A well hidden piggy bank
The state has more than $5.1 billion in Unclaimed Property. Here's a searchable database on the state controller's Web site. I'm probably the only one that doesn't have anything there.
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May 30, 2007
Monrovia's future?
Living in Monrovia has a sobering photo gallery from downtown Monrovia. Apparently, high rents and hopes of franchise stores are driving the exodus of businesses. (h/t foothill cities) I passed the info to our business editor.
May 29, 2007
This week's cartoon
We did this story in connection with the Ken Burns film.
http://www.2020hindsight.org/2007/05/26/memorial-day-events-in-the-san-gabriel-valley/
May 28, 2007
Memorial Day
I'm reading George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia, which is about his experience during the Spanish Civil War. Considering the current state of things, this particular passage rings painfully true: "It is the same in all wars; the soldiers do the fighting, the journalists do the shouting, and no true patriot gets near a front-line trench, except on the briefest propaganda tours."
May 24, 2007
Get to those bars earlier!
I should try using that as a carrot for my reporters. Editors complain about reporters, and reporters complain about editors. No matter where. I mention this because of this NYTimes memo. These were the highlights
-"we plainly have to do better at getting stories done earlier, and to the desk earlier."
-"this whole enterprise would be assisted by us all doing better at an even more basic benchmark: being at work, ready for duty, at our assigned time. like 10, and no later. of course, there are exceptions, too many to list. but, regrettably, there have also been too many instances of late where folks have not met this most fundamental obligation for no good reason. enough already.
- "i hope it is not lost on you -- and i am repeating myself here -- that there's a pretty obvious good in this for you all. like getting home. to your families or beaches or ballparks or bartenders."
We missed this
"Arcadia-Monrovia Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2070 invites the community to join with it to mark Memorial Day this Monday, May 28, at 10:00 a.m. at Live Oak Cemetery, 200 E. Duarte Road in Monrovia. The ceremony will include presentations of honors from numerous local veterans organizations and remarks from the mayors of three local communities. The keynote speaker will be 1LT Robert C. J. Parry of the California Army National Guard. A Monrovia resident and Iraq war veteran, 1LT Parry’s personal writings on the conflict have been published by the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News.
“While it is important for everyone in the community take time to acknowledge those who have died in service to our country, I’d especially like to invite families to come out and participate,” said 1LT Parry. “Today’s generations of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are paying for the freedom of tomorrow’s generation, and it is important that today’s kids learn early on about the sacrifices of people who are providing them the quality of life they will one day enjoy and be tasked with preserving.”
He added, “The sacrifices of Monrovians like Lance Corporal Raul Mercado, who was killed in Iraq, and those who served in wars generations ago, must be remembered and cherished. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that tomorrow’s generation does not forget him, or any service member or take their service for granted. (h/t Foothill Cities)
May 22, 2007
You have got to be kidding?
And what did Claremont learn from the reaction that Pomona received when it sent a threatening letter to a local blog? Apparently nothing.
From the DBulletin: "Former Claremont Mayor Diann Ring said she thinks the blog in her city is potentially heading toward litigation as well.
The Claremont Insider - also penned by an anonymous blogger - writes about Claremont city officials and the "goofy, too-serious, power types that run most of the town's service organizations, charities and city commissions."'
-- This all started with local blog Foothill Cities getting a 'cease and desist' letter from Pomona for posting reasons about its city manager resigning. It was overreaching by the city. And that's just from the experts. The city of Fontana should be the model for how to deal with blogs with the mayor and others posting: "Fontana's Director of Public Works Curtis Aaron also logs into the forums with regularity and answers the residents' questions.
"Most of 'em are usually people speaking out about something they don't understand or are frustrated with," Aaron said. "If there's something going on there that's an issue, we don't wait for it to get out of hand. We keep an eye on the blogs, and ... we can get on it right away."'
Not that there is anything wrong with that
Blogging a candidate:
"When KABC's John North tried to ask another question of him, Richardson turned to the other side of the room to give another journalist a chance. That turned out to be Karen Ocamb, who reports for IN Los Angeles, which covers gay issues. She asked him what his position was on marriage equality, or whether he was in support of gay marriage. He ran through his list of accomplishments in benefits to gay couples, but didn't answer that question. When Ocamb asked again, he turned the other way, looking for North.
"Did you have a question?" he asked North. "Where are you when I need you?"
Later, he told Ocamb that he does favor civil unions.
May 17, 2007
Coda on online free speech battle
Some have said that we are paying a bit too much attention to the spat between the city of Pomona and local blog Foothill Cities.
The Daily Bulletin looked into the accusations about the possible reasons the city manager resigned, but couldn't substantiate them. Does that mean Foothill Cities should not have aired the comments? I don't know.
But once the government takes an official action, it becomes reportable.
I don't agree with some bloggers who think they can do better journalism day in and day out than most journalists can. They might be able to make hits now and then, but this is a fulltime job. It takes skills that take years to perfect.
But I also don't agree with the old media types who think that we are the only ones who can come to the table and play.
Bloggers fill an important niche, and as much as some people might not like it, they are truly part of the press. Protecting their free speech rights is, in the end, protecting ours.
May 16, 2007
Foothill Cities responds to Pomona
They also have a new site.
