Lest there be too much positive sentiment about Lynn's trajectory in the wake of last night's Chronicle episode about the city, I found this comment on the local blog Lynn School Watch regarding the episode from an anonymous user:
"I am sick of paying the already high taxes in this deteriorating city due to the incompetence of the so-called leaders! Did anyone see Chronicle last night? What a joke and misrepresentation of Lynn! I didn't hear anything mentioned about the crime rate, rat problem and failing school system this city has!"
Given that the episode was only a half hour, was the Lynn special a total misrepresentation of the city? Did the producers gloss over some glaringly obvious areas that need to be improved?
Some negatives left out of the Lynn discussion:
- Trash/Rodent Problem
- School System (standardized test score performance, condition of school buildings, overcrowding, graduation rates)
- Unemployment Rate/Educational Attainment
- Criminal Activity
- Number of Abandoned Properties/Foreclosed Homes
- Neglect of Some Public Areas (sidewalks, parks)
One also has to consider the intent of the feature. Perhaps, Chronicle was not attempting to give a complete overview of the city and its current state but simply highlight many of the positive changes that are occurring in the city as a way to combat the belief that there is nothing good about the city.
There were also many positives left out of the episode as well:
- Easy Access to Public Transportation/Proximity to Boston
- Dedicated Community/Neighborhood Groups (ex. Lynn Community Association, Goldfish Pond Neighborhood Association, Downtown Lynn Neighborhood Association)
- Distinct Neighborhoods (Highlands, Diamond District, etc.)
- Youth-Related Organizations (LYSOA, Part of the Solution, No Ceilings Youth Group)
- The Ford Full-Service Community School
- Multiple Ponds (Goldfish, Flax, Sluice, Breeds)
- High Rock Tower/Park
- Lifelong Multi-Generational Lynn Families
Thoughts on the Chronicle feature?
You may also be interested in:
- Positivity is adding up in Lynn (Revitalizing a Community)
- Positive Drips of Revitalization Adding up Daily (Revitalizing a Community)
- A Slum by Any Other Name (Lynn-side Edition)
- Lynn Education Attainment Data (An Education)
- 9 Inches of Rat (Lynn-side Edition)
- Lynn Grads Post an Impressive List of Post-Secondary Achievements (An Education)
- Lynn Police Department 2011 Annual Report
- Neighborhood Upgrades - A New Series (Lynn-side Edition)
- Lynn MCAS Results 2012: Part I (An Education)
I still think there are more positives than negatives about this city. As a community, we need to work to eliminate the negatives and elect people who care as much as we do.
ReplyDeleteI agree Sue. It's one thing to note areas in need of improvement in the city another to just constantly complain about everything wrong with Lynn. If even half the people that complained also did something, anything good for the community, Lynn would be a much better city.
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