AN APOLOGY is due those of our subscribers who called us this week to report they did not receive last week’s issue. That would have been the paper published August 11. But they did receive it, even though they didn’t know it. Their confusion wasn’t their fault. It was mine.
The contents of our August 11 issue of The Columbia Paper were bundled with the previous issue (August 4) into our Annual Summer Double Issue. It gives us a sort of mini-vacation. We want readers to know about our double issue and we did advertise it in advance with a sizable color notice on the first page of the Events Calendar in the July 28 issue.
The August 4/August 11 Double Issue was 28 pages, which is considerably larger than the papers we’ve been running, and that’s a welcome bit of news at a time when the newspaper industry is struggling with big increases in printing costs and competition from other media, including truly fake news. I even wrote an editorial alerting readers of our of the upcoming double issue. Sad to say, that doesn’t appear to have helped much.
Despite my concerns that readers would miss the notice, the small number of responses we did get about the “missing” issue indicates that our news and editorial pages are reliable and efficient means of delivering news and opinion to our audience—our neighbors and others who comprise the Columbia County community. That includes our advertisers, who benefit from our connection with our readers.
So I have to ask myself: would it really have been such a difficult task to place a small notice on the front page and repeated inside with a brief explanation that two issues of The Columbia Paper were squeezed into one?
To the readers who didn’t see our double-issue alerts, I am sorry. I know it’s not a big deal, but small indignities add up. Please consider this editorial an apology and also a thank-you note for your support and concern. And in case you’re wondering, it was a pleasant mini-vacation.
Your turn to speak
DON’T FORGET TO VOTE. There’s an election for Congress August 23 to fill the vacancy created when Antonio Delgado resigned to become state lieutenant governor. All registered Columbia County voters can vote.
The race for Congress is between Republican Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro and Democrat Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan. I endorsed Mr. Ryan in our August 4 issue.
For registered Democrats, there is also a primary to determine the party’s candidate in a redrawn part of the 19th Congressional District: Jamie Cheney or Josh Riley.
Early voting has already begun and will continue through Sunday, August 21. Early voting is available at either of two locations: the Columbia County Office Building, 401 State Street, Hudson or The Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building, 3211 Church Street, Valatie.
Voters who wish to cast their ballot on August 23, Election Day, should check their polling place. It may be different. A notice with a list of local polling places appears on Page 3 of this issue of The Columbia Paper.
For more information call 518 828-3115 or go to www.columbiacountyny.com/elections
