Harry Minium at the Pilot did a front page, above-the-fold article on Vice Mayor Paul R. Riddick. I knew this article was coming and had feared it would be another biased, unflattering portrait of the man. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised that the article is quite good. Kudos to Minium and the Pilot for finally doing some good reporting and giving Vice Mayor Riddick a fair shake.
Good news and bad news comes from the appointed Norfolk School board. The good news is that the board has decided that they will double the number of public meetings held each month – from one to two. The meetings will be held at a new time: 5:30 pm.
The bad news is that even members of the board may be required to use Freedom of Information requests in order to get data. Seems that all requests for additional information by board members have to be reviewed and approved by the School Board chairman and the superintendent under a new policy adopted yesterday. Like James Driggers, the board member whose request for data prompted the adoption of this new policy, I’m incredulous. Without any data that such requests have been frivolous, it seems ludicrous to put in place a policy which could deny access to information to the very people council has appointed to oversee the school board operation. When I see stuff like this, I immediately wonder what it is they are trying to hide.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Amen! Great post, Vivian.
I saw the article and immediately thought of what your take on it would be.
Not bad write-up, really. I would be pretty angry too if both my home and business had been taken by the city for redevelopment.