Talk of the Point

Neighborhood council’s new newsletter just didn’t jell

The neighborhood council’s effort to adopt a new format for its monthly mailing died a sudden death last Saturday. That’s when would-be editor Fred H. Arm pulled out.

I’ve heard Fred’s side of it. With the board’s encouragement, he had produced an attractive and readable six-page, illustrated first edition in 24 hours, he says, only to have the board equivocate. That’s maddening to someone who’s so full of energy. I have not heard much from the board on this, but I imagine that out of respect for Fred’s work they pored over his newsletter a long time before giving the collective “hmmmm.”

Whatever happened, it was a mismatch from the start. Fred is a crusader, while elected groups tend to step lightly through their constituents’ varied opinions.

Board member Jeff Lee described the project as a “well intentioned, good faith experiment that just didn’t gel.” This newsletter’s dead, but you can count on someday, somewhere reading the unbridled Fred Arm.

• “The secret newsletter,” January 16

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