Today was the day I met with the owner of the Cheshire Herald. I did not know what to expect when I walked in, but in all honesty, I expected to see the Cheshire Police Department there!!

Both the owner, Maureen Jakubisyn and I got off to a hot start last week as you all know. If you are new to the website, click on my post “Confrontation at the OK Cheshire Herald Corral” to find out how this all got started.

To summarize, when I went to place a classified ad last week, Ms. Maureen the owner, came bolting out of the starting gate wanting to know why I would even think about placing an ad in the paper I call “The Soviet News Agency Tass.” We gave each other a few stares and said a few words, but the bottom line was that I told Ms. Maureen that I was willing to meet with her and “discuss” this issue, to which she agreed.

When I arrived shortly before 10 a.m. on Tuesday, I only waited a few minutes for Maureen. We went into the conference room along with the ad representative. Maureen was very upbeat.

I asked Maureen if she knew why I would from time to time, call the Cheshire Herald the Soviet News Agency Tass. She said she had no idea. I asked her to really think about it. Off the bat, I explained to her that 90 percent of it was dry humor. But there was in my mind some truth to the label. I explained that I believed the Herald was not covering all of the news in town to the fullest extent that it could be covered.

I cited the most recent Planning and Zoning meeting regarding the proposed Lifestyle Center as an example. I told Maureen that there was plenty of quotes from Westfield and Milone and MacBroom, but little or no quotes from the members of the public, albeit, there were only a few. I explained the reason I believed there was low attendance at this meeting and many others, is that the Town Government and the Herald, (phew, I have to get used to calling the paper just the Herald)!! does not post the meeting schedules ahead of time so people can attend.

Maureen explained that her paper does cover the meetings and does do stories about the Police Department, which of course was another area of discussion. I asked her if 10 or even 15 years ago, did she honestly believe the Herald would have put the latest story on the Officer being arrested on the front page? I told her it probably would have been buried on Page 20. She asked me if I did not think people would read page 20. But I explained to her that because of my efforts, the Herald is starting to wake up and bring people in Cheshire all the news, not some of it, all of it. The officer story belonged on page one, as did the Lifestyle Center meetings. On that, they did a great job with the placement and I am happy about it.

When I was a newspaper reporter years ago, I took my work seriously. I take all work seriously. Freedom of the press is a sacred right bestowed upon us by our founding fathers. The First Amendment to the Constitution sends shivers up and down my spine. It is SACRED. It is up to the Cheshire Herald and all newspapers and media to take the lead.

This is our check and balance that keeps the government in place. The Herald, like all other media, is on the frontline in this battle. It is a very important responsibility.

I told Maureen I liked the way the Herald looks now. It is bold and bright and they have some good writers. I told her I would like to see more coverage of other town meetings, and subcommittee meetings, because to me, that is the meat of all decision makings. The meetings in the back rooms that the public doesn’t usually go to-is where the cornerstones of all government decision making is usually made.

I mentioned the possibility of covering the Public Safety Commission for that matter. I don’t believe they receive too many members of the public at their meetings so that would be a start. I asked Maureen to consider running a list of all upcoming meetings on the lower right hand side of the front page each week, because for some reason, the Town Government which has at its disposal, Channel 14, cannot seem to get it together and put it together.

As I have said in earlier posts, I can tell you when Vinny Carr’s Dance Party will take place, but I have no idea when the next Inland Wetland meeting is (oh I found out by contacting Planning and Zoning, that it is Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers). It is too confusing to list meetings taking place the second or third Tuesday of the month or whatever. Put the ACTUAL date, time and place of the meeting for all to see. Is the Town Government afraid people will actually SHOW UP!! and interfere with their plans???

Maureen agreed to discuss this option with Shannon Becker the editor. So we made progress on that issue.

Another hot topic with me is (of course you guessed) the police department. I asked her to have a reporter go down to the Police Department and ask for a printout of the calls–sans the medical calls which are private. I inquired about this years ago and got a BAD reception to say the least. When I covered the Orange Police Department years ago, I would go down to the station, the secretary would print out a list of all the calls and times dispatched. I would pick out what interested me and then I would sit down with a high ranking officer and he/she would give me the information for the police log.

In fact, Orange was so good about this matter, that if I did not show up on Tuesday, which was the day I usually would go to the station, they would CALL me and read me the information over the phone. That is what I would like to see happen in Cheshire.

I know in the news business, no one is ever happy. But Cheshire and the Herald have got to get used to reporting and releasing all the news good or bad and all sides, good or bad.

I think we both had a good discussion, but I asked Maureen to keep vigiliant and keep on the issues. Question the town government, do some research and investigative reporting. If it is controversial, so be it. I thank the Herald for taking time out to have this discussion.

Remember:

We do not live in that town in the Walgreen’s commercial, Pleasantville or Perfectville, I can’t remember.

It is the job of the press to keep the governments feet to the flame. I hope the Herald will start by gathering the wood and stoking the fire.