Last night the City Councilmembers elected John Gates as the Mayor Pro-Tem. Tonight, he was put to the test. With Tom Norton, the newly elected mayor, absent from the Nov. 17 City Council meeting, Gates took charge as the leader of the group. Gates was not the only new face on the panel. Two other Councilmembers made their debut at the meeting. Donna Sapienza and Sandi Elder began their service as Councilmembers tonight after being elected on Nov. 3.
The meeting was short and to the point; a breaking-in if you will for the new Council before the longer meetings begin. Gates kept the meeting flowing, and by my standards, did an excellent job. He gets an A in my book.
Although Gates did a good job tonight, this will not be his normal post. After a close race, Norton edged out former Councilmember Ed Phillipsen for the mayoral seat. Last night, at a special Nov. 16 meeting, Norton was sworn in at Council Chambers. Ed Clark, the previous mayor, passed the gavel to Norton and wished him the best of luck. Clark said that change is good, and added that he will still be around looking to help in any way he can. Norton thanked Clark for his service to the city of Greeley and then took his seat behind the desk. Look for Norton to make his first regular session appearance at the next City Council meeting. To learn more about the newly elected mayor, visit his Facebook page.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Politics and pizza
Spending hours in a newsroom is something I think I could get used to. Especially if pizza is served.
On election night, I spent a few hours in The Greeley Tribune’s newsroom, my first experience in a professional newsroom. When I arrived, the setting was just as I anticipated. The room is full of desks, each with a computer or two, some reference books and copies of The Tribune. The desks are clustered according to sections of the paper, and people are scattered about the different groups.
Shortly after arriving, the staff held a brief meeting to cover the assignments for the evening. Being election night, things were going to be busy. Pizza was delivered for all those involved as a little something extra for the long night ahead. During this meeting, I was reminded of the true purpose of a newspaper-- provide the information the readers need in the most effective way possible. We are no longer in the days of waiting until the morning paper is delivered to read the news. Now, with the Internet, breaking news is just a click away.
During the meeting, each staff member was delegated an online responsibility as well as a print one. Everyone was to monitor the election results, and update online stories accordingly. Additionally, stories had to be written for the paper going out tomorrow morning. This seemed a little stressful for me, but I think I would like it.
I am just amazed that despite the potential for chaos during such a busy night, stories are written, edited, placed into a layout and paired with graphics and photos all before the paper hits my driveway at the crack of dawn. Although the process seemed demanding at times, I think I would enjoy the atmosphere of a bustling newsroom on election night; it would be rewarding to know that I helped get the news out to readers both online and in print. Plus, there is pizza.
On election night, I spent a few hours in The Greeley Tribune’s newsroom, my first experience in a professional newsroom. When I arrived, the setting was just as I anticipated. The room is full of desks, each with a computer or two, some reference books and copies of The Tribune. The desks are clustered according to sections of the paper, and people are scattered about the different groups.
Shortly after arriving, the staff held a brief meeting to cover the assignments for the evening. Being election night, things were going to be busy. Pizza was delivered for all those involved as a little something extra for the long night ahead. During this meeting, I was reminded of the true purpose of a newspaper-- provide the information the readers need in the most effective way possible. We are no longer in the days of waiting until the morning paper is delivered to read the news. Now, with the Internet, breaking news is just a click away.
During the meeting, each staff member was delegated an online responsibility as well as a print one. Everyone was to monitor the election results, and update online stories accordingly. Additionally, stories had to be written for the paper going out tomorrow morning. This seemed a little stressful for me, but I think I would like it.
I am just amazed that despite the potential for chaos during such a busy night, stories are written, edited, placed into a layout and paired with graphics and photos all before the paper hits my driveway at the crack of dawn. Although the process seemed demanding at times, I think I would enjoy the atmosphere of a bustling newsroom on election night; it would be rewarding to know that I helped get the news out to readers both online and in print. Plus, there is pizza.
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