Memberships are more than halfway there

By Becky and Jack Clark

Co-publishers

The Town Crier now has 12 business members:  Baily Winery (Carol & Phil Baily); Everitt’s Minerals & Gallery (Janet & Larry Everitt); The Family Business (tax preparation – Craig & Janice Coopersmith); Fern Creek Medical Center; Fern Valley Inn (Gary & Marcie Erb); Idyllwild Backhoe (Carol & David Jones, Denise & Justin Jones); Idyllwild Vacation Rentals (Chris Titus); Middle Ridge Winery Tasting Gallery (Chris & Melody Johnston); Mountain High Escrow; The Red Kettle (restaurant); Sandlin & Son Refrigeration (David Sandlin); and Sub Rosa Apothecary (Julia Meadows & Marc Peterman).

We also now have six nonprofit and public agency members:  Fern Valley Water District; Friends of San Jacinto Mountain County Parks; Hemet Public Library; Idyllwild Animal Rescue Friends; Idyllwild Arts Academy; and St. Hugh’s Episcopal Church.

But we cannot, and will not, give up on business advertising.

We want to remind Idyllwild businesses that advertising in the Town Crier is “focused advertising.” You’re not paying for circulation to hundreds of thousands of people only a tiny fraction of whom are interested in Idyllwild. You know every Town Crier reader is truly interested in Idyllwild because they are paying to read Idyllwild’s newspaper.

Also, instead of competing to be noticed among hundreds of other ads in a large newspaper, in the Town Crier your ad is “highly visible”. Your business can dominate a page.

And remember that your Town Crier ad “endures” for an entire week because readers don’t toss out their TC until a new issue arrives. The Town Crier stays right there by their chair, and is read and reread all week. It’s like advertising for a whole week in a daily newspaper at a fraction of the cost.

So your Town Crier advertising is focused, highly visible and enduring. And that’s good for your business.

Lastly, we ask all TC Members to remember to support Hill businesses that support your local newspaper with their advertising. That’s a win-win-win for all of us.

We’ve reiterated our view that a newspaper is a community watchdog that publishes the bad with the good. It warns of danger, advises of opportunity, challenges authority, praises accomplishment, investigates irregularity, marvels at art, exposes abuse, celebrates life and publishes its readers’ letters. If a publication does not do all of those things, it may be something else, but it’s not a newspaper.

It’s now been 15 weeks since we began the Town Crier Membership model to save a newspaper for our Hill community. The objective was to keep the Town Crier from retiring when we do, which should be sometime next summer. To enable that, we need to bring the newspaper revenues up to where its currently unpaid employee positions — especially including that of the editor in chief — could become reasonably compensated. Because if the Town Crier is “breaking even” only if it has an editor, proofreader, pick-up and distribution person, light-duty handyman and occasional lawyer who will work for free, then the paper isn’t really breaking even at all. It would be very difficult, if not impossible, to find new owners who would be willing to work for free and continue to operate the Town Crier as a real, community newspaper.

So, it is with gratitude and renewed optimism that we can report that we now are well more than halfway to the increased annual revenues we estimate we will need for the Town Crier to continue on. During these past 15 weeks, there has been an outpouring of readers who are willing to support the TC with new Memberships at various levels they can afford.

We now are at the stage wherein existing subscribers are converting to Memberships. This is happening at the rate of about 10 to 12 per week as old subscriptions expire, and we see no reason why it should not continue at that rate through to the one-year anniversary of the Membership campaign on next Aug. 16 — about 37 weeks from now. That would bring Town Crier Membership to around 700 supporting Members at all levels.

This kind of membership support can enable the Town Crier to continue to serve our community just as long as its readers want it.

Idyllwild Town Crier
Charter Members

Saving and Supporting the Town Crier
for our Community

(300 Charter Members as of Nov. 27, 2017)

Angels (4) — Other amount, unlimited above $1,000 annually:  Nancy Borchers $2,000; Kathy & Tom Kluzak $1,250; Sub Rosa Apothecary (Julia Meadows & Marc Peterman) $1,200; (1) Anonymous $2,500.

Heroes (4) — $1,000 annually:  Anne & Barnaby Finch; Charles “Chic” Fojtik; Janice Lyle; (1) Anonymous $1,000.

Patrons (9) — $500+ annually:  Scott Bump & Cynthia Grady; Morgan Cannon; Kitty Kieley Hayes; Pamela Jordan & Christopher Scott; Ron Luebbert; The Mills Family; Dave & Shanna Robb; (2) Anonymous $500.

