Around the Blogs; Other Views, Other News About Northampton County and Upper Nazareth Township

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

Blogs bring Lehigh Valley readers news they would not get elsewhere, and sometimes news is available much earlier on blogs than it is on traditional media.

I could cite examples, but why bother?

For news about Upper Nazareth Township, see this about a proposed zoning ordinance change. That not only affects Upper Nazareth residents, but anybody who lives nearby or does business there. Zoning is law, and deserves more attention. Becky Bartlett keeps people informed.

For the best information and analysis on Northampton County government, and the only real source of news on what’s going on in the courts, check Lehigh Valley Ramblings.

Blogger Bernie O’Hare had the news that Ron Heckman would not seek another term on county council, and he presents a good look at how the county’s legislative and executive branches worked together, or didn’t, last year.

Heckman is an institutionalist, not an ideologue. He routinely affirms the independence of County Council from the Executive.

Government is not supposed to work together all the time. The branches are not supposed to work in lockstep. American government was designed to create tension and raise disputes, and that’s best for all. It may not always be pretty, but that’s how it works.

So see the blogs. The future of news is murky. A good blog can help fill the gaps left as traditional media shrinks.