Community Corner

Ken Stone and La Mesa Patch at Your Public Service

Police station open house demonstrated hunger for local news and information.

The morning of Sept. 4, I packed my camera and drove downtown. My assignment: Check out the new La Mesa Police Station. My assumption: The open house and tour would be sparsely attended, only a few dozen showing up. 

Boy, was I way off.

Police Chief Al Lanning at first estimated 750 attended. But a head count by RSVP officers (senior volunteers) settled on 1,500 for the five-hour look-see. No matter the figure, the turnout was phenomenal. We waited in line, with temps in the mid-90s, to see how our money had been spent. The 2004 Proposition D bond vote paved the way for the new Allison Avenue fire station as well as the two-story, $20 million police station.

Find out what's happening in La Mesa-Mount Helixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Families brought their kids. Adults brought their elderly parents. Wheelchair users navigated the elevators and explored every nook and crannie. 

Why did they come? Partly out of curiosity, since a movable electronic "Your speed is" signboard touting the event had been visible to University Avenue drivers for several weeks. Some were drawn by the barbecue and music afterward. Others wanted to see what TV shows don't reveal—what's really inside a modern station.

Find out what's happening in La Mesa-Mount Helixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But many were there because it was their police station and their town.

When I turned up Allison and saw every parking space filled for the event, my stomach churned. Where would I park my van? But my heart leapt: These folks are ripe for La Mesa Patch. They will embrace a full-service website that gives them something as valuable as oxygen: local news, local information and local listings of business, organizations and schools. And a place to gather, exchange ideas and contribute their own stories and announcements.

In my eight-week ramp-up to launch, I've met with hundreds of people, including every public-school principal in town, the City Council (together and separately), both local school boards, the Chamber of Commerce president and many others.

I tell them the same thing: La Mesa Patch will cover the entire landscape of La Mesa—schools, City Hall, local sports, businesses, arts, breaking news (like police and fire activity) and anything of interest in this nine-square-mile Jewel of the Hills. More than a dozen freelancers and columnists will reveal your town as never before. (See some of them here.)

I'm an old-school editor, I told folks. I believe in Joe Friday Journalism—just the facts, ma'am. We'll deliver stories straight-up-the-middle. (But that doesn't mean no hardballs.) I can't get away with chip-on-the-shoulder journalism. I live here. And slanting stories means losing sources. If that happens, this site is toast.

We'll meet professional standards. This is no mom-and-pop blog. We have no agenda but telling the truth. And we'll serve up new stories every day, along with some spicy side dishes—opinion columns by civic leaders as well as everyday citizens. La Mesans care, for sure, and they have something to say. We'll give you a  forum for this tasty exchange of ideas.

I won't be writing editorials, as I did 30 years ago as a San Marcos weekly newspaper editor. But I'll solicit your views—and give local candidates and office-holders a venue to explain their plans.

As the city of Bell case demonstrated, public access to information about local government is crucial. This isn't rocket science. Been known for hundreds of years.

In 1822, founding father James Madison wrote: "A Popular Government, without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."

We get it. We'll shine a spotlight on our sparkling city. We welcome your ideas, suggestions and even criticisms. We're all in this together.

Welcome to La Mesa Patch.

We are your online source of local news, information and resources.  What should we cover? Who should we celebrate?  Who should we investigate? Send us ideas for stories. Or post your thoughts. And meet us at Oktoberfest. Our booth will be on La Mesa Boulevard near Fourth Avenue.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here