Building Blocks
Richard Linster

The other day I had a visit from Mayoral Assistant Ryan Mulcahy. Ryan is gathering material from neighborhoods in the city for a new Madison City Channel 12 television program entitled Building Blocks, Building Better Neighborhoods. The previous week the City had held a reception for the premiere of the initial program. TLNA sent neighbor GiGi Holland to represent us and she reported that after the screening, neighborhood guests had the opportunity to offer comments and Mayor Bauman was present to hear them.
When I met with Ryan, GiGi joined me in further thoughts on the state of this and other neighborhood organizations, particularly those downtown. We applaud the current initiatives that have resulted in things like Building Blocks. We are interested in going beyond a television magazine format. Our goal is a real partnership with our city.
A real partnership clearly outlines the benefits, roles, duties and responsibilities of all involved. Everything is clearly identified for smoothness in operation, realization of goals and prevention of misunderstandings.
We have created organizations and have joined them because through association we can magnify our ability over our individual efforts to address conditions around us. A partnership of substance with local government should further increase our ability to act in our interests as well as making the job of governing easier for government.
For 21 years TLNA has worked with residents and government to make our neighborhood and city a better place. To my knowledge our efforts have been largely successful. Where we may not have fulfilled all of our expectations, I can't say that the experience has embittered us or has prevented us from trying again. An organization of people is a human thing and has a life of its own. It has human foibles, weaknesses, strengths and glory.
Much of what we are and what we do might be difficult if not impossible to capture in a package for a program format; but we will try and work with our city to help produce something that will unmistakably identify us.