- *Audiophiliac "The Other Steve Guttenberg"
- *Involuntary Slacker
- *LostRemote
- *Media Nation - Dan Kennedy
- *Universalhub
“Dear Mayor Clancy,
You’re doing it wrong….”
When I first moved here, I learned about the sign ordinance. Every sign downtown must be in gold letters on a black background. It looks great on the Lynn Museum and a few other businesses, but once every place goes gold and black downtown will look like a suburban strip mall. I say that because suburban strip malls are the only groups of stores I know of that have identically-styled signs. Hip and vibrant downtowns are supposed to have funky signs, colorful signs, nostalgic signs and signs that actual artists were involved in the making of. One only needs to look to Jamaica Plain, parts of Cambridge, Somerville, or other neighborhoods that have come back from a slump. Heck, even Beverley has cooler signs.
Then I learned that “Chip” would like to roll back the hours of alcohol-serving establishments. http://cityoflynn.upsidemedia.com/?p=5
I probably said enough in my previous post about this, so there’s the link. This is the Item article on the decision: http://itemlive.com/articles/2007/12/20/news/news01.txt
I do believe that Mayor Clancy wants downtown to revive. I can not understand how he thinks those two steps will help in any way. I wonder what the rest of his plan is and I fear it.
I’m not claiming to be an expert, but I know what I’ve seen.
I have seen urban downtowns and neighborhoods come back that people thought never would come back. I saw it happen in neighborhoods of NYC, Hoboken, Jersey City, parts of Providence, and the decade I spent living in Jamaica Plain. They have all revived mainly because young people wanted to hang out there. It started mostly with artists, arts venues, unique but affordable cafes and restaurants, and of course, some sort of nightlife. Next, trendy shops with quirky wares started to open and it was no longer just “kids” hanging out, but whole families strolling, window shopping and buying ice cream. Then, a combination of recent college graduates and empty-nesters started to move in and it got a little lame (and expensive) for the hipsters, who moved on to the next new thing. (The Williamsburg section of Brooklyn is a great example.) I’d rather not get to the lame stage, but we’re not even hip yet.
Who wants to open up a record store? I need a local spot to shop for vinyl. REAL records! Oh, and a used book store would also be nice. But, it won’t be me. I will open no such place until I know the leadership in Lynn is open to the idea of downtown reaching its full potential. I do not believe they have that vision. Besides, nobody is going to tell me what colors to use in my sign. Nobody.
Some samples with a link to a slideshow. High-bandwidth connection recommended.
http://upsidemedia.smugmug.com/photos/sspopup.mg?AlbumID=3994790
and a street…
http://itemlive.com/articles/2007/12/13/news/news09.txt
[This post is not intended as a scolding for LynnCam.]
I have worked in public access since 1998. One of my responsibilities, as required by a cable franchise agreement with the town, is to broadcast meetings. If the venue should change or circumstances do not allow a live broadcast, the meetings are taped and replayed at a later date. Some of the live meetings and hearings are also taped and re-broadcast for those who missed it the first time. This is how it’s done in most municipalities, from the smallest towns to the biggest cities.
Not all of them have air conditioning, either. I am finding it very difficult to accept that temperature swings inside the City Council chambers are a primary reason for not offering this service. A single camera, mics, mixer, cables and a device called a “modulator” connected by coax cable to a “drop” in the wall are all that’s needed. That equipment can be carried in and out by one person, if necessary. I know. I’ve done it.
When a city or town negotiates with a cable provider they need to ask for a “drop” for each location they wish to broadcast live. If they don’t request it, they won’t receive it. If the current franchise agreement calls for a live drop in city hall, then the cable company is responsible for sending a crew out to either revive or install it. If it doesn’t call for a live drop, then Lynn’s Cable Committee (or whatever they call their version of it) was clearly incompetent during the last round of negotiations. I know of instances where new drops have been installed in between license renewals, even. As the recent article in the Item states, the cost is not a burden on the taxpayer. It can, however, be a “burden” to the cable subscriber who pays a percentage on their bill towards supporting Public Access. The ability to watch public meetings at home is well worth it, in my opinion. I also believe that it is one of the primary functions of a public access operation.
I do not understand why, in the interim, the meetings were not tape delayed. Even a citizen could have gone in with a consumer-level camcorder and submitted the tapes for re-broadcast. They are public meetings. It is not illegal to record them.
I’m glad to hear that LynnCam is cooperating with the city to get this done, as I also understand the challenge of finding people willing to operate the equipment to cover the meetings, even if they are offered pay. It’s a great step forward, many years late.
It’s not the first time. It’s been several times (I lose count of things easily) since I moved in that what comes out
of my faucets is other than clear. Then, I think about the businesses here that serve beverages and cook food with that fine golden-brown water. Only the best!
That’s Friday.
I’m excited when any store store comes to downtown. The same goes for this one.
I’m really hoping they do something different than the other convenience stores and
small groceries here.
We have far too many places that keep dusty and faded boxes of crap on the shelves,
and perishables beyond their expiration dates.
I would have thought the market too saturated to support another.
Good luck to them! I live upstairs, so I’m sure I’ll be going there.
Bent.
