Mayor Landwehr's Blog

Beer, Babes, Baseball, Blogs & Bouquets

I poke fun at the News Tribune about headlines that are just designed to get attention and not reflective of the news buried in the text. On reflection, I think that's a pretty cool idea. This post is actually about the annual Good Neighbor Day at Mike Moscato's River City Florist -- proceeds to the United Way.

Beer? Bernie Fechtel was my partner handing out roses.

Blog? Mike Kehoe just launched www.mikespaperplate.com

Baseball? Tom Henke thinks the Cardinals have a chance. 

Babes? Not going there. 

The Capital City Insider -- a Treasury of Local Lore

I don't know much about podcasting, but I want learn more. It's relaxing to spend a few minutes listening to the spoken word -- without the intensity of video or even music. We have a very robust local podcast site, The Capital City Insider. The creator, Mike Cooper, has been doing podcasts about Jefferson City for over a year. When he interviewed me last week for his 22nd production, it was an excuse to learn a little about this corner of the digital world. 

I was surprised at Mike's reaction when I wanted to return the favor and interview him for Highstreetbeat. He apologetically declined and told me that his podcasting is "not about me." He said he keeps the focus on the people and subjects he presents. I thought about that for a few minutes, and I began to appreciate his approach. Too many presenters color their content with their own egos. Check out his 22 sessions. They're very worthwhile. And he has some great things up his sleeve, so stay tuned.

One of his first posts has a nice video description of podcast basics.

Betsy's Blog is Cool . . . and very Betsy

Friend and local character Betsy Dudenhoeffer has a neat blog:  Giggles and Bits.  Check it out. It's pure Betsy. It has more pink than a Victoria's Secret Valentine's Day ad. Keep it up girl!

This is not picture of Betsy. 

This is picture of what I think Betsy looked like when she was three. 

Everyone Should Listen to Gretchen and her Friends

Gretchen Mahan is a Journalism student at Mizzou and a reporter for Public Radio Station KBIA. She called me for an interview about Highstreetbeat. Her report aired yesterday morning. She analyzed how politicians are using blogs and Twitter to keep in touch and get their messages out. 

Gretchen reciprocated by letting Highstreetbeat interview her. She told me about "citizen journalism," a puzzling phrase to me. I grew up thinking that journalists gathered information for citizens -- it was not a two way experience.

Her perspective is a good example of how the Grown Up Digital generation is moving far beyond my Baby-Boomer generation.  

And that's really OK by me. 

Old Penitentiary Tour Reminds Us of Work Ahead

About thirty folks braved the cold last Saturday to take a tour of the old penitentiary -- hosted very ably by Office of Administration Architect Charlie Brzuchalski and Corrections Veteran and historian Mark Schreiber. The site is in the hands of a Commission created by state statute in 1991.   

Friend Steve Mays suggested the idea, and his web posting is well worth viewing - a full slide show of pics. It's a huge, complicated project -- something that Jefferson City and Cole County are taking very seriously by devoting significant funds to infrastructure around the site. We're cautiously optimistic that the state will come to realize its true potential. 

Andrew Sullivan in The Atlantic: "Why I Blog."

As a novice in the blog world, I was curious how a pro like Andrew Sullivan (aka "The Daily Dish") would answer the question "Why I Blog," in the November issue of The Atlantic. The phenomenon of blogging makes more sense if you keep in mind the role of the ship's "log," both the original wooden log and the later written version. Sullivan is optimistic, concluding that weblogs could actually reinvigorate "a hunger and need for traditional writing" in our "age of television's dominance." My concurrence, to continue the analogy: "Any port in a storm."

Podcast Promoter Captures Capital City Personalities and Events

Pilgrims often find friends along the way.

Podcast visionary Mike Cooper has been interviewing Jefferson City leaders and characters for some time. His website has a full menu of conversations with folks like City Administrator Steve Rasmussen, Cole County Sheriff Greg White, MSP Guru Mark Shreiber, and many others. Check it out at www.thecapitalcityinsider.com. You can also subscribe to "The Capital City Insider" podcast in iTunes. He's now listed as a media resource on this weblog.

Mike says he started the project "to let people know some of the good stuff going on in Jefferson City."

I hope we can do some fun things together as pilgrims along the way.

Interview with Mayor Landwehr about this blog

Steve Mays and George Kopp introduced me to the blog culture one Saturday morning at the Coffee Zone in Jefferson City. Here's the interview they made available to the world that morning via a webcast. It has some thoughts about why the heck I am doing this. Peggy's cousin (Marty) in New Hampshire caught the webcast that morning and e-mailed her greetings.

The Launch

These are uncharted waters. Friends have said a blog can be useful, informative and fun. In the future I will talk about the friends who have brought us to this launching place. We liked the name "High Street Beat" since it reflects the geographic heart of Jefferson City, and it suggests there might be some timely items appearing here. Who knows?

It's unofficial - some city stuff and mayor things - but mostly what John and Peggy see happening around town.  It feels a little like Lewis and Clark heading west on the Missouri.  And that's a nice idea for our first posting. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail us at highstreetbeat@gmail.com.