Best Posts of 2011

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Meg Ostrowski
Posts: 466
Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2009 10:42 am

Best Posts of 2011

Postby Meg Ostrowski » Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:37 am

While I hope that the “Best Threads of 2011” contest identifies some of our most productive discussions, I would hate for some of the “Best Posts of 2011” to get lost in the shuffle just because the thread itself may not rate.

Ironically, one of my personal favorites was posted by Steve Davis in a thread debating which Ward in Lakewood was the best. Charlie Page came on and asked “Aren’t we supposed to be OneLakewood?” as indicated by the Fitzgerald Administration’s initiative to engage citizens.

Steve replied “There could be anywhere from 1 to over 50,000 Lakewoods at any time. I’m good with any of those numbers, as long as it’s just not 2 Lakewoods.”

I’m not even sure if I took it as he intended but it stuck with me.

An “us vs. them” Lakewood cannot move forward but if we acknowledge and celebrate our diversity, give everyone an equal voice and work together despite our differences, Lakewood will thrive.


“There could be anywhere from 1 to over 50,000 Lakewoods at any time. I’m good with any of those numbers, as long as it’s just not 2 Lakewoods.” -Stephen Davis
stephen davis
Posts: 600
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:49 pm
Location: lakewood, ohio

Re: Best Posts of 2011

Postby stephen davis » Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:44 pm

Meg Ostrowski wrote:I’m not even sure if I took it as he intended but it stuck with me.


Meg,

You got it.

Thanks.


Steve

.


Nothin' shakin' on Shakedown Street.
Used to be the heart of town.
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart.
You just gotta poke around.

Robert Hunter/Sometimes attributed to Ezra Pound.
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marklingm
Posts: 2202
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:13 pm
Location: The 'Wood

Re: Best Posts of 2011

Postby marklingm » Mon Dec 19, 2011 8:46 am

Meg Ostrowski wrote:While I hope that the “Best Threads of 2011” contest identifies some of our most productive discussions, I would hate for some of the “Best Posts of 2011” to get lost in the shuffle just because the thread itself may not rate.


Meg, I appreciate that you march to the beat of your own drum, and I like that you and Steve Davis finally agree!


User avatar
marklingm
Posts: 2202
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:13 pm
Location: The 'Wood

Re: Best Posts of 2011

Postby marklingm » Mon Dec 19, 2011 8:49 am

One of the best posts of 2011 has to be:

Monique Smith wrote:The problem with the news of the backyard hen pilot program is that the mayor and his administration didn't involve city council in a single word of the discussions or the planning that they have apparently been having for quite a while about it. In fact, it's only because of the news that has been reported in the Observer that I even know about this pilot, and I'm a member of Lakewood city council. Pretty sad, eh?

To make it worse, when I reached out to the city's Director of Planning and Development several weeks ago to ask about the rumor that a pilot was in progress or being planned, the only response I received was that there was "no pilot"... and that was after more than one request for the information. So much for transparency and collaboration.

It breaks my heart to say this, because I once publicly supported the campaign of our current mayor and genuinely believed he would bring a very beneficial management style to city hall, but here's the thing: The mayor and some members of his administration are showing increasingly worrisome signs that they have no regard for council or some members of the public in Lakewood who may have opinions that differ from theirs. This backyard hen question is only one example in a pattern that I've been observing and have been worrying quite a bit about. I'm sure the mayor knows that there are members of council and the public who oppose the idea of backyard chickens in a city as densely populated and burdened with extremely serious housing issues (and few resources to handle them) as Lakewood. So how did he choose to deal with that potentially contentious issue? By completely excluding ALL of us from the discussion about this pilot. I regret that I have to take this complaint to the public rather than speaking with the mayor about it, but I feel that I'm left with no choice when members of council are excluded from these kinds of conversations at city hall.

One of my chief concerns about this pilot is that the mayor has said that housing is one of his top priorities, yet he has unilaterally chosen to increase the burden on our housing department and city resources by adding chickens to the residential landscape. It doesn't make sense to me. I'd like the opportunity to hear how it makes sense to him.

I sincerely respect the point of view and efforts of backyard hen supporters in Lakewood because I know that their intention is to provide a new means of making healthy, fresh food accessible to Lakewoodites. However, based on what I know of our city's housing situation, including issues that I see in my own neighborhood every day, and what our city is facing in terms of resource constraints, I can't support the inclusion of chickens in our residential landscape. Though our city has some similarities to other urban areas that allow backyard chickens, we also have many key differences and very unique challenges to manage. While the City of Cleveland may have some very appropriate conditions for raising backyard chickens, Lakewood simply does not.

Thank you to the publishers of the Observer and the readers of this forum for giving me a place to share my opinion on this. Unfortunately, I haven't had the same opportunity at city hall.

http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10552


Rhonda loje
Posts: 647
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 10:08 pm

Re: Best Posts of 2011

Postby Rhonda loje » Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:01 am

I agree! This is the best post of the year!


"Dont it always seem to go
That you dont know what youve got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot"
Joni Mitchell

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