Monday, March 09, 2009

R.I.P. Ron Santa

Ron Santa was keeping track of local politics before blogs and before the NDN & Projo did more than a cursory coverage. He first published his "Middletown Newsletter" in print form in 1986. You could subscribe to all his minutes & opinion of Middletown Council meetings for 10 years. In Feb. 2003 he began his website which took up what he had been doing previously & continued it until June of 2008. When he couldn't make the meetings, he'd watch them on cable & then write them up.

If you wanted to know what was going on in town, his newsletter page was where you turned. He was faster with the news than the newspaper or the radio. He also gave you a "feel" for the meeting with his asides & commentary. There was background.

He'd sit up in front with a small writing table & a visor cap on. He was not an official "reporter," but darn, he was better. I tried a few times when I was developing my blog to perform a similar function. No-go. I just didn't have the experience to keep up with all the Council business, let alone getting in all typed up (with graphics).

I hope that his site stays up- forever. It provides a valuable history & background of Middletown politics. Here is his obit and his memorial page. Here is his newsletter page. What a guy.

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