Good Gina Burrell letter from last Sunday's Record, but gaslighting comment by GANNETT is insulting.
GANNETT broke its promise to its readers.
- On November 21, 2021, the Record's then editor wrote: "....until we hire a new opinion editor — The Record will make one significant change to our opinion pages. For the next few weeks, your newspaper will publish opinion pages only on Sundays."
- But as a riposte to Gina Burrell's letter (below), an unnamed Record Opinion let smirkily nd smartly wrote, "Editor’s note: The Record publishes an opinion page every Sunday. April 19 was a Tuesday."
This blog hereby award GANNETT four Pinocchios for breaking its promise.
Who the hell decided to make this change permanent, while not announcing it?
There is no longer the name of a single editor on the masthead of the Record.
Pat Rice, the Editor (also editor of the Daytona Beach News Journal) who November 21, 2022 promised restoration of our daily opinion page is gone.
Retired.
Who do we see about that?
Monopolistic GANNETT -- practitioner of crappy chain gang journalism -- is still charging outlandish sums for an incredible shrinking sad sack version of the St. Augustine Record.
Thank you Gina Burrell, for your latest insightful letter, printed on April 24, 2022:
The Record needs a strong opinion editor
I just finished reading the print copy of the April 19 edition of the St. Augustine Record, the Local & State Section. I was very disappointed that there was not one letter to the editor from residents/readers in this section. With St. Johns County's population of 292,000, there has to be persons writing letters.
I have lived in St. Augustine for 28 years, and have written many letters to the editor to The Record. The Record's editorial page editors never changed my letters, and always printed them, no matter the subject matter, which I am grateful. This is also true of the current editors, whoever they are.
I am hopeful that the current owners, USATodayNetwork/Gannett, will continue pursuing and hiring an editorial page editor, so that we will again have a daily editorial page, with thoughtful local letters to the editor and local guest columns. Possibly, a higher salary for the editor might bring success.
I am curious about what is going on at The Record building on SR312. I have heard that the building has been sold to someone. The building now seems to be used by the US Postal Service for county distribution of the mail. Their trucks are viewed in their parking lot. Also, the few times I have called The Record's phone number 904-819-3430, I get a live person located in a South American country. Are there no U.S. residents offered these jobs?
In the past, The Record has been a force in our community. In fact, in election years, editorial staff and the League of Women Voters sponsored candidate debates for local and state offices. The Record endorsed candidates. Will The Record be involved this election season? We locals would appreciate more Record coverage of city and county commission meetings.
Gina Burrell, St. Augustine
Editor’s note: The Record publishes an opinion page every Sunday. April 19 was a Tuesday.
In the past, The Record has been a force in our community. In fact, in election years, editorial staff and the League of Women Voters sponsored candidate debates for local and state offices. The Record endorsed candidates. Will The Record be involved this election season? We locals would appreciate more Record coverage of city and county commission meetings.
Gina Burrell, St. Augustine
Editor’s note: The Record publishes an opinion page every Sunday. April 19 was a Tuesday.
Summer Haven residents: Buyer beware
I can't believe the average St. Johns County taxpayer wants to subsidize repairs for wealthy Summer Haven homeowners (Saving Summer Haven, April 17). Nor do I think it's fair to ask them to do so.
I agree with Walter Coker when he says "It's hard to believe we're up here debating whether to spend more taxpayer money on the ongoing, insurmountable problems at Summer Haven again. It's almost like we've learned nothing from the many expensive failures over the past six years."
As for the wealthy homeowners of Summer "Haven," what ever happened to "caveat emptor?" (Caveat emptor is Latin for "Let the buyer beware.")
Peter Madaus, St. Augustine
Masks mitigate risk
Some may wonder why some of the seniors, like me, still wear masks indoors and in crowds. The answer is simple: We calculate our risk differently than our younger neighbors.
According to CDC data, even with the very high degree of vaccination among those over 70 years old, our risk of a positive COVID test resulting in hospitalization is about 4 to 5 times greater than those between 60-69 years. Compared to the 40-59 year old youngsters, the risk of hospitalization is about a factor of 10 higher.
Finally, when compared with those under 40, our risk is greater than 100 times that of the youngsters. So we are somewhat paranoid about cutting short the 10-20 years we have left on our clocks.
Charlie Judice, St. Augustine
Remembering a mentor
It was great to see an article about Fred Seely and his worldwide adventures circumnavigating the globe last week.
Fred was managing editor of the Times-Union when I was a 1977 summer intern between my junior and senior years of college. I enjoyed working with him and the entire internship program. It led me into an early career as a police and court reporter in Tennessee, and eventually to law school back in Florida.
It was great to see photos and read about a good man and a great editor from so many years ago.
Nicholas Glover, Elkton
Mental illness, a father's perspective
People are hesitant to discuss mental illness. The cruelty of stigma is real.
So, here are three excellent books by fathers who did speak out: a Pulitzer Prize winner, a New York Times best seller and a former director of the National Institute of Mental Health.
"Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness," Pete Earley.
"If it could happen to my family, it could happen to yours. I've been a journalist for more than 30 years. I've interviewed murders and spies, judges and prosecutors, always seeking the truth. But I was always on the outside looking in. Until my son, Mike, was declared mentally ill."
"No One Cares About Crazy People," Ron Powers.
"This is the book I promised myself I would never write. I have kept that promise for a decade – since our younger son, Kevin, hanged himself in our basement, a week before his 21st birthday after struggling with schizophrenia."
"Healing, Our Path From Mental Illness to Mental Health," Thomas Insel, MD.
"I have wrestled with mental illness as a parent, a scientist and a doctor for nearly half a century. Years earlier, I had watched my son struggle with ADHD, and my daughter, addicted to dieting, nearly die of anorexia nervosa.
Their struggles were my toughest days as a parent. Because I misunderstood the problem."
My wife and I are repeating our appeal. To those experiencing this nightmare, please don't stay in the shadows. We need more in the sharing firsthand experience to dispel the ignorance of stigma.
Richard and Kathleen Marquis, St. Augustine
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