Lincoln is anything but "dinky"

In the back of my mind, I've been storing the tidbit of information that a reporter from the L.A. Times visited Lincoln a few weeks ago for a story on Lincoln's economic situation.So when I checked my Facebook page before heading to work April 28, I wasn't too surprised to see the April 28 headline "Retirees boost population in Lincoln, Calif., but not its commerce" in a link posted by Jill Thompson, the city's public information officer.What I was surprised about, however, was how punchy I would get while reading the L.A. Times story.I always get a little tepid when reading articles from other news media but that's simply because I feel this is my turf.It's similar to when I used to work at Starbucks and employees would cover shifts from other stores. It was a little grating when they would compare how we mopped the floor or wrote drink cups to their stores, often times saying we did it wrong.While reading this article, it's safe to say flames shot out of my feet.I work, live and play in Lincoln, much like all of my co-workers and many of the sources I interview on a weekly basis.I realize I've only lived here for 2 1/2 years and I haven't quite earned my Lincolnite wings yet. So I can't and will not speak for the rest of Lincoln's residents.But in the short time I've lived and worked here, I have come to love this place and many of the people in it.Although I am a little scared for Lincoln's future, and realize that there may not be a library, enough schools, or even fully-staffed police and fire department, I have often told my husband that Lincoln is where I want to raise our kids once they make their appearance.For now, our current "child" has a dog park he can go to, which he seems to love.Which is why it was disappointing for me to read Ms. Alana Semuels article.Since I can only speak for myself, I wish that she had taken the time to speak to sources with more than one point of view about Lincoln's commerce and residents.Maybe she did, but it sure doesn't show in her story.I know if I wrote a story about another town 413 miles away, I would be extra careful to present multiple points of view, even if it took talking to 10 or 20 people, because quoting five residents with similar points of view would only lead to a very one-sided story.This is not to say I'm perfect and I for sure know I am not. I have made my fair share of mistakes along the way, and when something is truly my bad, I apologize.I expect people to tell me when I've made a mistake, because otherwise, how can I learn from past transgressions?As for Sun City Lincoln Hills, I cannot comment on their spending habits.In the article, City Manager Jim Estep was quoted as saying the city doesn't get "a lot of additional revenue" from Sun City since "most revenue communities aren't big spenders."But I do know that a good number of Sun City residents help Lincoln in other ways: volunteering at the Twelve Bridges Library, holding fundraising concerts so that the Lincoln High School Choir could get to Carnegie Hall and even performing a play at Lincoln High School, with ticket sales going to the school.I also take objection to the commentary on Lincoln's downtown stores. I agree not every storefront is filled. But the ones that in business have to make a living, and advertise and keep the hours they have to meet their needs so that they can continue to contribute to not only sales tax but the character and friendliness of our town.I realize Ms. Samuels is from L.A. and may have not been here before.I don't consider our bar dinky.I also know that you can safely walk down our streets, and when I wave, most will wave back. To read the L.A. Times story visit: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-old-town-20110428,0,912702.story