Dear Readers,
As I am sure most of you know, four weeks ago, The Sentinel announced that it was closing its doors and had published its final issue. What might have seemed final at the time, has turned out to be a mere pause. I am happy to say that with the printing of this edition, not only is The Sentinel back, but back for what I hope is a long, long time.
Less than a month ago, my wife and I were approached with a unique and unexpected opportunity to acquire The Sentinel and take over its operation. Though I never had dreams or aspirations of owning a newspaper, I appreciate the value that good local newspapers bring to their communities and that significance resonates deeply with me. After some thoughtful consideration and prayer, we decided to commit to The Sentinel’s journey. I am its new owner and publisher.
At their worst, newspapers can be purveyors of misinformation, contain biased reporting and publish sensationalized narratives that negatively impact public understanding and trust. At their best they are informative, uplifting, and help people to recognize and appreciate the world around them. My goal for The Sentinel is the latter. I, along with the rest of our team, are committed to providing a trustworthy paper that is accurate, timely, and relevant. A paper that fosters a sense of community, encourages civic engagement, and supports our local businesses. Some of our future issues will be great, some will be less so. Anywhere we fall short of the mark will be an error that is human and honest. Collectively, we will view those mistakes as opportunities for The Sentinel to learn, grow, and
get better.
The staff at the Sentinel understands that along with the privilege of publishing a newspaper comes great responsibility. When someone selects you as their source of news or when a local business chooses to spend their advertising dollars with you are important decisions that we respect. It is impossible to print a newspaper that appeals to everyone – and we are not going to try to do that. We want to publish a paper that appeals to as many of our citizens as possible. In doing so, we will remain committed to not confusing the majority of our neighbors with any small, loud minority that might be out there.
When we acquired The Sentinel from George, he encouraged my wife and I to make the paper our own and take it the direction we best saw fit. We are grateful for the trust and confidence he placed in us and plan to do just as he hoped. Some things about the future of The Sentinel will seem familiar; our publishing schedule, our focus on the school and its students, and highlighting local events of interest. Some things about The Sentinel will feel new and we hope, refreshing. We will still provide a platform for holding elected officials and institutions accountable and we will do so in a manner that is transparent and responsible.
There will be some of you who are very pleased to see The Sentinel is back and charting a new course. To all of you in that category, we are grateful for your support and backing. There are others who would just as well have seen The Sentinel stay closed and some who will actively work to see The Sentinel fail, and that’s okay too. We respect everyone’s right to act in their own best interests and make decisions according to their beliefs and values – you can expect that we will do the same. So, whether you are a long-time Sentinel subscriber and reader, or you have never held a copy of our paper in your hands, we view you as part of the community we wish to serve. We believe that positive influences are contagious and hope the positive impact we produce for our great readers is both far-reaching and meaningful.
I hope that you are as excited as I am to see The Sentinel continue. If you are a long-time subscriber or advertiser, we appreciate you and hope you will continue. If you are less familiar with The Sentinel, as an advertiser or reader, we hope that you will give us a try. Thanks in advance for your patience in the days and weeks ahead. I have lots to learn about publishing a newspaper. I am committed to our community and am buoyed right now by the enormous outreach and support my family and I have received in making this decision and our excitement about the positive role The Sentinel can play in the future of our society.
Sincerely,
Michael Foster
Owner and Publisher