Many of you have been tuning in to the Citizen, commenting on articles, and giving valuable input. I appreciate all of the personal E-mails and support. Some of you may not realize that we have not truly launched. Technically, the Citizen has been live for a while, but Trey has been busy tweaking every aspect of the site in anticipation of a big 2009.
I’m going to write a short series this month about how the Citizen came to be, and how we believe it can positively affect our valley in the years to come. I hope you will comment on these pieces, and forward them to your friends and family. This level of support, albeit basic, is at the root of the communication that must take place to move this valley forward and allow all of us to maintain a sense of place. By simply forwarding articles, you are promoting awareness and increasing knowledge of local issues, thereby promoting more educated discussion in our community about things that affect us most. I believe that providing a tool that allows for more intelligent discussion about important local issues is what we need most as we face an exciting and unknown future.
Here’s the bottom line; the Citizen represents virtually instantaneous two-way discussions with your neighbors, elected officials and city employees. Your points can be made with photos, videos, articles and links to global resources.
This is a very powerful tool.
Whether you are new to the area, or grew up here, I believe the common thread that we all share is a desire to preserve a sense of community. At it’s heart, this is the mission of The Citizen.
Thank you, and stay tuned. -Bill
I have to comment quickly on my own letter above. A few of you (two of you are excellent writers) e-mailed or called me about the above letter with positive thoughts and insight.
I implore you to please be vocal, and public. Use the comment boxes at the end of the articles to express your thoughts! Come out into the light Salidians!