Posted by Michael Haran on Dec 18, 2013
Commentary
Healdsburg Tribune
12/5/2013
After reading Rollie Atkinson’s editorial it got me thinking just how valuable the Tribune is to Healdsburg and I’m sure how the other Sonoma West Publishers’ weekly papers are to their communities.
Rollie did a good job of listing the paper’s features and their benefits. I had never before looked at ads as news but Rollie’s comment, “The butcher’s special at the grocery story is a big weekly headline for us,” caught my eye. The Big John’s Market back page ad is the first thing my wife looks at when the paper arrives at our house. I look at all the ads in the Business Directory to see who is still advertising and who is new to the section and doing what. I like to follow the activities of the business owners that I know.
I enjoy following the Healdsburg High’s sports teams especially the basketball teams. I play basketball on Saturday mornings at the high school gym which is monitored by Wayne Rudy for the Town’s Park and Rec Department. He is a long time junior high and high school basketball coach for both boys and girls and he regularly brings the younger kids to our pick-up games to play against the all-ages that play there. The kids I have gotten to know I follow their high school sports careers in the Tribune. The Saturday mornings are also an on-going mini reunion of sorts as many of the players that have graduated occasionally come back to play.
In an interview with the California Newspaper Publishers Association in 2012 Rollie said, “We have a very low turnover in most of our organization, except for our newsroom. Our wage level is terrible, but we do offer a great learning experience and lots of freedom to explore the craft and trade of writing and journalism. I think we’ve been very lucky to keep finding the level of talent we do.” When asked “What are some of the ways the industry can preserve newspapers in our communities?” he went on to say… cautiously (very cautiously) explore projects or relationships with civic journalists.”
When we moved here about eight years ago, I wrote my first Tribune Letter-to-the-Editor about little Christmas tree that would light up every night in a vineyard. I have since gone on to write commentary that has been published in not only the Tribune but also the Press Democrat and other publications. I have to say that the tribune has helped me, and others, become a commentary writers and “civic journalists.”
Now if you look at what is published every week in the Tribune such as public notices, obituaries, local news, what the town government is up to, event calendars, school-library-museum announcements, local columnists and editorials on local, state and national issues I too am amazed at what a bargain the paper is at 50 cents. I think it is quite easy to justify $1.00 a copy. I feel the real value is closer to $5.00 but unfortunately you wouldn’t sell many papers at that price.
The paper is not just a local resource. When I travel and stay in a new community the first thing I do is buy the local newspaper to get a lay of the land. Even though my stay will be short I can serendipitously immerse myself in local politics, culture and the business community. I’m sure many Healdsburg tourists have found their stay in our town more rewarding by picking up the Trib and reading it with their morning lattes.
This is some of what the Trib means to me. So in this Thanksgiving season we certainly should be thankful for having the Tribune and we have to support the local merchants that support our town newspaper. I’m sure Rollie is not getting rich running his little publishing empire but he is certainly making us the richer for having the Healdsburg Tribune.
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Posted by Michael Haran on Sep 26, 2013
Commentary
Healdsburg Tribune 9/26/2013
The response letters in the Healdsburg Tribune’s “Letters to the Editor” to Dave Henderson and my letters criticizing Gary Plass for not endorsing a ban on assault weapons made me realize that although there are many people who agree with our opinion there are also plenty who don’t. It was interesting to see the various views on the same subject. Most of us here in Sonoma County are liberals – mostly center-left but liberals just the same. Although we are technically part of the Bay Area we are still a rather rural community which is traditionally conservative. The divergent opinions have led to a healthy discourse which is one of the things that make our American way of life, as Vladimir Putin put it, “exceptional.”
I was worried when the Democrats won a legislative “super majority” in last year’s state elections. I wondered who’s going to provide the checks to prevent a “tax and spend” stampede that the Democrats are famous for. As it has turned out so far Jerry Brown has held to his word on taxes and the legislature has become more responsible with the state budget. I was also concerned whether the Sonoma County Supervisors, all democrats, could cut spending in response to declining revenues but they seem to be doing so.
Conservatives are traditionally rather ridged on dogma and they tend to be closed minded on issues such as gun control, taxes and social welfare. Since most liberals are free thinkers this rigidity drives most liberals nuts and vice versa with conservatives regarding liberal progressivism. Liberals would prefer to be represented by people who can “chew gum and walk” and think outside the box whereas conservatives want people to govern who uphold traditional values.
Traditionally, Republicans have been fiscally and socially conservative whereas Democrats have been fiscal and social liberals. Since the “Great Recession” started five years ago shrinking revenues have force governing Democrats to be more fiscally conservative. As the saying still goes, “If you want to be a social liberal you better be a fiscal conservative or there won’t be any money for your social programs.”
So while the Democrats have learned to become better at handling the public’s tax dollars and cutting waste the Republicans have become worse at handling social issues. In fact, at the national level, conservative have not only not improved on social issues they have in effect marginalized themselves buy becoming socially mean spirited at a time when millions of people have been trampled by the recession and the slow economic recovery. No one wants to be governed by mean spirited people
However, as Gary pointed out, this is not Washington. Here at the local level, we still need conservative points of view on local issues which Gary provides. Plus what fun would it be if we all thought the same way and what would liberals and conservatives do if we didn’t have an emotional issue to argue about? “Small town dust-ups” as Ray Holly calls them and we have two good ones coming up with the hotel and round-about issues. How many small towns in California, or in the country for that matter, would love to have our local issues and the revenue they bring?
Jane St. Claire’s letter “Community paper” gave me goose bumps. She captured beautifully what the Tribune means to our town and how it captures the pulse of our community. One of the great features of the Trib is that dissenting voices can go back and forth in the Letters to the Editor each week. In the Press Democrat a writer is limited to one letter every ninety days which eliminates any tit-for-tat rebuttals. Granted, the PD is a county paper so they really couldn’t handle all the squabbles but that policy does make one appreciate the Tribune. So bring it on people – Rollie and Kerrie are awaiting our rants.
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