The August 2008 Borough Newsletter

This string begins when Council members responsible for the newsletter (myself and Shawn Waldron) are notified that the August newsletter is ready for printing and distribution.

Denise Brouse
To: [Joan Brennan]
CC: "'Shawn Waldron'" , "'Mark Brunton'" , "'Frank North'"
Subject: RE: Late Summer Newsletter
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:42:43 -0400 
Hello Joan,
I printed the copy of the newsletter and it is on the counter by the
duplicator.  Shawn and Mark the paper, ink and copy are ready to go
 whenever
you are.  Fred will drop it off when you tell him that it is ready.
  Shawn,
have the block captains been called?  Do we have enough people to cover
 the
entire town?
Thanks all. 

Denise Brouse
Borough Clerk
Borough of Merchantville
1 West Maple Avenue
Merchantville, NJ 08109
856.662.2474 ext. 103

My reply to Denise Brouse:

Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:24:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Mark Brunton"  
Subject: RE: Late Summer Newsletter
To: [Denise Brouse]
CC: "'Shawn Waldron'"
I'll stop by after work and at least get a start on the printing. I'll also start folding some, if I can (What fun!!). I'll leave a note detailing my progress, so someone else can pick up if they have time before tomorrow afternoon.
 
How many do we need to print, exactly?
 
Mark B.

I went to borough hall to run off the copies as planned. This e-mail explains what happened:

Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:18:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Mark Brunton"
Subject: RE: Late Summer Newsletter
To: [Denise Brouse], [Joan Brennan]
CC: "'Shawn Waldron'"
Everyone -
 
I stopped at Borough Hall this afternoon (13 August), planning to run at least some of the newsletter copies.  Instead I made only one copy.
 
I did not print more because the13 North item on the cover of what in the past has been the school re-opening issue (as the newsletter editor explained to me) was inappropriate. 
 
Including the item in the body of the newsletter is not an issue; carrying what is essentially a nearly full-page advertisement on the cover is.
 
As this is the official newsletter of the Borough of Merchantville, it seems clear that the cover should carry articles relating to the official business of, or relating to special or even general events in, the Borough. It should not be used to spotlight a particular business interest.
 
I must request that the 13 North item on the first page be moved into the body of the newsletter, and an official item or items be placed on the cover instead. If I may make a suggestion, articles about the opening of the school year might be a better choice for the cover of this, the back-to-school issue.
 
Shawn Waldron and I discussed this before I wrote this e-mail.
 
I hope adjustments to this issue can be made quickly so that we can get it out to residents without undue delay.
 
I'm looking forward to discussing this in the near future.
 
Mark B.
910-9919

You may or may not agree with me that the article was inappropriate as a cover article; that's not the point. The point is that I felt (and still do feel) that it was inappropriate and needed to be moved (not discarded, just moved inside the newsletter). As one of the two Council members responsible for the newsletter (including content and tone, I believe), it was my job to consult with the other Council member and make a call on whether to publish or not. That other Council member was not opposed to my call to hold off publishing, so the e-mail you just read went out.

For two days there was only silence on the subject. Then this:

From: 
  "Frank North"     
 Sent: Fri 15/08/08 10:57 AM 
 
To: 
  [Mark Brunton], [Shawn Waldron], [John Alloway], [Steve Volkert], [Anthony Perno], [Patricia Fields]
 Priority:  Normal 
 
Cc: 
  [Denise Brouse], [Joan F. Brennan], [Frank North], [Timothy Higgins]
 
Subject: 
 News Letter
Type: Embeded HTML/Text 
 
Mr. Brunton sent a letter to several people advising that the due to an article on the front cover he was not going to have it published and/or delivered.
 
This to advise all listed and copied that the newsletter is being published as written and will be delivered
 
 
Frank M. North
 

Clearly there had been some communications about this with the mayor, but I had not been contacted by anyone. Since what the mayor sent to the entire Council and the solicitor grossly mis-stated my position, I sent this to the same distribution list, on Saturday, 16 August:

To eliminate any confusion as to what happened, here's an exact copy of the e-mail I sent. It explains exactly what the issue is. Also note that I spoke with Councilor Waldron, the other Council member on the Newsletter and Communications, and he did not disagree with the position I stated in the e-mail.

