[MassHistPres] Influencing Town Politics

Fri Mar 28 11:52:25 EDT 2008

Funny you should ask, the Harvard Post just invited me to blog on their
site. I¹m not sure if I¹ll do it, as I prefer free, unmoderated rein to
write whatever I want, but it could be more traffic. And they say that as
long as I don¹t attack anyone personally, I can do as I please.

Otherwise, I¹m a periodic contributor to various newspapers, and have found
that they are very receptive towards printing anything I come up with, from
limericks to recipes to photos to rambling diatribes concerning current
events. I have been offered regular columns, from time to time, but haven¹t
wanted to commit to being on a schedule.

Also, I get quoted with some regularity, usually in respect to historical
preservation issues. And I get misquoted a lot too.

--Jonathan

on 3/27/08 10:07 PM, Dcolebslade at aol.com at Dcolebslade at aol.com wrote:

> Do any of you have any kind of regular columns in the local newspapers about
> the goals, authority, activities, etc. of the HC and HDC in the community?  In
> general are you able to find voice and support in the local press?
>  
> Betty Slade
> Westport
>  
> In a message dated 3/27/2008 3:49:37 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> d.m.gilbert at comcast.net writes:
>> I  understand the concerns of those who caution about mixing politics  with
>> preservation advocacy and initiatives especially when one is a member  of a
>> municipal agency such as the historical commission (appointed by  the
>> Selectmen) challenging (in a nice way) the board, elected, who is  the
>> appointing authority for the commission.
>> 
>> Jonathan shares my  passion for free speech and for an open, public discourse
>> on these  matters.  I happen to serve on the Dartmouth Select Board and also
>> am  currently the President of the Dartmouth Heritage Preservation  Trust.
>> 
>> When it comes to matters of historic preservation, I never hold  back.  I use
>> my bully pulpit on the Select Board to advance the cause  of preservation but
>> recuse myself from voting on any matter that concerns  the Dartmouth Heritage
>> Preservation Trust, a 501c3, independent from the  town but certainly an
>> advocate and partner with the town on matters of  historic preservation.
>> After two years, I resigned from the historical  commission before I was
>> elected to the Select Board because I didn¹t feel  the commission was doing
>> enough to advance the preservation  agenda.
>> 
>> It seems to me that under MGL Chapter 40, section 8d, the  historical
>> commission has a duty to the public to ensure they do all they  can under
>> their purview to protect and preserve a community¹s historic  legacy and
>> heritage.  So I¹m not sure why it¹s inappropriate to survey  the candidates
>> to find out their positions.  I would do it.  They  serve the public and the
>> public¹s interests.
>> 
>> Diane Gilbert, Town of  Dartmouth
>> 
>> 
>> On 3/27/08 11:17 AM, "jfeist at charter.net"  <jfeist at charter.net> wrote:
>> 
>>> > I'm not sure how discussing  issues could be considered inappropriate. I
>>> didn't
>>> > endorse any  candidate, and my understanding is that part of the role of
>>> > historical  commissions is to raise awareness of issues related to
>>> historical
>>> >  preservation. I would be delighted to be ousted, if this is not the
>>> >  case. --Jonathan ---- Maggie Rosa <maggierosa at comcast.net> wrote: > A
>>> note
>>> > of caution. > When the Gloucester Historical Commission  attempted, last
>>> fall,
>>> > to  > solicit answers to a questionnaire  that we generated for candidates
>
>>> > for city mayor and council  we were rapidly informed that this was not  >
>>> > appropriate as  we are beholden to the same rules that city employees  >
>>> must
>>> >  abide by and not participate, as a group, in city political  >  activity.
>>> > >
>>> > Maggie Rosa > maggierosa at comcast.net > >  26 Fort Hill Ave > Gloucester,
>>> MA
>>> > 01930 > > Home Phone #  978-281-1871 > Cell 978-290-2553 > > > > > > >
>>> >  On Mar 27, 2008, at 9:15 AM, Jonathan Feist wrote: > > > Hi all, >  > > >
>>> In
>>> > an attempt to make historical preservation more of a  local campaign > >
>>> issue,
>>> > I sent a little survey to the five  candidates running for  > > selectmen,
>>> > >
>>> > in  Harvard. > > > > I posted my results (with my own commentary) on a
>>> new
>>> > blog. It went  > > live > > yesterday. I  announced it to some locals that
I
>>> > know, and it already  >  > seems > > to be getting some traffic beyond
>>> that
>>> > group,  which means that there  > > is > > pretty good interest  around
>>> here
>>> > for such things. It will be  > > interesting to  > > see how it actually
>>> plays
>>> > out and whether these issues get  more air  > > time as > > a result. But
>>> you
>>> > might try  something similar, if you have similar > > rabble-rousing
>>> tendencies
>>> > to my own. I also sent ³Letters to the  > >  Editor² to > > our local
>>> > newspapers announcing it, hopefully to  come out tomorrow. > > > > Here¹s
>>> the
>>> > link: > > >  >> http://harvardpreservation.wordpress.com/ > > > >
>>> --Jonathan >
>>>>>>>>>>>> > > > > > > > > > >
>>>>>>>>>>>> =============================================== > > > >
>>> >  Jonathan Feist, Chair > > Harvard Historical Commission > >  978-772-4864
>>> > (home) > > 617-747-2148 (Berklee office) > >  > > Preserve Historical
>>> Harvard,
>>> > MA: > >  http://harvard.ma.us/histcomm.htm > > > > > >
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>> 
>> --  
>> 
>> 
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