The following is intended as a reply to two comments posted under the “Bayville Park Busing” and “Bayville Park Busing Resolved?” by Curious.  I have decided to post it here on the main page because it brings up some important points regarding the intent and purpose of the Bayville Blog and encompasses other previous entries. I will let you go to the respective entries to read the comments in their original thread rather that re-posting them here out of context.

Curious,

This site has never refused to state who was behind it and has always advocated posters taking responsibility for their own posts – not to do so, in my opinion, is an act of cowardice.  I have signed every entry and comment with my full name and am solely responsible for their content.   I was asked who administrates the site and did not think it was my place to answer.  He has since indicated that he has no problem with being identified. In fact, if you go to the “Blog Rules” link, he has already done so himself, quite a while ago.  We are the only two people involved with creating the site and have no hidden affiliations or agendas.  If anyone has any questions regarding this, I would be more than happy to answer them.

Jeff’s (yes, the administrator) comment stems from the fact that I chose to put a link to Lisa M’s article in my post.  I did this rather than post the information on my own; because I felt it was a good practice to allow her the credit for her work (and admittedly because it was easier).  With this blog being so new, it would have been great publicity for us if she had chosen to do the same.  Unfortunately, I think that the people involved with print newspapers feel a little threatened by this new medium as competition.  Please make no mistake; this blog is not a newspaper and the last thing that we want is to have strained relations with the local papers.  In fact it is my hope that this blog could work with the local papers in a constructive way to address the issues that face this community and that it becomes a place where the papers look for ideas for stories about the issues that are on people’s minds. 

For instance, at this point I am relatively sure that St. Gertrude’s is selling land but until a primary source is found, it is still a rumor.  A reporter with a local paper should have the resources to find out if it is fact and at what stage in the process it is.  If it is still “pending” then maybe there is a chance that it can be preserved as open space.  If that were the case, then this blog would become the staging area for a campaign to get that accomplished.  If the sale has taken place, then the focus should be to assure that our zoning code is amended in time to prevent overbuilding of the parcel.

A similar situation exists with the Shore Rd. reconstruction project.  A little publicity from a local paper could go a long way towards ensuring that the proposed project is presented to the community for feedback.  The possibilities are endless.

Since starting this blog we have received quite a bit of feedback.  The vast majority of it has been good but several people have criticized us.  One person even called it a rumor mill and accused me of being disgruntled and ill informed.  I believe that I have done a good job of ensuring that everything I post is factual or clearly identified as a rumor and am anything but disgruntled.  I love living where I do and simply believe that preserving this area is everyone’s responsibility.  Many people do not feel comfortable submitting a letter to the editor of a local paper but are perfectly at home in a less formal environment.  This blog simply gives people the opportunity to voice their uncensored concerns and opinions.

Barry E. Lamb

Bayville

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