http://minervapark.net/
This is currently hosted by Charles Legg, Minerva Park Council Member.
Of the continuation of the forum, which has yet to go live (hopefully it will be up soon) he says:
Working on Website - Friday, January 20, 2012
Since I have been appointed to Council and the negativity of the Walking in Minerva Park blog, I have decided to continue work on this website. I will keep everyone posted over the next few weeks. - Charles Legg
Though this blog, Walking in Minerva Park, is seen as negative, I hadn't intended for that to be the only perception of it. Of course there is negativity brought about by the topics posted here, it's politics. But, I still feel that this venue is needed to dispense information that the Village Council and/or Administration doesn't seem to actively dispense to residents.
Unfortunately most of the things posted here do have a negative reception, but I believe a lot of that reception comes from the actions of council themselves. If council did things in an open, inviting way, the negativity might decrease; and perhaps some posts would start being positive off the bat. I have seen little progress since I've started watching the goings on in the Community Building, and I have to wonder why, obviously it's because "we're so negative". It seems when opinions are different than their own or their own
intentions, they are seen as negative by council or others in the
village.
The lack of interest in this may be seen in the Rules of Council for 2012, where Citizens Comments are restricted from "anger expressed". How can you ask to limit residents from expressing their anger with something? Surely residents can be expected to be respectful and safe in their expressions, but a rule stating anger is not to be expressed shows why this blog is needed.
Dear council, perhaps you yourselves should follow this rule as well. A certain council member has been known to slam on the table when disagreeing with another. "Killing a bug" irrationally, slamming the table and stamping feet while disagreeing with what another is saying? Maybe council should follow their rules for comments as council members, not just imposing such strict rules on citizens who chose to speak up.
Negative or not, this blog gives another outlet for residents to get information, share their information, or feelings and opinions, negative, positive, or otherwise. Those that come to this blog and take the time to read it make that decision themselves. They are responsible for where they invest themselves through the credibility of their sources. The Villager is certainly one-sided, much more so than this blog is by nature.
Residents can't even have something published to the Villager (community newsletter) without it being approved by Sharon Bierman, Council member, and Villager Advertising, Design, and Layout coordinator. Among other lines of editing in the MPCA. How is this not biased?
I will be interested to see how Mr. Legg's forum is run. Commentators have to have an account, which in itself is a good idea in ways but will also deter some from commenting, or from commenting honestly and openly. I also wonder how the administrative privileges will be used.
Though this blog currently limits residents to commenting on posts written by myself (they can't start topics themselves) I do not approve comments before they go live. I do have the ability to delete comments, but reserve this for when it is requested or blatantly necessary, as outlined in the Comment Policies, above. These deletions will be documented, and have been. So far, the most common deletion necessary is simply that of formatting errors or duplicate publications. I am not here to moderate or babysit comments, though sometimes I have felt they've been somewhat personal or non-productive, the outlet of commenting is still of value for some residents.
The more opportunities we have to speak up as residents, without censorship, the better. Minerva Park doesn't seem to be doing much for that these days, hence why this blog was started, almost a year ago.
