North Penn Now editor Keith Heffintrayer, left, surprises his girlfriend, Jaime Silverstein, right, with a marriage proposal at the end of Sunday's co
Journalism, and journalistic independence, are one of the most important parts of maintaining a strong healthy democracy. That is true at every level of our government, but can have an extraordinary positive impact locally. I am happy to say that independent journalism is thriving here in Lansdale, and has helped build our community up.
On Sunday afternoon, North Penn Now hosted a fundraiser and comedy show at The Underground, asking for community to support them as they continue to deliver high-quality, honest, and fact driven reporting to the area. As with most news outlets, they are advertiser supported. However, it is still crucial to have the buy-in of the community itself. It shows that we deeply value the quality of news being delivered each day. To put it simply, the community did not let owner/editor Keith Heffintrayer down. The Underground was packed from wall to wall with residents of the area showing their support for local journalism.
For the price of a ticket, supporters were entertained by comedians Buddy Harris and Brendan Donegan, while enjoying Round Guys Beer for the duration of the event. I had the fantastic honor of being the Master of Ceremonies and easy target of jokes by the team of comedians. As I said in my opening, local news is crucial to Lansdale’s growth. News outlets and journalists play the important role of trusted storyteller for our homes. They let the world know what is going on in Lansdale, and how we have improved and changed over time. They are the original “influencers” of the public, and remain one of the most important pieces in the narrative of our home.
As with any fun and light-hearted event, it would not be complete without some surprises. The biggest coming at the end of the night when Buddy Harris set Keith up for the announcement of the evening: a proposal to his girlfriend, Jaime Silverstein. They say the only way to keep a secret between two people is if one person is dead…but yesterday nearly 100 people over the course of several weeks were able to keep the proposal a complete surprise. Jaime was overjoyed and enthusiastically accepted the proposal, with friends and family sharing in the moment with the happy couple. Talk about a community coming together!
While the story of a fun evening put on by a news organization culminating in a proposal doesn’t seem like the obvious choice for a political column, you are right. It is not the obvious choice. But politics is local. It is sharing in the events of those around us. It is valuing the storytellers, like the writers at North Penn Now, for their hard work of telling the towns stories. Politics doesn’t always have to be policy changes, meetings that never end, and divisive arguments. Sometimes it is spending an evening valuing the work of committed residents who are trying to share what they see in our town and why they call Lansdale home.
It is easy to be dismissive of the news, especially when you might not agree with the facts or when you are just exhausted from the constant blitz of information inundating us every day. However, that information plays a key role in our growth at a local level and your support, financial or otherwise (sharing and article or liking a piece of content), is crucial in the continuing the story of Lansdale and the North Penn area. So, thank you for continuing to read all the content here on North Penn Now and thank you for supporting local journalism!
(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert.)
See also:
Mayoral Musings: Lansdale Police Annual Report Coming This Week
Mayoral Musings: Speed Control And Traffic Calming
Mayoral Musings: Looking Back At Lansdale’s Inaugural ‘Inclusion Day’
Mayoral Musings: Establishing A Foundation For Future Generations
Mayoral Musings: Remembering Doctor King
