“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time,
and your government when it deserves it.” Mark Twain
Download it Here: http://media.lakewoodobserver.com/issue_pdfs/Observer_Vol_14_Issue_13.pdf
According to Mike Deneen, the person that tracks all of this, we are celebrating 13 FULL in print! We started with our first issue, June 28 2005, We had started the project in 2003 with a discussion between The Library Director Kenneth Warren, who I had just met at a Steve Davis cocktail party in his spacious backyard. It was a fortunate meeting designed to bring one of the great minds of Lakewood together with a semi-retired entrepreneur, willing to try anything. Steve Davis provided the gasket/seal. Very quickly it was decided to start a project that would bring Lakewood together while giving all a place to speak freely, and share information. Facebook was unknown and just starting up. We quickly realized that to get real traction in the community, print was needed. To this day, the most popular sites and FB pages have under 7,000 or less members, while the LO still hits the streets with 12,000 to 15,000 copies every two weeks. While other sites and boards are fleeting, The LO Project stands alone in keeping articles, thoughts and conversations on line and accessible for every day we have been around.
Volume 1, Issue 1, Black/White. Since then over 10,000 Lakewoodites and people connected to the city have taken part in writing, photos, art, conversation, sharing facts and opinions and more. It has spun off 13 other community papers, and similar projects in New Jersey and Indianapolis that features stories, photos and images used around the world. At it all started here. Thank you Lakewood!
Soon we acquired DL Meckes, Heidi Hilty, Dan Slife, Mike Deneen, the Farris, Stephen Calhoun, and others jumped in to more than a year of meetings to sit down and chart out what would be 1) sustainable, 2) serve the most in this community.
We will be going back into the early days over the next couple months, but for today, and this birthday here is Betsy Voinovich's story in today's LO!
by Betsy Voinovich
The Lakewood Observer-- the printed newspaper-- has been in existence for 13 years as of this July 4. The 24/7/365 online message board known as The Observation Deck, has been around for 15 years
Happy Anniversary to us. When I say "us," I mean all of us. I'm referring to myself as an editor and writer on this paper, other editors, our publishers, sales staff, delivery people, and advertisers, but most importantly, I'm talking about you, our readers, writers, and writers of the future.
If you haven't heard, the Lakewood Observer is a community written paper. Every story you read was written by a member of the Lakewood community who wanted to share something with you. This person sat down at a laptop, or picked up a notebook and a pen, and wrote down something they wanted the rest of Lakewood to know about. The idea to take away here, is that they are not paid professional writers, they aren't usually professional writers, and many wouldn't characterize themselves as writers at all. They are neighbors and friends, business owners, or representatives of community institutions like the schools, city hall, the Beck Center, Lakewood Public library, etc. This week's forum section features Dr. Chuck -- known to many here in Lakewood as the longtime teacher of APUSH-- Advanced Placement U.S. History at Lakewood High School examining the rise of charter schools, a ride-along with Lakewood Police, and reviews of local music releases by a columnist who created his column based on the fact that he loves locally produced music and there was nowhere to read about it.
If you've been reading this paper for a while, you know that our readers and writers are not afraid to take on controversial and contentious issues like the decanting and closing of Lakewood Hospital or the constitutionality of the many executive sessions in which both our city council and school board make their decisions. The project was born because of a need for Lakewoodites to share their opinions with each other during difficult times, when getting an honest look at what's happening is crucial and can be difficult to come by. From the beginning the paper has existed as an online website and a free printed newspaper, available throughout the city, which makes it possible for everyone to participate, including those with no internet access.
Some of our writers have spent hours investigating issues in order that our city might have a chance to understand what is happening around them. Their motivation? They want to inform, protect and improve the city in which they, their children and their neighbors live. Not so easy to be a community journalist sometimes, especially when "killing the messenger" or at least harassing the messenger is literally true in the world we live in. The paper has weathered frivolous lawsuits, bans by City Hall, efforts at intimidation of our advertisers and contributors, all designed to shut down the paper in order to take away the chance our citizens have to talk to, and learn from each other.
But through all of these years, residents have held fast and continued to write and submit the content of this paper, confident that their words were necessary and appreciated. So congratulations and thank you! Thanks to you, this is the oldest community written paper in the country. 334 papers, 5,344 pages later, we are still going strong.
Interested in getting involved? Join us for an Observer Party where you can meet writers, share ideas and eat a lot of cupcakes. Check next paper for details. If you'd like to just get started, go to our website, click on Member Center, and start writing. Can't wait to hear what you have to say.
LO14_13 Online And On The Streets - 13 Years In Print!
Moderators: Jim DeVito, Dan Alaimo
- Jim O'Bryan
- Posts: 14108
- Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:12 pm
- Location: Lakewood
- Contact:
LO14_13 Online And On The Streets - 13 Years In Print!
Jim O'Bryan
Lakewood Resident
"The very act of observing disturbs the system."
Werner Heisenberg
"If anything I've said seems useful to you, I'm glad.
If not, don't worry. Just forget about it."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Lakewood Resident
"The very act of observing disturbs the system."
Werner Heisenberg
"If anything I've said seems useful to you, I'm glad.
