1. The first paragraph of a news article should answer the questions who, what, where and when. List the who, what, where and when of this news item. (NOTE: The remainder of a news article provides details on the why and/or how.)

2. Why has Mr. Fitzgerald been filling the potholes himself?

3. How does Mr. Fitzgerald fix the potholes?

4. How have town and county officials reacted to Mr. Fitzgerald's pothole repairs?

5. How did Mr. Fitzgerald respond to the officials comments and concerns?

6. List at least 3 important questions that were not answered in the article (that the reporter should have investigated and reported on to give readers a balanced news report).

7. Discuss the following questions:

1. Assuming Mr. Fitzgerald did report the potholes and the local/county government did not repair them in a timely manner, was he right to do it himself?
2. Do taxpayers have the right to expect their local/county government to keep the streets in good repair?
3. What should be first priority for local/county/state government: roads and safety (police and fire), education, social welfare programs, paying these government employees good wages, pensions and benefits…