These are not words created by the “evil” twins or trio. They are used from time to time to express one’s reaction to various proposals or projects designed to solve problems or meet community needs. After listening to such messages, you might ask, “So what?” That question automatically leads to another question – “What difference will it make?” Bottom line, what will be the desired or expected results – in “measurable” terms? Call them “benchmarks” or “objectives,” take your pick. The important thing is whether or not these target goals are identified in advanced and eventually achieved? If not, what might have been done differently? Are they still worth striving to accomplish?
Did you notice the use of the words “can do” in yesterday’s Eagle-Eyes Blog #3? (I hope you did.) That one citizen DID IT, all by herself. We DID IT with PetalumaNet in 1995, and the Petaluma CyberCity Roundtable in 1998. Petalumans DID IT with CERT+NERT+ALERT programs, following Katrina, as well as the following local initiatives: making public comments to the City Council, organizing River Cleanup Days, returning abandoned shopping carts, removing graffiti, trash, and litter, etc, etc, etc.
IMHO, one thing we do need, as a community, is more publicity about how local citizens initiate endeavors that benefit the community. One such platform for creating more exposure for Petaluma CBPs (community-based projects) is OPEN (Our Petaluma Electronic Network.) Take a look at http://www.petalumaopen.net
Feel free to log on and learn how to post messages about your special interests and concerns. Share your insight, knowledge and creative thoughts with other community action citizens. If you have a particular project idea you wish to announce, please do so. Project OPEN was created so that -WE can make a difference – WE can reach certain benchmarks – WE can meet achieve our desired goals if we collaborate and share ideas.
If you wish to become a community “spark plug” – someone who – like the woman in Point Reyes who “stepped up to the plate” and said, “I want to wake people up.” WE are capable of taking action and do something about our local needs and concerns. “Speak up! Stand up and be counted!” Our Petaluma Electronic Network (OPEN), is but one information and communication technology tool that just might enable us to achieve our desired goal(s) in a more efficient, effective and economical manner.
P.S. to my regular readers (all four of you, the evil twins and trio don’t count): Have my daily blogs, over the past five days, made up for the two weeks that I was “lost” in cyberspace? Have I generated enough “huff, puff, and fluff” for this month, or do you want more? What do you want me to comment on between now and July 4th? Better yet, what do you want to comment on via OPEN? Stay tuned.