Sponsors (57) — $250+ annually:  Donald Abrams; Sharon & Thomas Apostle; Austin Tile (Chris & Julee Austin); Anne Bleaden; Pete & Suzy Capparelli; Blair Ceniceros; Diann Coate; Laurel & Redmond Corbett; Arthur & Deborah Cravets; Sandii Castleberry Daigh; Isabelle Dubois; Marcia Edwards $300; The Family Business (tax preparation - Craig & Janice Coopersmith); Dave & Laurie Fraser; Marsha & Susan Freed; Friends of San Jacinto Mountain County Parks; Dick & Karen Hadik; Paula & Robert Hetzler; David Hunt & Kris Kirschbaum; Idyllwild Backhoe (Carol & David Jones, Denise & Justin Jones); Idyllwild Vacation Rentals (Chris Titus); Christine Iger; Ben & Nanci Killingsworth; Anne & Jon King; Kathy & Will Kleindienst; Dianne Lake; Barbara Larsh; John Larue $350; Jason Laurence & Alexandra Napier; Martha Ludlum & Steven Morris; Chuck & Martha Lumia; Nancy Wallace Lungren for Don & Elizabeth Wallace Family Trust; Linda McCaughin & Phil Strong; Charles & Margaret Mooney; Mountain High Escrow; Sue Nash & Tom Paulek; Thomas Noce; Betty & Walter Parks; Ben & Rue Pine; Raphael Plunkett; Andy Ridgwell; Fran & Steve Robb; Martha & Scott Schroeder; Gary Schwandner; Paul Shnable; Adele & Bob Smith; Karen Smith; Anne Stone; Greg Trigeiro; Alex & Valerie Virtue; Barry & Jolene Wallace; Kay Wanner & Charlies Wix; Brian Weiss; Barbara Woolfolk; (3) Anonymous $250.

