Down River – Nov. 27, 2013
By John Lipez
Game On:
You know that excitement we wrote about last week relative to our new online edition of The Record?
A week later and we remain pretty darn excited about what we’ve created and how you have responded to therecord-online.
If the 1,600 or so “hits” the online Record got in the first 18 hours after its launch is any indication, the word is out there that Clinton County has its first county-oriented news and service online operation.
While our operation is in its fledgling stage and will be fine-tuned with further audio/video technological improvements in the coming months, it clearly has raised the bar about what an online news presence can be for and about the people of Clinton County.
In less than a week online our new offering “broke” stories on topics ranging from the resignation of Central Mountain football coach Vinnie Kishbaugh to first word on a likely no-tax increase budget for Clinton County to a first stage drought warning in the Lock Haven area.
It is exciting to embrace the online possibilities that technology offers today for the social network-savvy consumer.
As we like to say, The Record started about 141 years ago and the print edition was well and good (and will continue to be well and good into the future) for the 19th century and the 20th century. And while we skipped the 20th century relative to technological upgrades, we think the end of the year 2013 is a mighty fine time to embrace what’s out there in the 21st century.
To paraphrase what Mayor Vilello says, “We’re excited.”
And a Bookkeeping Note:
If you were not aware, therecord-online is currently made available free of charge (we want you to see the evolving product and offer suggestions for improvement – send them to “admin@the record-online.com”). But the freebie status will be changing shortly.
A subscription form is available online now and the cost is $26 a year, in-county or out-of-county, cheaper than the print subscription (discounts are available for joint print-online subscription purchases for hardcore Record readers).
If what I learned in ninth grade math from Miss Zindel is correct, the annual online fee works out to 50 cents a week; at that price you’ll probably want to buy a couple subscriptions.
Anyway, check us out, tell us what you think.
We’re here for you. We’re local people, we produce a local paper with local news, print and online; the dollars we (hope to) generate stay right here in Clinton County. We’re proud of what we are producing and want you to share that pride.
Post-Election Stuff:
You may or may not have noticed that Beech Creek Township supervisor Colby Bechdel was flummoxed earlier this month by a write-in candidate, Keith Bittner.
The final tally saw Bittner, who was not on the ballot, with 123 votes and Bechdel, who was on the ballot, with 37 votes.
We asked a township mole how this almost unheard of occurrence could be. He surmised it was a township voter backlash over the township response to the heavy storm damage the township sustained in late June.
He told Down River many voters were upset because they believed it took too long to repair storm-damaged infrastructure in the rural municipality; the only way they could show their disdain was at the ballot box.
And an era will end at the end of next month when longtime Allison Township supervisor Jim Russo will attend his last meeting.
Russo did not seek re-election this year and will be replaced by former township supervisor Fran Johnson who coincidentally will lose his job as a county jury commissioner, that position phased out by the county commissioners.
Russo will be giving up the $50 in monthly pay Allison Township pays its supervisors.
Good News for Lead-Feet:
Did you catch that item on page 89 of Pennsylvania’s mammoth new transportation funding plan?
Yepper, somewhere in the middle of the 127 page measure is your okay to legally go 70 miles an hour on specified state roadways.
A PennDOT spokesman said first the state must determine which roads will qualify for 70 miles an hour (personal favorite: the section of Route 64 from the Lamar Exit of Interstate 80 to the church that sits on the right-hand side for motorists heading towards Mill Hall; just kidding, officer).
And who was the leading advocate for ramping up the new speed limit? Our very own soon-to-be next state senator, Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson County).
Scarnati memo-ed fellow legislators in October that Pennsylvania should join 34 others that currently allow for speeds 70 miles an hour or greater.
He offered this rationale in conjunction with all the new state money for transportation: “Our bridges and roads are going to be far more structurally sound and capable of allowing vehicles to travel safely at a slightly higher speed.”
Sounds good to me. Now if they just outlaw drivers with handheld phones.
