Letter to Readers

Thanks to The Mountain Messenger’s Owner and Publisher Carl Butz’s multiple subscriptions to newspapers from around California and beyond, I came across a nugget from The Ferndale Enterprise printed on October 5, 2023:

“Owning The Ferndale Enterprise is not just a business endeavor; it’s a profound commitment to preserving our community’s identity and promoting its growth. It’s about upholding the values of transparency, accountability, and free expression that underpin a vibrant democracy. It’s about ensuring the stories of our neighbors, the achievements of our youth, and the concerns of our elders are shared with passion and integrity.” Melissa Sanderson, Owner/Publisher of North Coast Journal Inc.

In this one paragraph, Sanderson precisely captures what the Messenger team strives to bring to its readers every week. More than once, compliments for our new Editor’s coverage of the Board of Supervisors meetings have reached my ears. Subscribers appreciate his “concise” coverage of these meetings and other events. As I am nearing the end of my first year at the paper, I still feel pretty new, and we are still a small team with big goals in keeping California’s oldest continuously printed weekly paper alive and prosperous. Covering stories on local businesses like the reopening of JADAA’S, highlighting the “achievements of our youth,” and other news concerning our elders and folks of all ages in Sierra County is something I pursue with passion.

In streamlining our processes and all the tasks involved in producing a weekly paper, I asked reporter Sandy Sanders to take the lead in covering events concerning our local school, along with his usual reporting. Sanders is an asset. He brilliantly covered the Clamper Weekend and has several great stories in the works.

On most Tuesdays, I head over to the Downieville Community Hall for “Senior Lunch” and engage with locals of all ages. Interestingly enough, 99% of the time, I return to the office with a lead on a news story and have something timely to research and report on — worthy of your time to read...hence our discovering the unfortunate fate of the mountain biker who went missing last Friday, resulting in a quick walk over to the Sheriff’s Office where Sheriff Fisher obliged with the promise of an update to the paper for our readers. Tuesday’s lunch also revealed that the Clampers from ECV Downieville, Chapter 1849, made a $300 donation to the Downieville Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary. Successful small-town reporting greatly depends on community members willing to share with the press news that comes their way. Otherwise, in many instances, we would truly be the last ones to “know.” So for that, I say “thank you” to those who are always willing to engage our team from near and afar, bringing us stories or providing feedback on published articles.

On the horizon, in an effort to provide “transparency” and “accountability” in the world of justice, subscribers can expect to read more in-depth coverage of some of the most interesting court cases transpiring at the Sierra County Superior Court.

Angela Shannon

Assistant Editor