Why not just a subscription?
We received a note this past week from a reader explaining why they were rejecting our Membership model:
“Why would Ipay $100 a year or more, when I have always paid $39 per year for several years? I will just buy my Town Crier at the market. Do not bill me again unless you bring your subscription down to where it used to be.”
Well, the good news within that note is that this person lives locally and is, and will continue to be, a regular reader of the Town Crier. For that, we thank you.
But we’re sure this person is not the only one who doesn’t yet get it, so let me explain in different terms why we went to a Membership model.
The simple answer is that $39 per year wasn’t making it. It didn’t begin to pay for producing and mailing out 52 copies a year to a subscriber. If we had kept the old subscription model at $39, which we had done for years, this dear reader would not be able to buy a Town Crier this week at a local market — or anywhere else.
The longer answer is that, across our entire nation, newspaper advertising has decreased dramatically. While advertising used to be the backbone of a community newspaper, that no longer is the case, and this is true for the Idyllwild Town Crier, as well. The number of businesses and organizations advertising in the Town Crier has been increasing of late, but it’s still nowhere near where it was when the paper was sustained by advertising.
So, last August we decided the fate of the newspaper would have to be written by those who appreciate it the most — our readers. We went with the headline “Does the Town Crier have a future? Our readers must decide.” And they did.
We now have 553 Members at various levels of contribution who do get it and who realize that it will take our Members annually pitching in what they can afford to keep the Town Crier coming. But for those who just cannot afford an annual Membership, there are 10 locations on the Hill where the TC can be purchased by the issue. And for those whose budgets cannot include $1 a week for a newspaper, we have made Town Criers available for free to clients of the Help Center. It also can be read at the Idyllwild and Hemet public libraries.
Again, our thanks to you all for saving and supporting a real newspaper for our community.
Town Crier Charter Members
Saving and Supporting the Town Crier
for our Community
(553 Charter Members as of June 26, 2018)
Angels (5) — Other amount, unlimited above $1,000 annually: Nancy Borchers $2,000; Ying Chen & Andrew Lichtman, attorneys at law $1,006; 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 (70) — $250+ annually: Donald Abrams; Sharon & Thomas Apostle; Austin Tile (Chris & Julee Austin); Paul Bailey; Baldy Mountain Ranch (Alma Peters); Robert Ballard; Anne Bleaden; Christopher Brightman; Pete & Suzy Capparelli; Blair Ceniceros; Diann Coate; Laurel & Redmond Corbett; Arthur & Deborah Cravets; Sandii Castleberry Daigh; David Cutter Certified Financial Planner (Barbara & David Cutter) $350; Isabelle Dubois; Gordon Duerr, Jr.; Marcia Edwards $300; Guy & Nancy Excell; The Family Business (tax preparation - Craig & Janice Coopersmith); Dave & Laurie Fraser; Marsha & Susan Freed; Friends of the Idyllwild Library; 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; Robert & Susan Krieger; 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; Oakwood Village (Dorie Kanning); Betty & Walter Parks; Ben & Rue Pine; Raphael Plunkett; Carmen & Greg Rich; Andy Ridgwell; Fran & Steve Robb; Martha & Scott Schroeder; Gary Schwandner; Judith & Ronald Shenkman; Paul Shnable; Adele & Bob Smith; Karen Smith; Anne Stone; Greg Trigeiro; Terry Tweedt; Alex & Valerie Virtue; Barry & Jolene Wallace; Kay Wanner & Charlie Wix; Brian Weiss; Barbara Woolfolk; (3) Anonymous $250.
