The Observation Deck

Suzanne,

Churn... Is that butter or better? I think the new advisory board is a great idea and will improve the Lakewood Observer Project. What are you afraid of, “burnt toast?â€￾ The new members will bring freshness and more impartiality to the project.

O’Bryan and the advisors are burned to a crisp and are in need of new blood or a major transfusion. This is the perfect time to tweak the LO Project – before it gets moldy.

Let’s cut through the B.S.: the participants in the LO Project believe in the city and its future. MTG, MEF, or RPD have NOTHING to do with the LO Project and they do not control its content. You, as a contributor, should know butter, I mean, better.

We could go back to the days when the Lakewood Sun Post was the only game in town and we relied on the crumbs they provide – one story and amusing anecdotes from the police blotter.

I believe in the LO Project, its mission, and its future. Do you?

Bill Grulich

Bill Grulich wrote:O’Bryan and the advisors are burned to a crisp and are in need of new blood or a major transfusion. This is the perfect time to tweak the LO Project – before it gets moldy.

Bill

Thanks for the kind words, but Suzann'e comments today are giving me a second wind.

The facts remain:
1) the Board was never meant to be permanent
2) now is a perfect opportunity
3) the current board will be very busy in coming months
4) we have never seen it as ours.

Contrary to popular belief, it has always been seen as the community's project not ours. When we work with other cities it is refreshing to see what they are coming up with. While we had to worry about so much, now the process is much easier for them. It would be fun to see what someone else can do with the velvet hammer called the Lakewood Observer.

As Jeff points out, most of us have strong opinions and it will be good to not have our thoughts confused with the paper's mission.

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I think that is one of the most important things that the Observer Project brings is an open forum for the community. That may be this mission.

Simply.

All the other things flow from that.

Rhonda

I once heard somebody say that the LO project in only one respect needs to get things done that the city will not. I believe that the new board should strive (live the previous board) to continue that work. As much as the local government has control. There are a lot of problems/opportunity's that for one reason or another is out of there control/scope. If Lakewood is going to move forward toward the light that we all know is at the end of the tunnel. It is going to take the people of this city and the LO (Wait... Scratch that they are one in the same to take that and run with it. That I believe is one facet the new board should take on.

To give one of many answers I have to the question, what would "I" do, one project that comes to mind would be to encourage informal groups to get things done or at least get people thinking, like the public use of Lake Erie, inside Lakewood, or how to draw doctors BACK to Lakewood, or how to highlight (effectively) the high points of Lakewood, such as you don't have to go to Westlake to get good food and that the "Wood" actually has great food here, on and on.

The currant board has done great things and I'm sure will be doing more great things with the upcoming projects, but a new board with a unique set of "heads", thoughts, ideas, angles etc surely wouldn't hurt.

I would hope I could some part of the "new board".

Mark Allan Crnolatas

I think your right Mark there are many things that we can do together and really must do together. The City is not going to do it for us. I think we can accomplish many things you have mentioned if we just get enough people together and focus on those projects.

Like the Lakefront..if we have the right status (as a non-profit)...there are many grants out there for us to obtain if we have the right structure and the will and people to do it. Look at Ruthie and what she has done with LakewoodIsArt. We can get this done without the help of the city. We just have to get together and DO IT!

Rhonda

Rhonda

First, Ruthie and her crew featuring Barb are amazing. As I sat in on their plans for the second Art walk, Band2gether, the Car Show, and many other plans, including LakewoodCares, my head was spinning with joy and excitement. Lakewood is blessed that she lives and loves living here.

This is one of the reasons the Lakewood Observer was created was to support and help all of these projects. In the past you would have to worry about media and coverage, always a huge part of an event. Those days are gone. This came from many of us having incredible frustrations back in the old day when the Sun Paper and PD would not even return our phone calls for events. The thought, we would cover it and thereby force them to wake up and actually come into Lakewood and cover it. It has worked perfectly.

As many of us spoke of during the election and I think the mayor seconded. Let's let the city concentrate on Safe, Clean and budgets. Let's use the Observer to power up as many people doing positive things for Lakewood. Let's get them working together and see what happens. Many if not all Lakewood social success stories the LO had a hand in. Which means the community had a hand in. Which is also why we have always demanded real names. It makes working together easier, and sane.

So does the new board pay writers and editors, or pump money back into the city and these projects? Or do they suck money out of Lakewood into other places like the Sun and PD do? What will the new board decide?

The single biggest frustration I would love to share with the new board. Being 100% open, giving and supportive of Lakewood. Being the blank canvas that anyone can use in Lakewood, or as Jeff Endress called it, "Lakewood Dream Machine" and watch as other try to run us out of business for their own personal agendas and/or profits.


FWIW


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Jim,
In short, sign me up.

Corey