The paper is a bit thicker this week, and that’s all because The Times is celebrating its 45th anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, we’ve put together a special section we hope you’ll want to hang on to as a keepsake.
I’ve only been here for about 13 of those 45 years, but we’ve still got people on staff who have been here for all (or at least most) of that entire run.
You ever notice that about a community newspaper? Bigger publications are known for having a good deal of churn but, if you walk into the office of just about any community newspaper in the country, you’re likely to find a handful of folks who have been covering their town for decades.
I don’t know what it is about community news coverage that garners that kind of commitment, but long-running knowledge of one’s community is a commodity you can’t really put a price on.
Actually, I suppose that’s not entirely true. The price this week is exactly a single dollar.
As has become tradition with our anniversary issues, you’ll find a lot more than details about our staff and operation. The back half of the special section is entirely dedicated to a brief rundown of the big news from every year the paper has been in publication. From landmark construction projects and big council decisions to school district highlights and events that went on to earn national attention, we break it all down in easy-to-digest panels for you to peruse at your leisure. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the history of Fountain Hills, this is your opportunity to take a crash course through all of the major headlines with a handful of photos thrown in to help stir up the memories.
You won’t see anything like this again until we celebrate our 50th, so this might be an issue worth keeping tucked in a drawer somewhere.
On top of all of those yearly rundowns, you’ll find a column from company president, Alan Cruikshank, who recounts in vivid detail some of his best memories from the town’s history. Publisher Brent Cruikshank has a column with his eyes firmly set on the future, while I ramble on for a bit about how much I love covering community news, a passion shared by the staff of The Times.
And speaking of that fantastic staff, you’ll also find a brief bio for all the men and women who make your local paper come together each week, from editorial and advertisements to production, office staff and delivery. We’re not a massive crew, but we take great pride in the paper and special publications we publish throughout the year.
We appreciate the fact that the history of The Times is directly tied to the history of Fountain Hills. We wouldn’t be here without the community we’re reporting on; the very same community that supports our business and efforts.
So if you’ve been with us for 45 years or 45 days, thanks for trusting The Fountain Hills Times to deliver your local news. If you’ll keep reading it, we’ll keep printing it.