Note that, despite my stated desire to discuss this, there was no communication at all - just the unilateral decree below.

My original e-mail, sent only to the Borough Clerk, Councilor Waldron and the Newsletter Editor:

[followed by the e-mail you already read]

In reply, this came from the Mayor to that same distribution list, on Sunday, 17 August:

This is to acknowledge Mr. Brunton’s e-mail regarding this matter and my response to same.  

 

It is the responsibility of all council members as well as the other organizations and clubs, (PTA and school board, fishing, garden, historic, etc) to present articles and information to council liaison, Waldron and Brunton and/or Mrs. Brennan as editor.  

 

When articles are not presented in a timely fashion as requested, it shall be the responsibility of our editor, (who is a non-compensated volunteer) to put together a newsletter with information obtained through whatever means available.

 

The responsibility of the council liaison has been and still remains to assist the editor, have the newsletter printed, and arrange for delivery in accordance to the predetermined schedule.  It is my understanding in speaking with members of council that this has not always happen in the past.

 

The purpose of the Newsletter is to communicate to our residents’, issues relating to council matters, public events, developments throughout the Borough, and whatever support we are available to provide to our businesses. Without progressive thinking and associated actions the Merchantville business center will continue on a backwards slide. 

 

We are on the brink of developing a new agenda for our downtown and the enthusiasm of those willing to support this effort must not be stifled because of those that do not see the big picture!

 

This is the last and final say by this mayor as it relates to this matter.      Thank all for your cooperation and understanding

 

I am in total agreement with what the mayor stated above are the purposes of the newsletter, even to the order in which he stated them. Council matters, public events, developments throughout the Borough, and finally, as a secondary function and as space permits, support for our business community. So even the mayor's own ideas of what the newsletter is supposed to do supports my initial e-mail statement that the article/ advertisement for 14 North is inappropriate on the front page, where one would expect council matters and other official borough and school news to be.

In fact, the mayor and I are in total agreement on almost points he makes in the above e-mail. However, I do NOT believe the Council representatives' responsibilities end with being the editor's go-fer, as the mayor seems to imply. The newsletter is the official publication wherein the Council communicates with the residents. The Council, therefore, through their appointed representatives, are responsible for newsletter content and tone as well as what was stated above.

Finally, while I don't understand how the statement about a "...new agenda for our downtown..." and some not seeing "...the big picture" relates to the newsletter discussion that was going on, I'm glad to see that there is, apparently, some sort of plan to help our ailing business community. Now maybe, if the mayor were to actually share that new agenda with Council and others in town, we could all see his "big picture" and know where he's trying to take the town!

As that last e-mail devolved into tossing sarcastic comments at me, there clearly was no reason to respond on my part, so I thought that was the end of the string. But then after I refused to help deliver a newsletter I think is inappropriately organized, came this from Joan Brennan, the newsletter editor:

Newsletter distribution and delivery

Sunday, August 24, 2008 1:58 PM
 
From:
View contact details
 
 
To:
[Shawn Waldron], [Mark Brunton], [Fred Kohler (Community Affairs Officer)]
 
Cc:
[Frank North]
 
At sometime on Thursday a bundle of newsletters for Ellen Higgins' zone were dropped at my home for distribution and delivery. Then Friday morning a bunch of letters inquiring about interest in future delivery were dropped off apparently to be given to the Block Captains along with the newsletters.

There are several issues:

First, the distribution and delivery of the newsletter has always been a well organized and timely process.
Why is distribution and delivery different every time now? Why aren't people notified?

Second, half of the newsletters in the bundle I received have an insert while the other half does not.
Who gets what? Am I supposed to choose?

Third, the list given to me for Block Captains includes 2 people who haven't delivered in more than a year and a third who hasn't lived in town for three years.
Where is the correct Block captain list for this Zone?

Fourth, because the list for this Zone is not correct, the number of newsletters to be distributed to whoever the real Block Captains are is not available to me.
Am I supposed to guess?

