I was on the newspaper team that created The Windsor Times in 1987. I could claim to be one of its parents. My parental instincts are kicking in pretty hard right now, as we must make forced decisions about this newspaper’s fate. If you are among those who believe it takes a village to raise a child, then you would agree the same goes for a community newspaper. Unfortunately, a virus, a changed local economy and the loss of too many newspaper readers to Facebook, Google and elsewhere has put this newspaper on unsustainable footing.
We have been detailing in recent weeks our plan to “pivot to digital.” The same dedicated team of journalists will continue to cover all the council decisions at the town of Windsor, local schools activities, business community changes, church gatherings, public events and interesting people. How long we can continue to do this depends on you. We need your financial support and we need it now.
We will now be delivering the local news on our website, daily e-newsletters and sharing it on social media. We are changing from a once-a-week printed newspaper to a daily digital news organization. Our work will meet the highest standards of professional journalism. We will only “print” verified, fact-checked news, clearly labeled opinions and trustworthy information. We will try to be a little entertaining, too. Our staff remains totally dedicated to our local news mission and your information needs.
This is the last printed version of The Windsor Times until further notice. Counting this issue in your hands, we have printed 1,685 different weekly editions of The Windsor Times. The Times chronicled the hard-won birth of the town of Windsor in 1992, the development of the Raley’s Center and Lakewood Village. We witnessed the revival of Olde Town Windsor and the opening of the Town Green. We celebrated the completion of a magnificent Windsor High School in 2000 and we were regular attendees of the Windsor farmers market. Imagine none of those highlights, landmarks and accomplishments ever being recorded for history. Only a newspaper can do that — especially one dedicated to a local place and its people.
So now what? The ultimate fate of The Windsor Times is the responsibility of its owners, me and my wife Sarah Bradbury. Journalism has always been hard work, both for us and for conscientious readers. The best news comes from conversations and storytelling. We are grateful for so many of you who have joined us here on these pages for so many years.
We must now move into the future where people prefer instant communication and digital convenience. Faithful newsprint followers must now follow us on our websites, social media feed and daily e-newsletters. Give it a try and you will find as much Windsor news as you will find anywhere else.
Real news, the kind that can inform, educate and make a difference is not free. Our basic reader and web access fee is just $5 a month, or $60 a year. But we need more support than just this basic amount.
As we previously announced, we are converting the ownership of this news organization to a new nonprofit we helped found, Sonoma County Local News Initiative. The nonprofit is now open for business and accepting tax-deductible donations and other support.
None of us want to abandon print forever. We will continue to print special local news reports, community event and local festival programs and publications dedicated to promoting local businesses. Please support us in our community mission. Thank you.
Rollie Atkinson is the publisher of The Windsor Times and co-owner of Sonoma West Publishers.
