Danby government establishes newsletter

The town of Danby, an area that receives relatively little coverage from local news outlets due to its rural setting, now receives much of its news from the Danby Town News, a newsletter published by the Danby Town Board, in addition to the existing Danby News.

For many years, the town of Danby received much of its news from the Danby News, a newsletter produced by the Danby Community Council and edited by Ted Crane. However, in March, the Danby Town Board voted to cut the funds for the Danby News, dissatisfied with how the Danby Community Council was using the money. Joel Gagnon, supervisor of the town of Danby, said this change happened because two newly elected members of the five-person board felt more strongly about the issue than their predecessors did.

“They resented paying for something that was being used against them,” Gagnon said.

The Danby Town News has been published monthly, with its first e-issue coming out in February and its first print issue in March. Most issues are about 10 pages long. Pat Woodworth, a member of the Danby Town Board since January, is responsible for putting content into the Danby Town News.

The Danby Town News includes announcements from town officials such as the town supervisor, the highway superintendent and others. It also features local event listings. According to Woodworth, who is responsible for pasting content into the Danby Town News, about 10 people write for the newsletter.

“Being on the Town Board, a new member of the Town Board, I realized how important it is to have solid communication between the Town Board and the residents, direct communication,” Woodworth said. “That’s one of the most important things we can do.”

Leslie Connors, a member of the Danby Town Board, wrote in an email that the board wanted a newsletter that was more informative, had more people involved in its direction and content and provided news on topics residents wanted to hear about.

The Danby Town News has a circulation of about 1,500; only 19 people have chosen to get the Danby Town News exclusively online. Woodworth attributed this to the lack of reliable internet coverage in Danby and said that mailing information directly to residents is the only way to ensure as many residents as possible are informed about current events.

“Quite honestly, there’s a lot of people who would prefer to get something and read it than look online,” Woodworth said.

The Danby Town News costs the town $1,200 per issue, which Woodworth said is a good price for the number of people it serves. Previously, the town had budgeted $15,000 per year for the Danby News.

Crane said the Danby News had always come in under budget, and only in rare cases did it spend all of the $15,000 that had been budgeted for it each year. He criticized the Danby Town Board for using tax dollars to fund its own publication.

“This is a wonderful case of the government can do what it wants with involuntary taxpayer dollars,” Crane said. “They can do what they want and waste the money and they can basically try to push aside a project or a program that is being done more efficiently, maybe better, I don’t know, for less money by a volunteer organization.”

The Danby Community Council continues to produce the Danby News and raises funds to support the production of its newsletter. Crane said the Danby News is meant to help keep the community informed and support the Danby Community Council’s mission of building the community, unlike the Danby Town News.

“The Danby News is a forum, and it has created a community,” Crane said, quoting a comment he received from a member of the community. “The board wants a public address system.”

Gagnon conceded that the town could not be fully objective when reporting on its own activities but said that it was still important to get the word out to residents. He said he tried to report on the board’s actions in a way that was unbiased and would not cause controversy.

“People do realize that you’re not an unbiased source when you’re reporting your own activities,” Gagnon said. “But it’s better than nothing. There’s nobody else doing it. It’s important to know what’s going on,”

According to Connors, the Danby Town Board wanted news coverage without an opinionated slant that some members felt the Danby News had in its coverage.

“Should the town (residents!) fund an endeavor that is at times hostile towards the town officials approving the funding?” Connors wrote in her email.

Gagnon stressed the importance of informing residents about issues in the community, especially since Danby’s issues are not often covered in the local news media.

“In a democracy, the electorate being informed about what the government is doing is important,” Gagnon said. “And we all feel that it’s important that people know what’s going on. That’s been a commitment for a long time, particularly in the absence of any real coverage by the news media.”

Danby’s situation is not unique. According to Connors, the town of Caroline also has two newsletters. Likewise, Woodworth said she knows of other towns in New York that are similar to Danby in that they communicate directly with their residents, and she believes doing so is necessary to ensure that residents remain informed about decisions that will affect them.

“The Town Board impacts their lives in many ways,” Woodworth said. “They need to be aware. That’s our responsibility.”

Send questions, comments and story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com.

In brief:

Danby noise ordinance meeting rescheduled

The Danby Town Board’s special meeting to discuss public comment on the proposed draft noise law, which was originally scheduled for May 31, was canceled. The meeting will be rescheduled, and the board will determine a new date at its regular board meeting June 7.

For more information, including the updated meeting date, please visit the town website at danby.ny.gov.

Enfield holds rabies clinic

A rabies clinic will be held at the Enfield Highway Garage at 475 Enfield Main Rd. in Enfield from 7 to 9 p.m. June 9. Dogs must be leashed or in carriers, and cats and ferrets must be in carriers. Proof of vaccination is required for three-year certificates, and only one-year certificates are available for ferrets. Donations are accepted.

Go to tompkinscountyny.gov/health/eh/rabies to preregister, or call (607) 274-6688 for assistance.