Dear Christy,
Thank you so much for the considered and comprehensive reply! I appreciate that you took the time—truly I am impressed. Most of all, I do understand and applaud the paper for wanting to feature local news, events and issues—it is coming into its own as an important response to the politics and other shenanigans that would otherwise go unreported. It is the only independent Village paper left standing and, as such, has a responsibility. In addition to covering local hot-button issues, The WestView News is serving the community well by reporting on food, film and other cultural highlights in our hood.
Selfishly speaking, I love equally the previous eclectic WestView News that had a touch of the old Village in it, when the likes of Robert Heide and others would reminisce. It reminded me of a vital era in our neighborhood’s history, during which The Village Voice was full of rambling commentators who wouldn’t be caught dead publishing in the New Yorker. In its own way, our paper has always been truly anti-establishment. I got to report on such vital topics as the anti-fracking movement and the protests to free Lynn Stewart. These were both important issues that were all but neglected by the New York Times. For the most part, my submissions have not been essays, but the reportage has frequently gone beyond the confines of the West Village.
The WestView News stood in opposition to special interests then, and I know we still do—but I believe the personal essays and other quirky articles that seemed to wander off the reservation frequently represented some of the best critical thinking around—as well as a colorful bouquet of West Village experience.
George is our main commentator, the paper’s official editorialist; however, I would like to suggest an Op Ed page that would make room for the likes of me—individuals who reflect the general slant of the paper but do not pretend to speak for it. OK, just a thought. In the meantime, I am working on materials that, once produced, will be used to introduce to doctors a new brand of drug for gout. That is my primary occupation right now! When I come up for air, I will sleuth around and maybe hit on something newsworthy.
Congratulations on the great job you’re doing.
Best,
Janet
Dear Janet,
Thank you for such kind words. We couldn’t print this paper without all our talented and dedicated contributors. We appreciate the time and energy you all put into writing, researching, interviewing, reporting, and the myriad other tasks required to produce quality content.
Space constraints have forced us to make some difficult decisions in the past few months because we often don’t have room for all the great articles we receive. We’re always interested in hearing feedback about what you’d like to see in the paper, so keep it coming!
We can’t thank you enough,
Christy Ross, Associate Editor
