Serving the Towns of Wawarsing, Crawford, Mamakating, Rochester and Shawangunk, and everything in between
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Thank You So Much, Dear Readers,
For Your Continued Support!
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Editorial
A Rich Tapestry

So, let's have a chat. You and I.

As Publisher, I'm privileged not only to know many people in our community, but to have a legit excuse to stop folks on the street, ask them how they feel about life, or to just say hello.

I get to see the inner workings of some deals, and a slew of behind the scenes of community life.

It's fascinating. We have our characters, and our star players. Our gadflies, our ol' faithfuls, our notorious swingers. Our up-and-comers, our artists, our nature-cultivators, our politicians, our kids.

Everyone has a story.

The feuds and alliances; battles and bonds occurring all the time. Businesses opening, buildings bought, movies filmed — there's a rich tapestry of experience here, and I love the local color of it all.

I love that people fight for this community. Say what you will — everyone has a hard-earned opinion — but be ready for a swift defense. Over the last few weeks, we have collectively been holding our breaths — we all likely knew people in the destructive path of Mother Nature: the hurricanes, the earthquakes, it's enough to saunter to the nearest watering hole and decompress.

But then there are the small moments that shine. When the little girl at the Inspection Day Parade this past Saturday, supremely delighted by the fire trucks, says most of all she'd like one of those axes. Maybe I happen to be in front of Dale in the check-out at Peters, and we exchange a joke, or I meet a wonderful lady who's been with a local business for 50 years, and she tells me how much weight she can bench-press. Jim, who stops by every Thursday for his paper. Cooper poking his head out a second floor window to say hi. The kid who almost ran me over on the sidewalk with his bicycle. Local artists who invite me into their homes to see their incredible creations. The business owner who wants to try roller derby. Local mechanics who help me out when I'm in a bind. Meeting someone in person, by accident, whom I've only ever spoken to on the phone. Watching kids search for and hide those awesome painted rocks. These, and so many more, are the little moments that keep me going.

I'd be a fool if I said things are all rosy. There are real issues and questions out there that need to be fielded. Agricultural plans, zoning bruhahas, solar farms, water shortages, tax hikes... No one said there were any lack of issues. And so we provide compelling and thought-provoking coverage of these local issues. We talk to folks, we hit the streets, we delve and sit through countless board meetings. And we hear from you. Thank you for that. Thank you for all the calls and emails, thank you for supporting us because you know that our community needs a local paper to depend on.

That's what we do. We are here to shine a light on the good out there, and report on the issues weighing on folks' minds. Because everyone has a story. And everyone's story deserves to be told.

— Amberly Jane Campbell



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