The man just can't help himself
May 15, 2007
A steep learning curve every day
The New York Times has an interesting reader question and answer segment with editors and reporters. The latest one is with Matthew Purdy, investigation editor: "The best reporters are humble enough to ask "dumb" questions (two or three times, if need be), smart enough to know what they don't know and brave enough to let go of their first impressions. You are right that there is a danger in getting part of a story and mistaking it for the whole story. The only way to guard against that is to report against the findings of your story, in other words to test your conclusions. The best reporters, when they are finished with an article, understand what people who disagree with their conclusions would say about the subject and make sure that it is reflected in the story."
- It's the hardest skills for reporters to learn, and some never do.
Reporters spend their lives on the learning curve. They frequently find themselves investigating a subject they know little about. If it involves complicated material — a public budget, a disease, uranium enrichment — it can be a harrowing experience trying to write a story for the next day's paper. Reporters working on an investigative or enterprise story usually have weeks or months to dig into a subject. That's not enough time to become an expert, but it should be enough time to produce a story that experts would respect. For the most part, there's nothing fancy in getting up to speed on a new subject or a new place. It's a lot of reading and interviewing. The best reporters are humble enough to ask "dumb" questions (two or three times, if need be), smart enough to know what they don't know and brave enough to let go of their first impressions. You are right that there is a danger in getting part of a story and mistaking it for the whole story. The only way to guard against that is to report against the findings of your story, in other words to test your conclusions. The best reporters, when they are finished with an article, understand what people who disagree with their conclusions would say about the subject and make sure that it is reflected in the story. Based on your reference to "ascertainment bias," I assume you are involved in the sciences. I think the reporting process, particularly on an investigative story, is somewhat like scientific inquiry. It begins with a hunch or a tip. Investigation allows you to develop a thesis. And then you have to test your thesis. But what do I know about the scientific process? I'm no expert.
May 14, 2007
Last Note on Pomona
I'm not a lawyer, but Glenn Reynolds, from Instapundit and Eugene Volokh are law professors. The point they make about the cease and desist letter sent to Foothill Cities is why did a city attorney get involved: "Even assuming Alvarez-Glasman has a legal leg to stand on here -- which is far from clear -- why is the City Attorney making legal threats on behalf of a private interest? Because the city has no interest in not being libeled, and the City Manager's interest is a personal one. Does the City Attorney routinely do personal legal work for city officials?"
May 12, 2007
Foothill Cities:the good and the bad
Foothill Cities is certainly getting a lot of attention lately, some of it unwanted of course. We have a short story on Pomona's slap at muzzling the anonymous bloggers, and Newsweek picks up the Pasadena (via India) Now story, which includes a quote from Foothill as well.
May 11, 2007
Foothill Cities gets cease and desist letter
Unbelievable. So the city of Pomona's response to big bad Foothill Cities talking about allegations concerning a public official is to send it a cease and desist letter. So now, instead of commentators on the web, the city of Pomona now has attention of the press. Excellent p.r.
UPDATE: LAObserved picked this up. And..uhm..used my comment.
May 10, 2007
Local coverage from afar
We always get complaints about our local coverage, sometimes deserved, sometimes unrealistic, but is this the answer?
UPDATE:
Foothill Cities picked up on the "new" way of local reporting, and LAObserved gives them a nod.
Reader question
Warren Fonteneau, a reader, has asked some interesting questions about editors:
"I believe in fairness to all the SGVT readers, we should know who you are.
As an example
1) Where did you grow up....in the San Gabriel Valley? Did you go to school here.
2) What organizations do you belong to ? If you belong to the National Rifle Ass. it might explain the tone of an editorial. Just as it would if you are a member of the ACLU...or PETA
3) Do you own a business in the Valley...if so ..in what city.
- These are mostly generic questions but I am sure you get my point. I do believe a little truth in where an editorial comes from or what it says may be better understood if the public knows the background of the editorial board members. It comes down to credibility."
-- These are all interesting questions, and throughout the day will try to answer them. But first, and foremost, I'm the city editor, which means I supervise straight news. Most times I don't even know what our editorial page has written until the following day, if ever. I don't get involved in editorials, endorsements or positions. l learned that lesson as a reporter, when I became outraged that we didn't support a local school board member who had taken heat for the principled stances he took. I strode (yes, I pompously did) into the editorial page editor's office, demanding to know why. He calmly looked at me and said read the editorial. "You report; we write the opinions." He was right, and I was wrong and had crossed the line. Usually, it's the publisher, op-ed editor and executive editor decide on the positions that the paper takes. I don't particularly like editorials or endorsements. I personally think they are overrated. But...I'm just the city editor.
May 4, 2007
Al Queda, drug lords and...us?
I imagine some people might agree with this.
Have you seen this man?
Gary Scott, our politics editor and longtime Pasadena Star News reporter, is moving on to Sacramento and the Daily Journal. As the picture shows, elected officials up there should be afraid..very afraid.
May 3, 2007
Who're you gonna call?
It's an old trick. When reporters are tough on local elected officials or public figures, the subject refuses to talk to the reporter. While there are exceptions, most times it's because they want coverage that bolsters their views not expose them. But the general rule is that they don't get to decide who they are going to talk to. Don't return phone calls to a reporter who is doing a responsible job reporting, and you're not going to get another story from another reporter.
Councilman Roger Hernandez should know this by now.
May 2, 2007
Elizabeth and Foothill Cities answers the Clinton question
Apparently, Hillary Clinton's mother attended Alhambra High School. I can't wait until she puts on a bulldog hat.