All About The Media

The chaotic world in which we now live is, in my opinion, partially a result of our media's current ethos. But there is at least one exception.

It is the Our Town weekly newspaper headquartered in Orangetown since 1973.

My entry into public life was at its highest water mark in 1972 when I was fighting for community acceptance and approval of the integration into our community of our mentally ill and intellectually/developmentally disabled as a result of the policy of deinstitutionalization of the large government operated facilities serving this population.

The Our Town instantly became one of our cause’s most valuable and formidable advocates and allies.

Fast forward to 1980 and the horror of the heinous murder of 16 year old Paula Bohovesky in Pearl River. Not only was the Our Town immediately sharing the news incredibly tastefully accurate and more importantly kept the story going for the past 40 years, during which the paper was again a passionate advocate for no parole of the two vicious killers.

It has never lost its fervor for transparency and justice.

Since its creation, the paper has not only been the unfailing chronicler of Orangetown and more importantly, the Orangetown Government, but it is a voice of humanitarian culture. No other Town in Rockland had eyes so sharply focused on it as Orangetown, which I believe helped make Orangetown such a tightly knit community and great place to live.

John Allen Murphy