Sometimes it doesn't pay to get ahead. As a reporter working for a small community newspaper, I often like to try to get as much done ahead of time as possible.
Sometimes it doesn’t pay to get ahead.
As a reporter working for a small community newspaper, I often like to try to get as much done ahead of time as possible.
Most of the time this means writing an editorial, column or getting together a story list as early as possible.
Usually that means researching and or writing on my days off, assuming I have any. As any person who has worked for any editorial department of a small town newspaper will tell you, cue the dirge music, real days off are few and far between.
In an effort to have two or three of those elusive days off, all in a row, so I could show my visiting parents what a fine town Barrhead is, I started writing the column you are reading now on Sunday, Aug. 9.
And let me tell you, it was brilliant. Unfortunately, I'm afraid the readers are just going to have to take my word for it because on Tuesday, Aug. 11, Barrhead town council made it irrelevant.
In past columns, I have written how I don't believe the aquatic centre is an essential service, and I sympathize with residents who are concerned about the town's and their own ability to pay for the facility.
I have also said that before residents could make any kind of informed decision on whether or not they should vote for or against the town's bylaw to borrow $5 million for its portion of the construction of the aquatic centre, more information was needed.
That was the crux of what would have been this week's column. I recapped the information that is public and made a list of outstanding questions the public didn't know the answer to.
Unfortunately for me, at Tuesday's council meeting town staff came up with a lot of the answers to those questions.
Answers to questions like how much each of the features of the pool will cost, the most recent draft operating budget and projected revenue numbers, and so on.
While they should be commended for their efforts, before they do something like this they should really talk to the Leader's editorial staff about their timing. After all, they might be adding to the workload of an already stressed reporter.
All lightheartedness aside, council and administrative staff should be thanked for all their work in getting this information together. Is all the information there? Not quite. Personally, I would have liked to see the projected amount residents could see on their tax bill with the operating costs as well as the cost for the $5 million debenture loan payments.
However, there is still time. But before they do, I hope the next time they give me the heads up, because I may be trying to get ahead.