Fifth, it is clear that Mark Brunton made the printing and publication of this issue very difficult and has now refused to help with delivery.
Are you really going to let his self serving actions undermine and further delay distribution of the newsletter?

I for one am not. Please get the accurate information for distribution to me as soon as possible so this issue of the newsletter can be delivered to the residents of this community as intended.

Joan
 

Certainly some valid points here, but also some very over-the-top vitriol towards the end. After considering several possible replies, this is the one I sent, to the same distribution list:

Re: Newsletter distribution and delivery

Sunday, August 24, 2008 4:44 PM
 
From:
View contact details
 
 
As always, Joan, your bloviating results in a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining e-mail! Thank you for the Sunday funnies!
 
And thanks also for the compliment regarding my apparent importance to the success of the newsletter printing and publication. I had no idea I played such a critical role that my refusing to print it and my submittal of a request for a change would cause its completion to be so "very difficult."
 
As far as refusing to help with delivery - I did refuse. In fact, I never volunteered in the first place. I was asked by the Borough Clerk two newsletters ago to help with distribution of that and the next newsletter. I did help with the one; the second was handled by Shawn's Boy Scout troop, so my assistance wasn't needed. I never agreed to help beyond the last newsletter.
 
Maybe someone should actually ask politely at some point.
 
Of course, the second reason I did not just take the newsletters around is obvious. I requested that the first page article be changed, expressed a desire to discuss the matter and to resolve it quickly, and was totally ignored. Since I consider the lead "story" (read: "advertisement") to be inappropriate, and since the mayor's last e-mail on the subject leads one inescapably to the conclusion that he feels the same way, I certainly am not so hypocritical as to then volunteer to help distribute the thing.
 
And speaking of hypocrisy, the comment "Are you really going to let his self serving actions undermine and further delay distribution of the newsletter?" seems the height of it. I was doing my job as one of the Councilors assigned to oversee the newsletter. Still, in a way it was self-serving. Since my only aim is to serve the residents of Merchantville, and since I am a resident, there IS a self-serving component here. So mea culpa.
 
As far as the distribution means changing all the time - there are two main reasons that I know about from direct communication. Though I'm sure it won't be appreciated (or probably even believed by a few of the recipients), here they are: 1. People don't like to be abused in exchange for their volunteer efforts. Several have quit distributing the newsletter because of the imperious and condescending attitude the newsletter editor has shown them. 2. They don't like what's in the newsletter. One of the block captains told me in the last couple of days that when they saw the newsletter they thought (disappointingly) "Oh, great, another business newsletter."
 
It has also been brought to my attention that submissions from some official borough organizations have not been printed, in favor of free advertising for business interests. Is this appropriate in an official borough publication?
 
The remainder of the rant doesn't warrant a response, so...
 
Have a nice evening, everyone!
 
Mark Brunton

Now, I probably should have left off that first paragraph (about the "bloviating" and the "Sunday funnies"), but Joan is so far out there in her hyperbole that it IS funny, even when directed at me. Like anyone else, though, I don't like being abused. I tend to respond to it with sardonic remarks, as I did in the opening of the above e-mail.

But after the first paragraph (well, maybe after the second paragraph, depending on how you read it), my reply was absolutely earnest, and was an honest attempt to answer some of the questions she raised about distribution, and even her remarks about me.

Within minutes of my sending the above Joan replied with this, still to the same distribution list:

 

Re: Newsletter distribution and delivery

Sunday, August 24, 2008 4:49 PM
 
 
Yawn.....
 

I did laugh out loud at that!

When I did not reply, this e-mail arrived from Joan a bit later (still the same distribution):

Re: Newsletter distribution and delivery

Sunday, August 24, 2008 5:07 PM
 
So, since Mr. Newsletter Oversight has failed to answer all the questions that need answers in order for his job to be done maybe someone else will answer them.

Why is distribution and delivery different every time now? Why aren't people notified?
Who gets what? Am I supposed to choose?
Where is the correct Block captain list for this Zone?
Am I supposed to guess?
Are you really going to let his self serving actions undermine and further delay distribution of the newsletter?

Joan
 

I did not reply. As of August 26, that's the last of it.