The letter to the editor (LTE) sent to us on November 9th is still getting comments on the thread, as well as on the street. Clearly, planning is a very important issue in Salida.
Choosing not to post this LTE, as some have suggested we should have considered, is a much larger decision than presuming we have the power to decide whose points have value to the community. Though I did not write the LTE, nor did I request it from Mr. Ferrier, a man I’ve never spoken with, given a choice, I’ll bet most people would like to be called out in public so they can defend themselves. If the community is talking smack about your way of doing business, would you like to know? I would, especially when much of the town is talking about you and your business, as was the case here.
Before receiving the LTE in question, I had already gotten an earful from people about the house. These people explained that “others” were upset as well, so it appeared to be just a matter of time before somebody wrote their thoughts to us via an article or letter. Do I wish Mr. Ferrier’s LTE were more productive in tone? Sure. Is it up to me to do this? It might be if I were a paid editor and that were my job. However, The Citizen is a form of “citizen journalism.” We’ve never claimed to be anything else. We’ve created a venue, a soap box —for you.
Mrs. Karnuta’s projects create jobs, and people buy the houses she builds, like them or not. I’m surprised more people have not pointed this out. I am also surprised, and amazed at the people who told me outright that they could not partake in the online discussion, or even defend the Karnutas, because it could negatively affect their business. When you read something on the Citizen, each article, or LTE in this case, provides (tempts?) you with the immediate opportunity to contribute your thoughts. This is nothing short of revolutionary, and the possibility for this communications tool to exist in Salida, and act as a vehicle to contribute positively to the growth management discussion represents one impetus for the site.
Writing a comment is, currently, the equivalent of stepping up onto a stage in front of a venue five times the size of John Held Auditorium. Is this power? It can be, depending upon your choice of words.
“It lives.”
The thread is live right now. It never closes. The discussion is ongoing, and you are a participant. People will read the LTE in weeks, months and years to come, and if you post a comment, those that have already commented will be notified (if they submitted a legitimate e-mail address when they registered). So, please do not regret that an LTE, article or comment stream “could have been more productive,” because our response will likely be that “you should have written it, and still can.” Or, as “Boston” sang so eloquently, “don’t look back.” So, help us all understand what you care about. Show us your calm wisdom, because comments streams turn on a dime. One comment can change the tone or set the record straight. It is up to you.
Not a writer? No problem. If you have a topic and a little money, we’ll help you find a professional journalist. Does this sound like community-owned media? It should.
It’s more than a feeling
I’m sorry for the hits Mrs. Karnuta has taken, and I’m sorry for those who feel hurt by her projects. I’m sorry that many of those complaining are generally not involved in city or county planning, or are unaware that if Salida goes the route of other beautiful communities there will be less friendly developers staking a claim on the lot next door. Lastly, I’m sorry for how few people took the time to write a more productive piece about development —or any other issue, yet somehow found the time to criticize me (for posting an LTE), The Citizen, its volunteers, the Karnuta family, or our building codes which were created through a public process, also by volunteers.
It’s curious how few have commented on my op-ed piece or the follow up piece submitted by reader Forrest Whitman. Regarding my op-ed, the idea of a brochure about the character of neighborhoods is just an idea, maybe a good one, maybe a bad one. But, proposing solutions was my larger point, and the opportunity to propose ideas to better our community is where The Citizen is intended to shine. So, run to the light Carol Anne.
Will you watch someone get beaten up in a forum without coming to their defense? Or will you step up and defend them? (Hopefully things will stay less personal in the future. I believe most readers would appreciate it). As in real life, “with great power, comes great responsibility.”
Toto! No!
Those that know me understand that although I serve in a technical and administrative roll, I do not consider myself to have any more of a voice on the site than you, the readers —the citizens. Anyone may write, and we encourage it. We have been fortunate to receive very few pointless, sarcastic or smart ass comments, and when we do it appears that most Citizen readers see those comments for what they are. Antagonistic writers with little to say appear to go away if they don’t get the attention they’d hoped for.
Additionally, some people will always see us as an “online newspaper,” and there seems to be little I can do, but explain the concept one person at a time. There are a few of you, some of whom I love, who will probably still be asking for us to “send out one of our journalists” this holiday season. To which I will reply, “but, you are already there?”
The thread
In closing, I’d like to explain how I feel about the comment thread as there are a wide range of feelings, vehemently expressed to me offline and in person. With one open LTE, we have seen compassion, rage, wisdom, ugliness, advice, optimism and expertise as well as the defense of the Karnuta’s character. We have seen people asking when Planning and Zoning meetings take place, and whose answer (immediately posted in the comment stream) will see thousands of views. We have also seen people with a desire to learn more about the fabric of their neighborhood, while the concept of an Overlay District has been discussed extensively around town as it pertains to the “Salida experience.” Am I proud of this social experiment? Hell yeah. I wish I’d invented it.
Thank you to all the people who have thanked us for creating this venue, and thank you to our advertisers and readers for supporting The Citizen Project. On the LTE in question, we have seen all of the beauty of people in a democracy; naked, raw, demanding, and learning about each other in the new public square. I’m proud to live here, thank you for caring. Happy Turkey week. -bd
As this town grows, having a vehicle where people can debate and discuss, uncensored, and unbiased is important to me, and I hope it’s important to you. We should all have a voice and access to media in this day and age. The Citizen is not left, right —or perfect, it is just a platform, and it’s the “best I got” in my spare time, and it demands significant help from my friends Steve and Trey who contribute, without complaint, with style and a smile. I have NO idea where this ship is headed, but we need your input to make it great. Maybe one day it will be. This site is, and has always been, intended as a gift to the community. Use it. If you want to be more involved, let us know at salidacitizen@gmail.com. FYI: Tom Karnuta and I had a laugh about the drama. Our friendship is solid. The Karnutas have lived here longer than most because they love Salida. Thank you for all of your on, and offline, concerns and support. If you want to run it, let me know before my a.d.d. kicks in.
The ramifications of this forum are huge: a community is provided a vehicle to share its concerns, thereby reconnecting to its core and will ultimately experience positive growth because of the type of interaction offered here at the Citizen. Keep up all the good works!
I resisted from commenting on Monster House for one main reason:
People who get mad about the rules only after it is a problem frustrate me. It is reactive and counterproductive. I wonder if we would even be having this discussion if the author had put as much energy into the issue before the building application was even applied for. The author takes no responsiblity and works to point out that everyone else is at fault.
p.s. I like the notion of citizen reporters, but I question the placing of Monster House into the “News” category. It seems to fit better into opinion. Maybe the role of categorizing articles should rest in the hands of a site administrator and not in the hands of the citizen reporter.
p.s.
Well said Bill, and thank you. It seems to me that we can learn two things from this whole thing. First and foremost, this site is a tool for us, the community, and a powerful one at that. It needs to be here, I think that is becoming clear as well, and we need to learn how to drive it. The rules have always been pretty clear – this is for the community, use it, but be respectful, and maybe we should all keep in mind that what we write or say in immediate response is often, if not always, emotional. That is both good and bad, and a totally different discussion, but…..
Second, it seems that we have some catching up to do on zoning, planning, architectural “appropriateness” (for lack of a better term) and there are a lot of people who are interested in learning and participating. That’s great, and I can only think that we will be become stronger from this!
Lastly, if you’re out there, and you run into Bill D, tell him thanks, cuz he’s on your side – Salida’s side.
Good Job , Bill and Trey
That Mountain of a house has some tall blank exterior walls . If properly landscaped , those walls could be made to disappear nicely .