The Palatka Daily News Fair and Balanced Reporting

I am appalled (and so should you) over the fact that in the fall of 2007, there was an underage drinking party held at Mr. Tom Townsend's house. The PPD was called and discovered marijuana in the bathroom, lots of alcohol, and a large number of unsupervised underage drinkers. When the ppd officers arrived at the Townsend's home, the kids refused to open the door and scrambled out of the house. Three youths were taken into custody and later released to parents/guardians. There is a report on file at the PPD as it is public record.

I would like to know why the Palatka Daily News failed to inform readers of the incident? Seems every time Ken Mahaffey's kid gets busted or is slapped on the wrist for drug use, the incident makes the paper, front page no less. The Palatka Police Department and the PDN owe citizens an explanation. Let's be fair; this is one incident needing some coverage.

wasn't TT on the drug coalition?

What was the date or better the case number?

I think it was in December sometime...Mom and Dad were out of town. TT followed it up (I think in January) with a letter to the editor about how he knew first hand about the problem with alcohol and teens.

if the PDN is not reporting the facts...shame on them...

maybe the Florida Times Union or the St Augustine Record would like to cover this story...

This year? Was nayone arrested or did the PPD let them go...

TT is a very bright and astute individual. Yet, he does not have the education and back bone to be the Super. No doubt given time he could and would learn the job, but he does not manage his house well nor does he hold the education to lead teachers. As a teacher he must be a professional teacher to be a Super.

Today's front page announces a hold on a long awaited development by an attorney from Miami. We have planned as a county for several developments that have all gone down the tube one by one by the environmentalists, county commissioners, nay sayers and other stupid reasons. Bottom line people in this county want no growth...they want their retirement quiet corner to be left stagnant.
Then read the letter to the editor blaming the SCHOOLS for all our ills! The negative letters that PDN keeps putting in are the reflection of the negative biased attitude of the editors against everything good Putnam County does. The papers are printing 3-1 letters against the school district to discredit Buckles and boost the likes of an uneducated unqualified candidate promoting a need for change...no fair respresentation of the honors and achievements our schools accomplishments. Shame on them. No wonder their distribution keeps shrinking. The district has to pay advertisement costs for a centerfold to tell the public what is going on in the schools, which the public complains about wasting their taxes, or none of the good things would ever come out. They seem to take every opportunity to destroy the good. I'm ready to cancel my subscription too.

Observer wrote:

Today's front page announces a hold on a long awaited development by an attorney from Miami. We have planned as a county for several developments that have all gone down the tube one by one by the environmentalists, county commissioners, nay sayers and other stupid reasons. Bottom line people in this county want no growth...they want their retirement quiet corner to be left stagnant.
Then read the letter to the editor blaming the SCHOOLS for all our ills! The negative letters that PDN keeps putting in are the reflection of the negative biased attitude of the editors against everything good Putnam County does. The papers are printing 3-1 letters against the school district to discredit Buckles and boost the likes of an uneducated unqualified candidate promoting a need for change...no fair respresentation of the honors and achievements our schools accomplishments. Shame on them. No wonder their distribution keeps shrinking. The district has to pay advertisement costs for a centerfold to tell the public what is going on in the schools, which the public complains about wasting their taxes, or none of the good things would ever come out. They seem to take every opportunity to destroy the good. I'm ready to cancel my subscription too.

I canceled my subscription years ago because they decided to publicly ridicule (on the front page) one our elected officials for something one their children did.

If it was legitimate enough to do it to that family, why not TT's?

Hell yes, they are biased!

Crotalus horridus wrote:

<quoted text>
I canceled my subscription years ago because they decided to publicly ridicule (on the front page) one our elected officials for something one their children did.
If it was legitimate enough to do it to that family, why not TT's?
Hell yes, they are biased!

10-4...

I've heard the PDN doesn't print negative stories about TT because he has a family member working for PDN.

don't believe that...

Ms Information wrote:

I am appalled (and so should you) over the fact that in the fall of 2007, there was an underage drinking party held at Mr. Tom Townsend's house. The PPD was called and discovered marijuana in the bathroom, lots of alcohol, and a large number of unsupervised underage drinkers. When the ppd officers arrived at the Townsend's home, the kids refused to open the door and scrambled out of the house. Three youths were taken into custody and later released to parents/guardians. There is a report on file at the PPD as it is public record.
I would like to know why the Palatka Daily News failed to inform readers of the incident? Seems every time Ken Mahaffey's kid gets busted or is slapped on the wrist for drug use, the incident makes the paper, front page no less. The Palatka Police Department and the PDN owe citizens an explanation. Let's be fair; this is one incident needing some coverage.

KUDOS to you Ms Information...this story has circulated greater Palatka for the last 10 months and for whatever reason, was never reported in the PDN...

Can someone give a name of one of those arrested? Maybe a date?

maybe you need to ask Tom Townsend...

hummmm

Information wrote:

I've heard the PDN doesn't print negative stories about TT because he has a family member working for PDN.

hope that is not the case...the letters to the editor published are not balanced in numbers...better yet, DID the pdn allow TT's insert to be published without the proper photo and waiver release form from every individual in the insert?

really wrote:

TT is a very bright and astute individual. Yet, he does not have the education and back bone to be the Super. No doubt given time he could and would learn the job, but he does not manage his house well nor does he hold the education to lead teachers. As a teacher he must be a professional teacher to be a Super.

I have heard TT called a lot of things in my many years of knowing him - and none of them include BRIGHT and ASTUTE - and because I am nice - that is all I have to say about that.

PDN had to really dig hard to put in a letter supporting TT because in 1969-1970 someone who doesn't even live here anymore didn't like the system! How do you judge what has happened over the last 12 years by the tumultuous years of the late 60's and early 70's? What a stretch. Talk about unfair coverage! This is the premise for change today? Give me a break!