Down River

By John Lipez

Pay Attention:
No body asked but if given the opportunity to address the local high school graduating classes, the first two words would be “pay attention.”

You can be assured that graduating seniors from here, there and everywhere this week will be told to reach for the stars, follow your dreams, march ever forward, etc. etc.

All well and good, but here’s a better lead: Pay Attention! If you don’t pay attention as you enter adulthood in these challenging times, you’ll lose and the community will lose and democracy will lose. You have a responsibility, now more than ever, to look at more than your phone as you continue your citizenship journey.

There are ominous clouds on the national horizon, where there are those in the media doing their best to mix fact and fantasy (see the Dominion vs. Fox News defamation suit as Exhibit #1). So you need to pay some level of attention, not just on the local scene, but beyond the friendly confines of Clinton County. There are forces out there on all sides of the political spectrum who regularly attempt to distort reality to suit their views. You have to pay attention to diverse perspectives in the world of news/opinion so as you can differentiate fact from fiction.

Don’t take as fact stories floating through on social media from suspect sources; they’re out there and their goal is to create chaos in the societal marketplace and the last decade or so tells us they are achieving their goals.
It’s equally important to study up on current events close to home, what we like to call politics as the grassroots level. Clinton County’s May primary had an abysmal voter turnout, 32 percent or so. Too many people don’t value the vote; they don’t register, they don’t vote and yes, they don’t pay attention.

Down River, just prior to the May 16 primary, was privy to a couple social gatherings where the topic of local races came up and virtually no one had a clue as to the candidates, the offices for which they were running and how many were to be nominated. These were decent, solid local citizens but had little interest in who the voters would be nominating.

Are the schools still teaching Problems of Democracy? Are kids taking PD? Are they learning the basic tenants of how our democracy works?

Kids, Down River doesn’t ask for much. But as you walk across the stage and accept your diploma this week, take a vow to be curious and not stop learning. You and democracy will be the better for it.

Nothing but good luck and best wishes from Down River and everyone at The Record. And don’t forget: Pay Attention!

******
And These:
We missed this last week in our post-May 16 election stories, and correct us if we’re wrong, but the winner of the November run-off for Mill Hall area District Judge will be the first female ever to fill a DJ slot in Clinton County. That’s safe to say since the two qualifiers for November are former Lock Haven Police Chief Kristin Smith and Heidi Wright, a health care professional.

Clinton County has its first female commissioner in Angela Harding, its second female state representative in Stephanie Borowicz. Never a common pleas judge, never an elected female district attorney. But as of the first of the new year, a first district judge; another small step for equality…

And did you know that late Jim Brown, arguably the best NFL running back ever, once made a visit to Lock Haven. The Syracuse University/Cleveland Brown/movie star passed away last month after a long and occasionally checkered life.

His visit came circa 1960, not long after Lock Haven High School had opened its spiffy new gymnasium/cafeteria building on W. Main Street. Brown was the featured speaker at the Bobcats’ all-sports banquet, back in the era when legendary Lock Haven coach Don Malinak was getting his lengthy run of gridiron success underway.

Not much is remembered by Down River, other than he was an interested student spectator.