We’re in the midst of election season, and school board-related articles dominated the top five articles from last month. However, they didn’t make a clean sweep. One grand opening secured a spot in the top five, and the number one article was about a beloved friend and neighbor whom we said good-bye to last month.
Here were the most-read articles, based on website views, during September 2022.
5. Lowell’s First Look to Host LAS School Board Candidate Forum
With eight names on the ballot for three school board seats, voters have no shortage of choices this year. To make the process of narrowing your options a little easier, Lowell’s First Look is hosting a school board candidate forum on October 20, 2022 at 6:30pm in the Lowell Performing Arts Center at Lowell High School. While written candidate profiles and Q&As are helpful, we know nothing compares to seeing someone speak in-person. Our article announcing the forum was the fifth most-read article of last month. If you would like to suggest a question for the forum, you can fill out this online form.
4. School Board Candidate Profile: Jared Blough
As we have for past city council elections, our online coverage of the school board race has been split into two parts: candidate profiles and Q&As. The profiles are meant to be an introduction to each candidate so voters can learn a little more about their background and why they are running. The Q&As are issue-specific and offer candidates the chance to share, in their own words, how they feel about various topics. Our first candidate profile was of Jared Blough, and it takes the No. 4 spot among the month’s most popular articles.
3. Litehouse Family YMCA Celebrates Grand Opening
We break up the run of election articles with this story about the grand opening of the Litehouse Family YMCA. We were thrilled to be invited to the event and get a peek inside the new facility which is unquestionably an upgrade from their former spot in a strip mall on W. Main Street. The new YMCA is located on N. Hudson Street, right at the edge of the city limits. For more photos, see our Instagram page.
2. School Board Candidate Profile: Jessica Curtis
Then it’s back to school board coverage. Jessica Curtis is one of two incumbents in the race, and her profile was the second most-read article of the month. Other school board profiles in September were of Jennifer Dougherty and Chris German. They were published in the second half of the month and landed in the No. 6 and No. 8 spots, respectively. Given enough time, their profiles will likely garner as many views as those for Blough and Curtis.
1. Betsy Davidson: 2018 Lowell Person of the Year
We wish this article wasn’t at the top of the list for September. After a long battle with M.S. and cancer, Betsy Davidson passed away on September 5, 2022. While cancer and M.S. were part of Betsy’s story, we don’t see it as defining her legacy. She touched so many aspects of life in Lowell, and we are all better for her involvement. The Lowell Rotary Club is working to establish a scholarship in Betsy’s name, and if you would like to contribute toward that fund, you can make a donation on GoFundMe.
I know the two school candidates were top in the list for September, but I believe this is showing your support for these two and not any of the others. Is this fair?
Hi Judie,
We did have some discussions internally about the fact that only two candidates made the top 5 list and whether that was fair to the candidates whose profiles appeared later in the month. We decided to include links to the other candidates’ profiles under the entry for Jessica Curtis so everyone would get a mention in this article. It was an imperfect solution, but it felt like the best approach under the circumstances.
Thank you for your feedback, and we’ll keep your thoughts in mind should we encounter a similar situation in the future.
Maryalene