01/19/2024
Due to rising costs and dwindling advertising, it is with great sadness that I am announcing that publication of the Hometown Journal will be discontinued in the coming weeks/months.
I will continue to publish the paper for as many weeks/months that costs can be covered. If new advertising comes in, it will extend our ability to publish. Annual subscriptions will continue to be billed to help cover current costs, but there is no guarantee of how many issues will be published. Please call the office if you recently made a payment and have any questions. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
It’s been a wonderful 17-plus years, and the idea of closing the paper is definitely an emotional decision. The Hometown Journal, formerly The Journal, has been published since 1928, covering positive, local news and small-town information that larger publications and the internet ignore.
When the former owner stopped publishing in 2006 due to financial struggles, I saw an opportunity. Having a degree in Technical Writing and Editing with a minor in Journalism, plus experience working at The Vindicator and The Morning Journal as an editor and writer, I jumped at the chance to add publisher to my job titles. Born and raised in Struthers, I loved growing up in a small town, and it was always my dream to run a small, weekly paper. I had the paper back up and running in weeks.
My mission was to put a spotlight on student achievements, high school sports and positive events happening in the community.
In order to manage costs, I opened a tiny office across from Struthers City Hall, saving hundreds of dollars in rent and utilities that the old office previously used on Lowellville Road. When I say tiny, I mean it was basically a closet, but we managed for a few years until space became available in the Home Savings and Loan building. With four rooms, including a small kitchenette, it was a luxury, but very affordable. When the COVID pandemic hit, I was forced to close the office and began working from home, another cost-cutting side benefit.
There were only a few printing companies publishing broadsheet newspapers in 2006, so I continued using Ellwood City Printing until they went out of business. During that time, I streamlined production of the paper by doing away with the time-consuming “cut and paste” production and started producing a digital copy of the paper, again saving time and money. When Ellwood City went out of business, printing moved to Lyle Printing in Salem until they discontinued printing broadsheet newspapers and then printing moved to the Morning Journal in Lisbon.
Over the years, I’ve seen many small businesses close and watched as advertising income dwindled. I am so grateful for our loyal advertisers who continue to see the value in supporting a local newspaper. Becker Funeral Homes, Kirila Funeral Home and Wasko Funeral Home have been with the paper from the start and continue to publish their ads. The business card page has dwindled from about 30 business cards to only 14. John’s Electric Sewerooter, Elmo Tire and Lyons Electric are the only three original business cards still advertising. The other 11 businesses have been advertising for many years and include Struthers Hall for Rent, Uncle Joe’s Storage, Struthers Credit Union, Milano Monuments, Campbell Hardware, Struthers Church of Christ, Struthers Rotary, AMVETS Post 44, Gessler Propane, No Limit Lawn Care and Generator Specialist. A huge thank you goes out to these businesses who have helped keep the Journal alive for so long.
Most importantly, and the true heart of this paper, are its subscribers. When I took over the paper in 2006, I honored the subscriptions from the previous publisher so readers didn’t have to pay for their subscription a second time. I was amazed at how many people came in to say thank you for continuing the publication. Over the years, I regularly received notes, letters and phone calls thanking me for publishing the paper. Old and young, readers spoke of how the paper was a staple in their house and how much they loved reading the local news. That will be the toughest part of closing the paper – disappointing such fiercely loyal readers.
Thank you to my editorial assistant, Leanne Lee, who has helped me get the paper ready each week for the past two years. I can honestly say she’s been with me “through sickness and health” because this dedicated girl even worked when she had COVID. She’s covered me for vacations and worked holidays with no complaint. She’s been a dependable and valuable employee who helped me keep my sanity through deadline after deadline. Many thanks.
A special thank you to Bob Granchie who has delighted readers for years with his column, Scouting 101. I can’t tell you how many times a subscriber shared how much they loved reading his article even though they didn’t have any Scouters, or even children, for that matter. His good humor, Catholic faith and support of Scouting were evident every week as he volunteered his time to support the youth in our community. His dedication in keeping us informed about the Knights of Columbus and St. Nicholas Church activities was a bonus. You’re a real gem, Bob, and we will all miss your articles.
Last, but definitely not least, a huge thank you and debt of gratitude goes out to Frank Marr who has generously donated his time and talent to provide us with photos of local sports and community events. No matter what the event, he was happy to cover it, even with a last-minute notice, which happened often. His tireless generosity and kindness has been a blessing to the paper and the community. Frank’s photos have filled our pages each week and brought smiles to our readers, and I thank you, Frank Marr! You are the best!
I’ve seen mayors and city officials come and go, community clubs dwindle to a few members and close completely and small businesses shut their doors. I can’t count the number of community members and subscribers who have passed away over the years. I’ve watched as grade school students posted on the honor roll moved on to high school and college and became productive community members as adults.
It’s been my pleasure to publish the paper for over 17 years. I thank each and every person who contributed in any way to make the paper a reality each week. To those who diligently sent their news every week, thank you. To our advertisers, a huge debt of thanks. To our subscribers, you’re the best, most loyal readers a publisher could ask for. To the community, my apologies for being forced to close the doors on a beloved staple in the community for over 95 years.
