Newsletter hoax is no joke to residents
Newsletter hoax is no joke to residents
Early April Fools' gag hits nerve near Worthington
Thursday, March 29, 2007 5:53 AM
By Dean Narciso
The Columbus Dispatch
Worthington Hills is a subdivision of 1,100 homes laid out around a golf course in Perry and Sharon townships north of Worthington.
Residents know one another by name, children play in the streets and people look out for their neighbors.
They also appreciate their privacy. "We enjoy limited outside access to our community," the Worthington Hills Civic Association Web site states.
So when residents learned that rock legend Eric Clapton and a Wal-Mart had plans to move in, some of them threw a fit.
The news, however, was an early April Fools' charade that proved all too effective.
"This has turned into an enormous debacle. You either thought it was hysterical or you were ready to kill somebody," resident Ann Ward said of the front-page stories in the quarterly "Views from the Hills" newsletter.
The publication was mailed to each homeowner last week. An apology quickly followed.
"In an effort to include some levity to an otherwise serious publication, a series of news articles and issues were included on the first page," association President Chet J. Chaney wrote.
The satire was written by Douglas Curran, the newsletter editor, and "resulted in some confusion and inconvenience for our community partners," Chaney wrote.
The newsletter also stated that Fairway Drive might soon be connected to Jewett Road in Delaware County, creating an influx of traffic, and that the Worthington Hills County Club would be downsizing its 18-hole golf course to nine holes.
A disclaimer at the end of the newsletter explained the joke.
Chaney received more than 100 e-mails and dozens of phone calls. About two-thirds were amused and supportive, he said.
The critics told him, " 'I read it. I believed it.' They were more upset that they actually believed it."
Others said, " 'What threw us off is that it's not April Fools' yet,' " Chaney said.
"We're volunteers," he said of the newsletter staff. "It's very easy to criticize someone who is trying to make the community a better place to live. Absent that first page, it's a wonderful newsletter."
dnarciso@dispatch.com
©2007, The Columbus Dispatch, Reproduction prohibited
Early April Fools' gag hits nerve near Worthington
Thursday, March 29, 2007 5:53 AM
By Dean Narciso
The Columbus Dispatch
Worthington Hills is a subdivision of 1,100 homes laid out around a golf course in Perry and Sharon townships north of Worthington.
Residents know one another by name, children play in the streets and people look out for their neighbors.
They also appreciate their privacy. "We enjoy limited outside access to our community," the Worthington Hills Civic Association Web site states.
So when residents learned that rock legend Eric Clapton and a Wal-Mart had plans to move in, some of them threw a fit.
The news, however, was an early April Fools' charade that proved all too effective.
"This has turned into an enormous debacle. You either thought it was hysterical or you were ready to kill somebody," resident Ann Ward said of the front-page stories in the quarterly "Views from the Hills" newsletter.
The publication was mailed to each homeowner last week. An apology quickly followed.
"In an effort to include some levity to an otherwise serious publication, a series of news articles and issues were included on the first page," association President Chet J. Chaney wrote.
The satire was written by Douglas Curran, the newsletter editor, and "resulted in some confusion and inconvenience for our community partners," Chaney wrote.
The newsletter also stated that Fairway Drive might soon be connected to Jewett Road in Delaware County, creating an influx of traffic, and that the Worthington Hills County Club would be downsizing its 18-hole golf course to nine holes.
A disclaimer at the end of the newsletter explained the joke.
Chaney received more than 100 e-mails and dozens of phone calls. About two-thirds were amused and supportive, he said.
The critics told him, " 'I read it. I believed it.' They were more upset that they actually believed it."
Others said, " 'What threw us off is that it's not April Fools' yet,' " Chaney said.
"We're volunteers," he said of the newsletter staff. "It's very easy to criticize someone who is trying to make the community a better place to live. Absent that first page, it's a wonderful newsletter."
dnarciso@dispatch.com
©2007, The Columbus Dispatch, Reproduction prohibited
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