-Isms: Views on life in rural America

Volume three, number one.

Man, woman and child: It felt good to type those numbers in the flag of this week's edition.

Two years ago, Scott and I turned a vision into reality and founded the Advocate-Messenger and ColdType Publishing, LLC. It started like a whirlwind, and some days, it still feels like we're being carried from place to place via the wind, whether it's covering a community celebration, school event or a monthly board meeting. We look forward to telling the stories important to you and our neighbors. We have a long list of articles we believe you'll enjoy. If you have an idea for a story or a photo opportunity, contact our office at 402-485-2101 or email [email protected].

It's been hard work yet rewarding, occasionally frustrating yet humbling, to be able to deliver a weekly newspaper to your mailbox.

Who would have thought eight months after launch, a worldwide pandemic would slow business. We persevered, though. Like other mom-and-pop operations, we struggled; yet, we tightened the proverbial belt and moved forward.

We gained a lot of perspective during the first two years and our mission remains firm. We believe in community - the Summerland community - and the opportunities we have here in the heartland. We also understand challenges we collectively face. We will continue to provide a quality product we all can be proud to call hometown, local news.

One change you will see, effective Sept. 1, will be a $5 increase on subscription prices. The adjustment will be necessary since the U.S. Postal Service announced, effective Aug. 29, a postal increase. According to the National Newspaper Association, the USPS rate hike could add an 8.806% strain on community newspapers and magazines. An in-county subscription may see an 8.31% postal increase.

At a purchase price of 86 cents per issue, a subscription to your local newspaper makes sense. In addition to our print edition, subscribers receive access to our online Eedition, free of charge.

As we begin our third year, we look forward to adding a few new features to the paper, so stay tuned for updates.

When people say, "It takes a village to raise a child," the same philosophy can be applied to a newspaper. Scott and I are grateful for our co-workers who report to the office - in person or virtually, the photographers who capture perfect moments, our freelance writers who share their passions, advertisers who continue let us craft campaigns to promote their businesses and our readers who support local. Together, we combine our talents, ideas and opinions to make one heck of a team.

Cheers to year three.