pike Hotel?
Addressing smelling the coffee's concern:
It has been my understanding that when an official organized party committee meets for official committee business, in this case the Phoenixville Democratic Committee, the sunshine law is not violated if a quorum of Council members of the same party are present, as long as official committee business is discussed.
It is not unreasonable to expect the members of the committee, 6 of whom are members of council, (Carlos is not a committee member) would want to discuss who should be Council President.
In the instant case however, even if all democratic council members attended the caucus, the majority of those returning council members, four in number, did not represent a quorum at the caucus: five members would be needed to represent a quorum.
1) What's going on with PPG and the Steel Property?
2) Why is the CDC offering to represent PPG when the ED for years had a red circle/slash PPG sing in his office for years?
3) Why hasn't the CDC's money been audited? Is the Borough truly getting value for its money?
The electing of a coucil president is not a party election. It IS one of the current sitting members of council. The elimination and denial of any member not in attendance I'd unethical and again as approriately stated, more than 4 members of that council are in attendance, is indeed a violation of the sunshine law. If there is a questionto the legality of this, why not solicit the lawyers opinion? This may not be a first ammemdment issue, but is still portamt and will provide a foundation for the years to come.
In response to Sunshine and other story suggestions: Thank you; watch The Phoenix for what turns up.
In response to Councilman Jeff Senley's question: Any council member or borough official who wants to write a guest column is welcome. (If everyone volunteers at once, we'd have to work out some kind of schedule.)
Feel free to e-mail Sound Offs, Letters to the Editor or Guest Columns to editor@phoenixvillenews.com.
Guidelines: The Phoenix reserves the right to make minor editing changes (spelling, grammar, etc.) without consultation.
If major changes for length or content seem needed, items will be returned to the writer.
Items containing personal (non-policy-based) attacks will be rejected.
I miss having timely reporting of Phoenixville Borough Council meetings. Please resume the practice of publishing at least the major highlights from Council meetings the day after the meeting. Detailed stories can then be spaced out during the week.
I would agree that the timeliness of articles coming from the paper are bad. Is it possible to get the brief synopsis of the Council or Planning Commission meetings published the day after and like the above postins says, do the detail stories during the same week?
Wow, I have been watching this blog site for a while now and I feel I am watching a mother bird trying to feed her chicks. I see postings by the staff that is nothing but regurgitations of processed food trying to allow the staff to grow. Is it any wonder why people, who have been in this town similar to me for over 40 years, angry at the paper for what they are trying to sell? These postings are not even interesting enough for people to comment on…I know there is a writers strike in Hollywood; I just didn’t expect to see it here. The rest of the articles are what the mother bird digested, processed and passed in her own function and is what is normally found on our cars.
I appreciate the fact that the management has granted us permission to give feedback on what we want to see. As consumers, isn’t that our right?
I would suggest a three post maximum, if you get no replies, you are suspended, time definite, from the blog and your paycheck, as small as it is, is adjusted accordingly. This might ‘inspire’ these ‘writers’ to think outside the box and prevent the regurgitations that are trying to be sold the buying public.
Please please please cover some news that has hit residents pocketbooks, like David P. Gappa Oil Company running off with 1/2 million of it's customers money.
Is this not a huge story for your readers?
Or do we want to hear a healthy 23 year old write about the state of health care?
I cancelled my subscription several years ago, and based on your circulation numbers, so have many others. (44% decline over 10 years and an amazing 12.5% in 2007 alone!) I stumbled on your web site recently, and based on what I've read, there is no reason to restart my subscription.
An example is the column yesterday by Dennis Wright. Why would anyone interested in Phoenixville politics want to read borderline tasteless quotes from a band geared to teenage girls? Maybe teenage girls, but they don't buy newspapers.
Phoenixville needs a good local newspaper as part of its revival, and without changes, you're not it. The public is voting with its purchasing decisions. Pay attention.
To Rossi - if all you got out of that column was "tasteless quotes" from a band, then you didn't read the entire thing. It is your problem that you don't like the paper and cancelled your subscription. You still feel the need to "stumble" upon the web-site, so you are nothing but a hypocrite who feels better about himself by spewing negativity. I'm sure the newspaper will continue to go forward without you subscribing to it. Go spend your money on a personality transplant.
To Rossi- I've had a subscription to the paper for 40 years. I enjoy every aspect of it. We are fortunate to have this establishment in out town. The borough needs to straighten up its act. The paper and its writers are doing a fine job.
Olivia
To Olivia - Your 40 years subscribing had me beat by about 15 years, and I respect your opinion about the current Phoenix. I just don't agree they are going in the right direction, and as the circulation numbers indicate, many agree with me.
I am a newspaper geek, getting two papers daily, and 3 or 4 on the weekends. I agree we are fortunate to have a local paper, but my real concern is we may not have one for long. The Journal Register Company has lost 80% of its stock value in the past year. When that happens in a corporation, significant changes will and need to be made. The Phoenix being surrounded by three much larger J.R. publications could easily cease to exist as a separate paper. I can see it becoming a 3 or 4 page supplement to the Mercury or Daily local. Most of the classified advertising already comes from these papers. If this happens, Phoenixville will be the big loser, and the founders of a "LOCAL" institution will be rolling in their graves.
I cancelled my subscription as I got tired of reading a paper dominated by paraphrased police and court reports, and innane columns that rarely dealt with community issues. (Do we miss people like Paul Jones?) I thought if the circulation declines enough, the J.R.C would have to make editorial and management changes. Now, I'm afraid it could go further than that, and the paper could cease to exist.
I hope I'm wrong, but if the current trends continue, something has got to give.
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