Sustaining Readers (226) — $100+ annually:  Patricia Altman; D.M. Ankenbrandt; Baily Winery (Carol & Phil Baily) $150; Bruce Bainbridge; Robert Ballard; Cheryl & Lon Barr; Albert Bates; Jeanne Bauer; Kathleen & Ron Beaufort; Nancy Beddingfield & Paul Leverenz; Kerry Berman; Rick Bernardin; Cathy & Doug Bernhagen; Douglas & Maureen Boren; Ron Boustead & Ruth Riven Boustead; Bernard & Jorgine Brause $200; Denise Brown & David Golman; Paul Browne; Ann & Will Brundage; Kathy Bryson; Charles Buchanan; Jeanne & Jerry Buchanan; Kenneth Camoirano; Bruce Campbell; Garrett & Harmeet Capune; James Cate; Steve Chadwick; Duane & Ermylee Chamlee; Ben & Jean Chase; Reg Cohen; Nancy Collins; Roberta Corbin & Lawrence Kueneman; Virginia Criste; Joe Curtis; Barbara & David Cutter; Barbara Czescik; Margaret & Michael D’Ambra; Namir Danluji; Jayne Davis; Mark Davis & Eduardo Santiago; Iris & Peter Davison; John & Linda Denver; Mizzi Diamond & Tim Doyle; Sherryn Digby; Ruthe Donlon; Carol & Dennis Dunbar; Greg & Nancy Dunlap; John Dunne; Jennie & Steven Espinosa; Everitt’s Minerals & Gallery (Janet & Larry Everitt); Fern Creek Medical Center; Fern Valley Inn (Gary & Marcie Erb); Fern Valley Water District; Farah Fisher; Amy Fogerson & Kent Weishaus; Chris Fox; Michael Franich; Françoise Frigola; Roland Gaebert; Bruce & Carolyn Ganoe; Merle & Rosemarie Gardner; Don & Louise Giger; John & Kathleen Gilliland; Cathy & Gil Gillogly; Dick & Jan Goldberg; Christine & Jan Goldsmith; Eleanor Gorth; Mary Gosney & Rebecca Gunn; Patti Gould; Gary & Joan Gray; Bob & Corrine Greenamyer; Karin & Richard Greenwood; Harry Griswold & Stephanie Webber; Mark Gumprecht & Christine Rheaume; Carolyn Hall; Linda Hanson; Marcia Harlan & Charles Phelan; Emily Heebner & Eric Young; Hemet Public Library; Carole Herman & Sandi Mathers; Paul & Theresa Hert; Wayne Hester; Robert Hewitt & Janice Murasko; Jim & Mary Hobbes; Heidi & Todd Hoggan; Richard Honn & Marguerite Snow; Douglas Hopper; Idyllwild Animal Rescue Friends; Idyllwild Arts Academy; David Israelsky & Janice Zahn; Don “Jac” & Mimi Jacaruso; Jan Jaspers-Fayer; Josh & Lea Johnson; Barbara Jones; Wendy Kahle; Doug Kelbert; Donna & Sam Kelly; Marilyn Kemple; Donna Kennedy & William Linehan; Ted & Beverly Kilman; Barbara & Ted Kinoshita; Helen Knauer; Marcia & Ron Krull; Nadiene Kuhn for Diane Smith; Diana & Terry Kurr; Elaine Latimer; Erin Latimer; Trudy Levy; Bob Lippert; Elizabeth Locke; Elaine Lockhart; Barbara & Michael Longbrook; Cathy & Dave Lopez; Marsha Lytle; Michèle Marsh & Peter Szabadi; Brian Marshall; Brian C. Marshall; Barbara Mathahs; Erin Matthews; Bret McCaughin-Strong; Ralph McClurg; Joan McCullough; Maureen McElligott; Michael McKenzie & Robert Thorson; Jane Meier; Carol Mendoza; George & Sheila Meyer; Leslea Meyerhoff; Maurice Meysenburg; Middle Ridge Winery Tasting Gallery (Chris & Melody Johnston); Susan Millard; Marcia & Richard Montaño; Melissa Montgomery-Lynch; Maria & Mark Morgan; Wayne Myers & Aaron Twombly; Marion Nelson; Christen Ng; Shannon Ng; Gwen Oesch; Dawn & Jim O’Keeffe; Steve Olson & Stephanie Yost; Robert Parker; Neil Passage; Gerald Pauley; Anthony Pearson; Barbara & Dave Pelham; Heather Perry; Cecil & Shirley Peters; Robert Peterson; John Petty; Marlene & Thomas Pierce; Jim Pomeroy $150; Jack & Nancy Pyster; Bob & Elaine Rahman; Ed & Sandy Reed; Mike Reed; Jim Rees; George & Kathryn Reeves; Don & Nancy Reiterman; Linda & Manny Rider; Margaret & Ned Roberts; Debbi Roeder; Maureen & Steve Rose; Don & Julie Roy; Robert Sandifer; Sandlin & Son Refrigeration (David Sandlin); Vic Scavarda; Charles Schelly; Richard Schnetzer; Steve Shaw; Dale Sheneman; Judith & Ronald Shenkman; Doug & Lois Sheppard; Teruo Shida; Carol Simonek; Bee Smith; Bill & Linda Smith; Jeannie Sprenger; Patricia and Will Sproule; St. Hugh’s Episcopal Church; Edward Stavert; Jean Stein & Pamela Williams; Kirk & Yvonne Stephenson; Richard Stinson; Patsy & Steven Stratton; Stephen Sutton; Mary Talley; Jim Tanner; Jacob & Theresa Teel; James & Joanne Tenney; John Thomford; Norman Toback; Arthur Tobias; Deidre & Joe Vail; David Verplank; Anne & Douglas Walker; Barb & Thom Wallace; Pamela Walton; Bill Waring; Glenn Warren; Sallie Warwick; Annette Wasell c/o Aria Board & Care; Charles & Susan Weisbart; Sheila Weldon; Sharon & Stephen White; Bob & Sunny Wilcox; Richard Wilkerson; Barbara & Steve Wilkes; Joanne Williams; Elizabeth & Thomas Wirt; Jim Wise; Catherine Wood; James Wymer; Fredricka & Paul Young; Linda Young; Sandy Ziegler for Michael Van Zee; Alexander and Lorna Zukas; (1) Anonymous $200; (8) Anonymous $100.

Thank you all!

And please remember that the Town Crier’s weekly News Meeting is open to the entire public. That’s where we decide on the stories we will cover in the next issue of the paper. Some readers have regularly attended and contributed for years. The news meetings currently are at the Town Crier office at 54405 North Circle Drive, Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m., unless Monday is a Town Crier holiday — then the meeting is at 8:30 a.m. the following day, Thursday. The next meeting after this Wednesday morning’s Nov. 29 meeting is Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 8:30 a.m.