I am writing this with brain fog. My youngest daughter, Laura, is getting married this Saturday (the wedding will be over by the time the paper is on the stands so this Saturday is actually June 24). I think I mentioned this event in the June issue. Anyway, I have guests, including little ones, and I’m trying to manage house, work and wedding details. Honestly, all of my daughters have been helpful, so perhaps rather than feeling overly tired or occupied, I might be kind of dragging because I’m being sentimental — all of my girls are married now. When children are little, you are busy just making sure they eat, sleep, play and just stay alive. When they become teenagers, you make sure that you eat, sleep and stay alert! Then they grow up and become their own person and get married and start their own families. It’s the way it’s supposed to be so I’ll just enjoy the grandkids — and make sure I stay alert in this new phase.
It’s almost time for the rehearsal dinner — and a glass of wine.
Before I go, the big news this last month has been about the Pueblo Chieftain shutting down their printing facility, at the direction of their parent company, Gannet. They have been printing the NFH every month for years! Gannett is taking the printing and packaging of The Pueblo Chieftain to Denver.
Besides the loss of a newspaper based in Pueblo and the 50 plus employees who will lose their jobs, there are 46 weekly and 10 monthly publications that will be forced to find a new printer. I talked to the publisher of the Limon Leader and Jenna Lister from the Ranchland News — both are worried, and rightfully so. Will we lose our smaller community newspapers because of this decision? I received a call from a woman at The Gazette. She asked me why it’s important that we continue publishing our paper. What kind of question is that? We have been around for 19 years — and we serve a growing community. I don’t think we are one of their competitors.
We have heard that the Colorado Press Association might help in some way — and that would be welcome. I have received some calls from printers out of state interested in our business, but I would like to find someone in Colorado so we’ll see what happens. Although the Chieftain will continue to be published in Denver and distributed in Pueblo, it’s just not the same. The Pueblo Chieftain is the oldest newspaper in Colorado; it’s a travesty they are leaving their hometown.
In this month’s issue, we have tackled some global issues that are relative to our own backyards: dwindling bee populations; pesticides and the alternatives; the summer heat and our pets; we have an update on the aquifer mapping project and a summary of Mountain View Electric’s annual meeting. Our columnists have covered emergency power alternatives, the effects of our recent big rains, life as a freshman in college, how to live with bears and a look inside a good book. Speaking of columnists, I just want to reiterate that our columnists are free to write what they want to (with common sense, of course). Although we might not always agree with them, we trust them!
The columns are not investigative journalism. Recently, we heard from a disgruntled reader who said one of our columns wasn’t fair because we didn’t show both sides of an issue. A columnist is free to express an opinion or just discuss an issue, without researching the “other” side.
Happy Fourth of July — be safe out there.
See you in August!
Michelle
