Viewpoint: One Thousand Ninety-Six Editions and Counting

   The lead story of Volume 6 No.43 of the Greenhorn Valley View, dated August 5, 2009, proclaimed “Newspaper Changes Hands After Nearly Six Years.”

    The article by-line went to Holly Plattner and the lead sentence announced that Greg and Lynita Hood have owned and published the Greenhorn Valley View for nearly six years. Plattner continued, “As of this week, the paper will have new names under ‘publisher’ and ‘owner’ as Terry and Lori Kraus assume their new role as owners of the paper.”

    That particular issue of the View had 12 pages, all black and white. In his final editorial for the View, Greg Hood shared that he and Lynita had published 303 editions of the paper. And, with the kindness that typified this wonderful couple, asked God to bless our endeavors and to be able to publish at least 303 more editions.

   It must have been a powerful prayer. We have published 1096 editions of the paper. We hope to publish many more. As my grandma used to say, “Good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.”

    In addition to Plattner, who wrote several stories in that volume, Lesley Porter did a story on the playhouse in Rye’s upcoming comedy by Cliff Pattison. Many of the advertisers we still have today had an ad in the paper. They included: Goode Animal Health Care, Mountain Disposal, True Value, and eight of the churches who still use the paper to inform parishioners of times and activities in their church.

    The masthead listed Kim Stallberg, who was so important to helping us figure things out, Tony Marostica who wrote sports for us, Ann Heidrich and Sarah Hite who also wrote at the time.

   One of the pictures in that first issue was taken by Virginia Hood, Greg’s mom, who helped us out for many years as a writer/photographer.     I don’t know how many writers have worked for us. I do know that many of them were quality people and good writers. We had a few, very few, that we had to send on their way over the years. One never actually got hired by us but had business cards printed and said she worked for us! Small communities find those things out quickly.

   We have worked hard to make the paper better each year. Perhaps the toughest, scariest thing that happened to us was the not so long ago with the closing of the Pueblo Chieftain print shop. We scrambled, and worried about even staying in business. Eventually landing in Santa Fe, with God’s graciousness it has all worked out once again.

   Several years before that, we opened our computers to find out we were victims of Ransomware, Russians who would free our information for a sum of money way out of our ability to pay. That knight in shining armor was our son who had set up a back-up system, refreshed our information, discovered the way they had gotten into our system and saved the day. He also felt sure that God protected us in a unique way.

   Lori and I have met so many incredible people over the years that we couldn’t possibly list them. Hopefully, we have let them know how much we have appreciated their ideas, their insights and most of all their friendship.

    At the moment, things are pretty stable and we would like to give a gift back to the community. From now till whenever, we are lowering our subscription rate from $37.50/yr. to $25/yr. for Pueblo County addresses. We are also offering our e-edition from $25/yr. to $10/yr. Not sure how long the offer will last, maybe a week, maybe a year, maybe more. Please call for this discount, as we have not updated the website subscription portal at this time. We have to limit the print price to Pueblo County due to increased cost in postage for out of county and out of state subscribers, but of course the digital price applies anywhere.

    I got a chance to interview an interesting young man who has rejuvenated the laundromat. In the course of the interview, he said he had heard we were selling the paper? Not the first time we’ve heard that. How long do you have to stay until people know you’re in it for the long run? Another 15 years?