Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday 3/ 29
I just wanted to point out that the NY times does a consistent job of providing a public forum for people, whether they are editorials, letters to the editor, or an entire opinion section on the newspaper's website. It is obvious that the paper is not only open to public forum but it encourages it. A paper could have a place where people can state their opinions on certain matters, but not really encourage people to do so, but the NY times shows that it wants people to share their opinions and they want to use outside sources that may have a better knowledge about a certain subject than what they can find out. Such forums are very helpful for a newspaper, and while one would attempt to stem that in order to prevent news that they do not want to publish, it is clear that the Times embraces this element.
Thursday 3/25
I focused my attention today on the article about the recent arrests of Al-Quaeda members and how the Taliban have promoted a fighter to fill the spot of one of the arrested. I noticed that the journalists did not sugarcoat this story and make it sound like this fighter is any less qualified than his predecessor. The journalists are not influenced by the government who might be trying to make it sound like there is indeed progress. The progress is obviously stunted by the fact that the person we arrested was so easily replaceable. The journalist reports the news, and doesn't try to fake how well the war is going, but instead presents the citizen with truths about how although we have made great strides, they may not be good enough, since the Taliban is able to recover from our blows. This shows that the press is independent of governmental influence and that they are directing the citizens towards truth, no matter how hard it may be.
Wednesday 3/24
Even before I knew that I would have to apply the Elements of Journalism to this week’s entries, I was prepared to write about the page that informed readers of how the new health care will affect different kinds of people. Now that I am tying it in with the Elements of Journalism, this is a wonderful example of a lack of bias in the news and a journalist’s loyalty to the citizens. Instead of some sort of commentary of why or why not the new policy on healthcare is going to either save our country or absolutely destroy it, the journalists are offering straight truths about how this will affect its citizens. This shows a lack of bias in the journalist, since they can’t exactly just insert their opinions on what they think will happen, and similarly, the article is not slanted towards one side.
Tuesday 3/23 NY times
I thought that the Arizona story was a great local story that could zoom out and be a part of a larger picture. The problems that many people are facing because of the prices of housing is a country-wide problem and I think a lot of people should take the problems of each family to heart. Also, there was a very interesting article on a Ukraine priest who thought that having a family made him better suited for his job and helped him relate better to other people. Now since the whole scandal with the priest and the deaf boys is going on, it really brings to light the question of if celibacy is not the best way for priests to live their life and if we need to move forward religiously in order to avoid scandals in the Church.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Monday 3/22
Back from break and already I feel a little out of touch with the news, not exactly keeping up with anything other than healthcare over break. Congratulations to President Obama for passing his healthcare bill. I like Obama’s defense of his bill in the quote “This isn’t radical reform, but it is major reform.” I have a feeling that now that the bill has been passed, it is only going to be in the news more. I also found the article about what cost the healthcare will bring to Obama and his party, and whether it will be positive or negative. We cannot tell right now, but it is certain that this subject is going to be newsworthy for a very long time.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
City Debates Closing of Local Airport
In light of the struggling economy, the Biddeford community is faced with a controversial decision of whether the Biddeford City Airport should remain open, or close down due to financial reasons.
The Biddeford City Airport, open since 1951, is seen by many to be a financial burden for the town, costing between $47,000 and $72,000 in the past three years to run, according to records in the city manager’s office. Compared to the annual $56,000 the airport takes in, the profit is not enough.
“Money is the biggest thing,” said Roland Pelletier, who has lived next to the airport for 25 years. “If it was self-supporting, fine. Let it go on.” Roland continued to express his hope that the referendum will educate people. “We can’t afford to support operations that don’t support themselves.”
According to Tom Bryand, the airport manager, there are 47 planes based at the airport, about half owned by corporations. The airport makes its money from mostly sales of gas, property taxes, and land leases.
In the recent years, the airport has become some form of a playground, with pedestrians, motorcycles, four-wheelers and ATV’s all using it as a recreational area.
“They just use it as a backyard, and that’s against regulations,” said Bryand.
Bryand is not the only one who has been affected by people who do not see the airport as what it is. Phillis Landry, a private pilot, had to abort a takeoff five years ago because of neighborhood kids running out in front of his plane.
Biddeford City Airport has attempted to combat these violations by enforcing no-trespassing rules. This, and the issue of safety have been controversial issues with the town for years now. When the airport began enforcing federal safety regulations in fear of losing Federal Aviation Administration funding, the airport began cutting down trees for safety reasons.
“Sure this started out as a fight about trees and public access,” said Paul Archambault, the chairman of Shut Our Little Airport (SOLA) . “But it’s not just about that anymore. Now it’s about money too.”
