Rockville Central Featured In National Civic Review

>We’re delighted to report that the National Civic Review, a well-respected journal on public issues published by the National Civic League, has an article about Rockville Central in the latest (Fall 2008) issue.

I was tickled when they asked me to write the article and it was quite gratifying to look back over the many months since we founded Rockville Central over Memorial Day weekend in 2007. During that time, we’ve been constantly amazed and thankful at the community support. That community support was at the forefront of my mind as I wrote.

You can go here to read the article (it’s a pdf).

Here’s a bit from the conclusion:

I learned that, with just a small amount of care, such an enterprise can be successful in a small way. I doubt the ability of something like this to be commercially viable on a large scale. Indeed, insofar as Rockville Central has provided a new space for people, it needs to remain on a human scale; growing too big would kill it.

However, I can honestly say that I hope for the model to proliferate. I’ve pursued Rockville Central specifically with the idea in mind that others could replicate it. Whenever there was a free way to do something, as opposed to an expensive way, I chose the free way.

While it is not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea to be a civic blogger, literally anyone could create something like Rockville Central. There are no special skills required and no training. It does not require access to capital or to fancy foundations. . . .

Rockville Central has been a remarkable journey, one which I hope others might take. It’s not the perfect example of a civic blog, but it has been gratifying and [I hope] has been a positive influence in its own community.

Thank you, Fair City!

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