EARTH TO VALERIE MCDONALD: DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?

Council defends redesigned park name Wed. Sep 10, 2008, NORTHUMBERLAND NEWS

COBOURG - Council was asked to consider what’s in a name after a letter from Cobourg resident Wally Keeler criticized the name of the Rotary Waterfront Park.

“What a weary, dreary, uninspiring name for a park,” Mr. Keeler stated in a letter presented at the Sept. 8 council meeting. “It reflects one thing — that Cobourg council is in the pocket of the local Rotary Club.”... Full Story
======================

By contrast the Cobourg Daily Star drops the ball. On Friday morning, Sept 5, reporter Valerie MacDonald leave a voice mail: "Hello Mr Keeler, Valerie MacDonald from the Cobourg Daily Star. I'm just reading your letter that is going to our Councillors on Monday night. I just wanted your comments."

So I call her back that morning and leave a message, I do it again that afternoon, that evening, the next day and the next. Nothing. It was normal business practice for professional to have the ability to call back to their office to be in touch with incoming business, bot not in this instance.

So Monday morning, 8am, Valerie MacDonald leaves me a voice mail: "Hi, this is a message for Wally Keeler. It's Valerie McDonald calling.

I received your series of messages. I'm sorry that I missed you. I was out of the office and no I don't check over the holidays and especially when I'm up to my ears on an election call.

So, uh, just to let you know that the story I had written was for Monday's newspaper, so that's come and gone already.

I was wondering your connection with Cobourg and that's why I was calling you. I have since found out that you are a former resident. That is all I was looking for and I appreciate your calling back. Bye Bye now."
==================

Of course, Valerie MacDonald and the Cobourg Daily Star have a competency and credibility problem. Contrary to Ms MacDonald's assertion, there was no story in Monday's paper, nor in the Tuesday paper.

In her first call she said she wanted my comments, but in her second call, all she wanted was my connection to Cobourg. This is a floundering reporter who doesn't appear to know what she is doing. Sigh!