The property, which is worth $1.6 million, according to the City Assessor’s office, has the potential to provide other important services to the town.
“What would we really like to do?” said Archambault. “We’d like to see it shut down for good. Maybe put an industrial park in there.” Archambault also thought that the property would do well as a wind farm. “That’s the kind of progress we’d like to see.”
However, according to Landry, the Biddeford airport is still a great resource for pilots like himself and business people who fly into the airport.
“I’ve been flying out of this airport for 25 years” said Landry, whose plane, the Cessna Sky Pilot 180, is kept at the Biddeford Airport. “If I couldn’t fly out of here, I’d have to go to Sanford or Portland.”
Critics of the closing also argue that the airport has historical significance as well. Charles Lindbergh is rumored to have once stopped there looking for directions to Old Orchard Beach.
When asked to comment, John Bubier, the Biddeford City Manger said, “The City Council really hasn’t come down on one side of the issue or the other. I think they’d prefer to have the voters settle this one.”
This decision is to be put to a vote on June 4.
The Biddeford City Airport, open since 1951, is seen by many to be a financial burden for the town, costing between $47,000 and $72,000 in the past three years to run, according to records in the city manager’s office. Compared to the annual $56,000 the airport takes in, the profit is not enough.
“Money is the biggest thing,” said Roland Pelletier, who has lived next to the airport for 25 years. “If it was self-supporting, fine. Let it go on.” Roland continued to express his hope that the referendum will educate people. “We can’t afford to support operations that don’t support themselves.”
According to Tom Bryand, the airport manager, there are 47 planes based at the airport, about half owned by corporations. The airport makes its money from mostly sales of gas, property taxes, and land leases.
In the recent years, the airport has become some form of a playground, with pedestrians, motorcycles, four-wheelers and ATV’s all using it as a recreational area.
“They just use it as a backyard, and that’s against regulations,” said Bryand.
Bryand is not the only one who has been affected by people who do not see the airport as what it is. Phillis Landry, a private pilot, had to abort a takeoff five years ago because of neighborhood kids running out in front of his plane.
Biddeford City Airport has attempted to combat these violations by enforcing no-trespassing rules. This, and the issue of safety have been controversial issues with the town for years now. When the airport began enforcing federal safety regulations in fear of losing Federal Aviation Administration funding, the airport began cutting down trees for safety reasons.
“Sure this started out as a fight about trees and public access,” said Paul Archambault, the chairman of Shut Our Little Airport (SOLA) . “But it’s not just about that anymore. Now it’s about money too.”
The property, which is worth $1.6 million, according to the City Assessor’s office, has the potential to provide other important services to the town.
“What would we really like to do?” said Archambault. “We’d like to see it shut down for good. Maybe put an industrial park in there.” Archambault also thought that the property would do well as a wind farm. “That’s the kind of progress we’d like to see.”
However, according to Landry, the Biddeford airport is still a great resource for pilots like himself and business people who fly into the airport.
“I’ve been flying out of this airport for 25 years” said Landry, whose plane, the Cessna Sky Pilot 180, is kept at the Biddeford Airport. “If I couldn’t fly out of here, I’d have to go to Sanford or Portland.”
Critics of the closing also argue that the airport has historical significance as well. Charles Lindbergh is rumored to have once stopped there looking for directions to Old Orchard Beach.
When asked to comment, John Bubier, the Biddeford City Manger said, “The City Council really hasn’t come down on one side of the issue or the other. I think they’d prefer to have the voters settle this one.”
This decision is to be put to a vote on June 4.
Monday, March 22, 2010
March 10 Times
I was worried going through this paper that I was going to find nothing that I found interesting enough to write about. All the headlines seemed boring, and like I had heard them all before, and none of them caught my eye. Then, came page A22, and my luck turned right around. I read the article about the man who slipped past an airport security checkpoint in order to kiss his girlfriend goodbye before she got off her plane, causing the airport to be evacuated on its busiest day. Though I understand the need for this kind of security and how there can't be any exceptions, the whole thing just seems very odd to me. Of course it was wrong for him to pass by security to kiss his girlfriend, but the frenzy that this story has created has been absolutely insane. It's just a normal guy who happened to make a mistake and now he is paying for it, both in punishment and unrelenting media attention. I also was drawn to the article about the extortion plot against David Letterman for his affair with Stephanie Birkitt, and how the man has now received a jail sentence for his actions. This one only struck me because Stephanie Birkitt is from my hometown, and I have been following the story for months now.
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