Recently I learned that there have been “many complaints” about the green news boxes of the Woodstock Advocate located on the Square in front of Read Between the Lynes Bookstore and in front of Angelo’s. These boxes have been used primarily for headlines, but soon there will be print versions of headlines placed in the boxes for readers to take.
Gee (sweat, sweat), there have been “many” complaints? I filed a Freedom-of-Information Act Request with the City, and today I went to City Hall to examine the City’s response. A member of the Historic Preservation Commission had told me there had been “many complaints”, and the City had confirmed that there had been “complaints.”
How many? Well, I found out. OK, care to guess? Twenty? How about fifteen? Ten? Try for five? OK, how about three? Two? Still here? Care to go for one?
The HPC member reportedly was told by one storeowner on the Square, whose name I found in the FOIA response, that she was upset by the chartreuse green, plastic, house-style news boxes. Where is my color chart? I’d better head on by Lloyd’s Paints for some swatches and check again on the color of my boxes.
So there was apparently one – only ONE – complaint, and it was not even in written form. So, does it count? Or was it just a comment or an aside? Frankly, my green news boxes seem in better taste than the ugly, metal, rectangular news box next to mine; you know, the one you put money in to get your daily paper out?
The HPC member threw in his 2¢ worth and claimed also to be concerned, so I guess that makes two complaints. Let’s see; 7,600 properties in Woodstock; one business owner complains; one Commission member agrees. 21,298 people don’t complain. Should I be worried?
The concern actually was back in November-December, 2006, when the boxes were not in use by their previous owner. It appeared to the storeowner and the HPC member that the boxes were abandoned, and they were correct about that. However, I purchased them in May and have put them back in limited use. It is my understanding that they are protected under the First Amendment, and their use will be increased.
What’s interesting is that, when I contacted the HPC about the satellite dish on Main Street that is visible from the sidewalk and street, I was informed to attend a Commission meeting to voice my concern. Just telling the Commission member wasn’t enough. Yet it was last fall, when the storeowner complained to him about the green news boxes.
Well, anyway, the City now knows who owns the boxes. Be sure to begin checking them soon for free (Hello? FREE) headlines and snippets from articles.
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10 comments:
The boxes were not abandoned by the previous owner: Their newsletters were stolen daily by the pro-D200-high-tax and city-stooge crowd and the boxes were therefore often empty.
Also, we think the boxes look just fine, so this positive comment should negate that store owner's comment. We see FREE SPEECH by a truly independent newsgatherer when we see the boxes, not plastic nor green. Keep up the great work.
Is it true that the owner of the Jail House bldg. is on the Hist. Pres. Comm.?? Have you seen the PARTICLE BOARD siding on the front northern corner. Very historic.....
I too have experienced theft from the news boxes of The Woodstock Advocate. Headline pages disappear regularly. And someone attempted to remove the sticker from the box in front of Angelo's. Anyone damaging or defacing these boxes should be reported to the Woodstock Police Department and to me for prosecution.
I heard it was someone from the Chamber of Commerce stealing your articles out of the ugly boxes. Better check into it.
OK, your boxes aren't Urban GQ. But, I'd suffer pink boxes just to have a choice between the sycophantic, kiss-up-to-Sager-Weber-D200-et.al. NWH and Woodstock Dependent.
Keep publishing!!
I also heard it was someone from the chamber (probably Quin)
The Chamber did place community directories in my news boxes. I removed them and delivered them to the Chamber, because I realized they cost money to print. The Chamber then asked permission to use the boxes, and I declined because of plans to place printed stories in the boxes as part of my circulation.
HPC????
Have you walked around the square lately? They are putting up these god aweful lights that blind many drivers and even bowing down to certain business owners to destroy the sidewalks so they can have outdoor seating for their now closed restaurants. And as far as the old jailhouse and court house go, just look atthe condition of it from the outside, it looks about ready to collapse. They had a fw windows replaced on Cass street, and they used red bricks instead of the brown the rest of the building is made of. Hint Hint, look at that roof!
I totally agree about the new lighting at intersections. By placing the pint-sized "street lights" at low levels, they DO blind drivers and may therefore endanger pedestrians. Did no one drive a car toward one of them at night to evaluate the hazard BEFORE the City bought them? Why didn't the City's architect foresee the problem and the danger? Thanks for pointing this out!
Maybe they should paint the dish atop the State Farm office putrescent green then it would be okay.
And add some twinkling lights? How about attending the Historic Preservation Committee meeting on Monday, October 1, 7:00PM, City Council chambers, and pitch them on the color for the sat dish atop the building on Main Street. I wonder whether the dish might belong to a tenant on the second floor. I didn't look closely, but I think the wiring just comes down to the second-floor windows.
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