Johnson's Pasture Redux

The Claremont Courier yesterday carried an article by Tony Krickl on the Johnson's Pasture open space purchase. The article noted that the deal was made "During a meeting organized by [Claremont Councilmember Ellen] Taylor...."

Sources familiar with the parties involved tell us that the meeting was actually suggested by a third party acquainted with the person holding up the sale. It was not due to some great piece of statespersonship on the part of Ms. Taylor. Perhaps someone could talk to that third party and get his account. Not that that would stop Ms Taylor from taking more credit for the purchase than she deserves.

The article also quoted Ms. Taylor as say of the holdout seller "[The meeting] was all very easy-going and informal....She was very gracious." We hear the meeting was actually a more than a little tense, with the city's deputation of Ms. Taylor and Councilmember Linda Elderkin needing to allow the seller to vent a lot of anger towards the city over the way the long, drawnout buyout was handled.

At any rate, the open space is purchased. We just want to make sure the record is set straight. Ms. Taylor, and Ms. Elderkin as well, deserves credit for having the patience to sit down with the seller on a Sunday and allow her to air her complaints, and we do thank them for that.

We do hope that Ms. Taylor, who at times can be hard on those she works with at City Hall, learns the value of patient listening. A little empathy and humility might be good skills for her to acquire. Who knows, she might just end up a better councilmember for it.

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The Daily Bulletin apparently has a new beat writer for Claremont. Andrea Bennett had an article in today's Bulletin about the Johnson's Pasture purchase.