Editor’s note: A draft of this column appeared inadvertently earlier this morning. It has been updated since.
By David Fortier
Come Sunday morning, the travelers will have returned to Australia. It was only a 35-hour ordeal beginning from Logan Airport in Boston early Friday morning and ending in Melbourne, Eastern Time around 4:44 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
“Finally home! Quick 35-hour journey complete!,” reads the text the family received upon arrival. One respondent asked the unspoken question: “Did the trip make you consider moving back?”
Not at all, came the reply: “Was pretty smooth. Just long!”
And that is the end of the holiday season here at the Fortier home–that except for the Christmas tree which comes down on the Feast of the Epiphany (really the official end).
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We have a new year upon us, and we are looking forward to making the most of it here at the Edition. We will be expanding our coverage of city government since we can afford to contract with freelancers. We will be introducing several over the next couple of weeks.
Coverage of city government is key because journalism is a check and balance, you might be familiar with the Fourth Estate. We all know about the three branches of our government–executive, legislative and judicial. They make up the federal government and, in one form or another, our state and local governments.
The Fourth Estate in a check outside of the formal boundaries of government. It is a reminder that democracy exists with an implicit agreement among those who have the reins of power and those who are affected by how that power is used. By this time in our human development, I am guessing people know a little about physics, specifically, that one who observes an event affects an event.
For our purposes here, and what might amount to an analogy, when no one observes what is happening in our offices of government the result is different from when someone (you and I, and journalists) is watching. The case for journalism–independent journalism–is as simple as that. We are all better when someone is taking account of what occurs.
That is one of the reason the Edition exists. Local journalism by local people is necessary for the simple reason that we need to look out for each other. Supporting our efforts is important to our collective agreement to look out for each other.
As a quick analogy, and since this is, mostly, football season, take the example of the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are the only publicly owned, non-profit professional sports team in the United States. Decisions about the team are decided by the shareholder-owners, many of whom are residents of the city. Decisions are not imposed as much as they must be reached with this structure in mind.
As a non-profit the Edition has for its mission taking into consideration our readers, from Bristol, and their interests. Over time the hope is that our readers will see this and take on the responsibility of shareholders–because really this enterprise will only succeed if the financial support is there.
And while some people might question whether a local newspaper makes any difference to the quality of life of its residents, just as some might question whether a football team adds to the quality of life of the residents of Green Bay, the answer becomes pretty obvious when accompanied by the results of research conducted over the past few decades. I will be sharing this information over the next weeks and possibly months.
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For reading this week, I have read through articles in the New York Times, the Atlantic, CT Mirror and the New York Review of Books and there is plenty to share among those publications but what sticks with are two short plays from a book that has been in the pile of books by my reading chair. They are J.M. Synge plays, “The Playboy of the Western World” and “Riders to the Sea.”
The last time I read these two was when I was in college. I am 66 years old, so you can figure out how many years ago that was. Synge wrote during the Irish Literary Revival, when writers in Ireland were concerned with the development of the Irish people and an Irish culture after having been under the rule of the British for so long.
I don’t know what Synge’s reputation is today, and I am not going to search to find an answer, but from reading these works, the time between now and then (when I was in college) appears to have closed. I was a bit overwhelmed with the heart and soul of the plays–and returned to memories of reading other works by Synge–his essays written on the Aran Islands–and how they exerted their magic. Reading can do that.
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For listening this week, I am going to recommend a recent episode of the Colin McEnroe Show on CT Public. The episode, “Our favorite jazz of 2024,” is one of those fun shows where people with some expertise share it with the rest of us–and lead us to some great music via smart and fun conversation. Click here.
Note: I don’t know how it is for you, but I am finding it terribly difficult to find music that I want to add to my own collection. I get it, things are different today. Streaming makes it so much easier to find this music–but who has the time? Any tips would be appreciated. Send them to dfortier@bristoledition.org.
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City meetings this week include the following:
On Monday, Jan. 6
- Police Memorial Committee, 5 p.m. City hall.
- Parking Authority, 6:30 p.m. Meeting Room 1-1, city hall.
- Library Board of Directors, 6:30 p.m. Meeting Room, Bristol Public Library, 5 High St.
- Conservation Commission/Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency, 6:30 p.m. Council chambers, city hall. Click here for virtual meeting.
On Tuesday, Jan. 7
- January Awards Meeting, 9 a.m. Police Dept. Conference Room, 131 North Main St.
- Ordinance Committee, 5 p.m. Meeting Room 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, city hall. Click here for virtual meeting.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m. Council chambers, city hall. Click here for virtual meeting.
On Wednesday, Jan. 8
- Code Enforcement Committee, 9 a.m. Council chambers, city hall.
- School Readiness Council, 12:15 p.m.
- Board of Ethics, 6 p.m. Meeting Room 1-2, city hall. Click here for virtual meeting.
- Arts & Culture Commission, 6:30 p.m. Meeting Room 1-3, city hall. Click here for virtual meeting.
- Persons with Disabilities Commission, 7 p.m. Meeting Rom 3-1, city hall. Click here for virtual meeting.
On Thursday, Jan. 9
- Bristol-Burlington Board of Health Meeting, 3 p.m. 240 Stafford Ave.
- Economic and Community Development, 5 p.m. Council chambers, city hall.
- Zoning Commission, 5 p.m. Virtual – Online via Zoom.
On Friday, Jan. 10
- No meetings posted.
TBE will do our best to update meeting times and locations, but it’s a good idea to check the agendas ahead of time for cancellations. Click here for specific meetings and times.
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Have some life experience in a particular business or field of study. You might be a journalist in the making. Contact editor@bristoledition.org.
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High hopes that the new year has begun well!
Before you go!
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