If not, don't worry. Just forget about it."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama
-
- Posts: 608
- Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2016 8:43 am
- Contact:
Re: LO14_13 Online And On The Streets - 13 Years In Print!
I look forward to sitting down with this one.
The two-page ride-along feature looks like excellent reading.
The two-page ride-along feature looks like excellent reading.
:: matt kuhns ::
-
- Posts: 1533
- Joined: Wed Jun 15, 2011 10:43 pm
Re: LO14_13 Online And On The Streets - 13 Years In Print!
Rob Masek’s “memorial cartoon” is poignantly beautiful. If there was an appropriate Pulitzer category, this is a winner.
"So, let's make the most of this beautiful day.
Since we're together we might as well say:
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?"
~ Fred (Mr. Rogers) Rogers
Since we're together we might as well say:
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?"
~ Fred (Mr. Rogers) Rogers
-
- Contributor
- Posts: 2463
- Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 12:02 pm
- Contact:
Re: LO14_13 Online And On The Streets - 13 Years In Print!
We done good-- Let's keep it going! Stan Austin
-
- Posts: 167
- Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2015 4:33 pm
Re: LO14_13 Online And On The Streets - 13 Years In Print!
mjkuhns wrote:I look forward to sitting down with this one.
The two-page ride-along feature looks like excellent reading.
Matt thank you for the concise article on council’s budget process. Not always the most exciting topic but important and worthy of residents’ attention.
Dan O'Malley
-
- Posts: 608
- Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2016 8:43 am
- Contact:
Re: LO14_13 Online And On The Streets - 13 Years In Print!
Three things.
- I hope additional members of the community will contribute to the budget-priorities process. Seven people might overlook important things, but like the Observer, a community effort can help get additional needs seen and heard.
- I really appreciate the knowledgeable historic perspective in Chuck Greanoff's powerful essay about charter schools.
- What was the debate like that led to the Observer's dramatic relocation of "Free! Take One" from the upper right corner to the upper left??
:: matt kuhns ::
-
- Posts: 2640
- Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am
Re: LO14_13 Online And On The Streets - 13 Years In Print!
Let's not forget the major Forum article this issue by former President of City Council Edward Graham, a distinguished Lakewood resident (see p. 13).
He reminds us that the City of Lakewood is making some major financial decisions right now:
Yes, giving away the former Lakewood Hospital for $1 to a developer.
And, providing that developer with an approximately $7,000,000 benefit in site demolition and site preparation costs.
And this has all been wrapped-up in PR puffery as an "investment".
Yikes!
I won't go into the other wastage of municipal contracts rights and assets. I have devoted more than 900 posts here to those topics.
BUT, I would like to know how many other public subsidies the City of Lakewood is planning to provide One Lakewood Place or its tenants in coming years.
He reminds us that the City of Lakewood is making some major financial decisions right now:
Yes, giving away the former Lakewood Hospital for $1 to a developer.
And, providing that developer with an approximately $7,000,000 benefit in site demolition and site preparation costs.
And this has all been wrapped-up in PR puffery as an "investment".
Yikes!
I won't go into the other wastage of municipal contracts rights and assets. I have devoted more than 900 posts here to those topics.
BUT, I would like to know how many other public subsidies the City of Lakewood is planning to provide One Lakewood Place or its tenants in coming years.
-
- Posts: 2133
- Joined: Fri Jul 08, 2005 4:10 pm
Re: LO14_13 Online And On The Streets - 13 Years In Print!
Big thanks to the hundreds of writers, photographers, editors, artists, and sponsors who have made this project possible.
And of course, big thanks to Jim and Deb O'Bryan for keeping the wheels turning.
It's truly amazing that the project rolls on after 13 years.
Most people were skeptical that we would last even one year.....and that was long BEFORE the Observer was in City Hall's cross hairs.
I've been on a brief hiatus, but I'll be back soon with all the big local high school sports news.
And of course, big thanks to Jim and Deb O'Bryan for keeping the wheels turning.
It's truly amazing that the project rolls on after 13 years.
Most people were skeptical that we would last even one year.....and that was long BEFORE the Observer was in City Hall's cross hairs.
I've been on a brief hiatus, but I'll be back soon with all the big local high school sports news.
-
- Posts: 2640
- Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am
Re: LO14_13 Online And On The Streets - 13 Years In Print!
Mark Kindt wrote:Let's not forget the major Forum article this issue by former President of City Council Edward Graham, a distinguished Lakewood resident (see p. 13).
He reminds us that the City of Lakewood is making some major financial decisions right now:
Yes, giving away the former Lakewood Hospital for $1 to a developer.
And, providing that developer with an approximately $7,000,000 benefit in site demolition and site preparation costs.
And this has all been wrapped-up in PR puffery as an "investment".
Yikes!
I won't go into the other wastage of municipal contracts rights and assets. I have devoted more than 900 posts here to those topics.
BUT, I would like to know how many other public subsidies the City of Lakewood is planning to provide One Lakewood Place or its tenants in coming years.
My next question for the Finance Committee is as follows:
What led to the failure of the City of Lakewood to receive designation as an Opportunity Zone under the newly revised federal tax code?
Return to “Lakewood General Discussions”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 28 guests