Sustaining Readers (465) — $100+ annually: Karl Abert; Patricia Altman; Becky Andelson; Diane Anderson; Ellen Anderson-Alkire; D.M. Ankenbrandt; Carolyn & James Ausman $200; Doug Austin; Jim & Mary Austin, a gift from Patricia Austin; Patricia Austin; Baily Winery (Carol & Phil Baily) $150; Bruce Bainbridge; Christopher Balian & Muriel Balian; Lynnette Banks; Randy Barnes; Cheryl & Lon Barr; Kristen Barry; Lulu Baskins-Leva & Gary Leva; Albert Bates; Jeanne Bauer; Kathleen & Ron Beaufort; Nancy Beddingfield & Paul Leverenz; Nancy & Richard Beggs; Denise Belcher; Charles Bennett; Donald Bentley; Emil Bereczky; Harvey Berger & Janice Mulligan; Chris Berggren & John Weidner; Kerry Berman; Rick Bernardin; Cathy & Doug Bernhagen; Antoinette Berthelotte $125; Alan Bick; Daniel Bitner; Donald & Robert Blackman; Richmond Blake; Jan Boller; William Bongiovanni; Will Bonnar & Karen Georg; John & Susanne Bonnet; Douglas & Maureen Boren; Ron Boustead & Ruth Riven Boustead; Deeann Bradley & Tim Chavez; Irene & Robert Brahm; Bernard & Jorgine Brause $200; Linda Briggs; Audrey Brown, a gift from Hill Champion; Denise Brown & David Golman; Paul Browne; Paula Browne & Joseph Stumpf; Ann & Neal Brukardt; Ann & Will Brundage; Edgar & Joyce Bryan; Kathy Bryson; Charles Buchanan; Jeanne & Jerry Buchanan; David & Marilyn Buck; Peter Buerkle; Brian Callahan; Kenneth Camoirano; Bruce Campbell; Garrett & Harmeet Capune; John & Patricia Carratello; James Cate; Steve Chadwick; Duane & Ermylee Chamlee; Ben & Jean Chase; Sanders Chase; Liz Chiment; Jeffrey Chojnacki; Clear Water Pool and Spa Service (Allison & John Jordan); Reg Cohen; Nancy Collins; George & Heather Companiott; Gail & John Cooley; Roberta Corbin & Lawrence Kueneman; Elena Courtemanche; Melanie & Tom Cox; Molly Cozens; Wayne Craycroft; Virginia Criste; Joe Curtis; Barbara Czescik; Margaret & Michael D’Ambra; Namir Danluji; Jerry Daquila; Catherine Davis; Jayne Davis; Mark Davis & Eduardo Santiago; Iris & Peter Davison; Dave Day; Doug & Marta Deffenbaugh; John & Linda Denver; Mizzi Diamond & Tim Doyle; Tom Dickinson & Bev McCullough; Sherryn Digby; Linda Dinko, a gift from Spanky; Jon Dittmer; Ruthe Donlon; Bonnie Doshier, a gift from Jean Stein; Don & Karen Doshier; Carolyn & James Drake; Carol & Dennis Dunbar; Greg & Nancy Dunlap; Drs. Dunn & Dunn (Dr. Heber Dunn); John Dunne; Alicia & Stuart Eberhardt; Sverre & Gerd Eng; Anne Erikson; Jennie & Steven Espinosa; Pat Evans; Everitt’s Minerals & Gallery (Janet & Larry Everitt); Ellen Feeley & David Jason; Cleve & Peggy Ferguson; Fern Creek Medical Center; Fern Valley Inn (Gary & Marcie Erb); Fern Valley Water District; Karen Fina; Juanita First; Farah Fisher; Maurice Flora & Aletrice Martin; Amy Fogerson & Kent Weishaus; Chris Fox; Michael Franich; Françoise Frigola; Keith & Sandy Froelhich; Tedd Froehlich; Mike & Julie Furby; Roland Gaebert; Bruce & Carolyn Ganoe; Gary Garcia; Gary Gardener; Merle & Rosemarie Gardner; Julie Gibson-Vasquez; Don & Louise Giger; John Gill; John & Kathleen Gilliland; Cathy & Gil Gillogly; Elaine Godzak; Dick & Jan Goldberg; Dottie & Mel Goldfarb; Christine & Jan Goldsmith; Jeffrey Gonzales; Eleanor Gorth $200; Mary Gosney & Rebecca Gunn; Galal Gough; Patti Gould; Gary & Joan Gray; Bob & Corrine Greenamyer; Karin & Richard Greenwood; Harry Griswold & Stephanie Webber; Mark & Angela Gross; Mark Gumprecht & Christine Rheaume; Carolyn Hall; Donna Hannefield & Russell Smith; Linda Hanson; Marcia Harlan & Charles Phelan; Matt & Regina Harrigan, a gift from James Harrigan; Alan Harvey; Judy Haw; Maury Heden; Emily Heebner & Eric Young; Hemet Public Library; Hemet Unified School District; Janice Herdey; Carole Herman & Sandi Mathers; Paul & Theresa Hert; Wayne Hester; Robert Hewitt & Janice Murasko; Helen & Jeff Hixon; Jim & Mary Hobbes; Heidi & Todd Hoggan; Jerry & Kathryn Holldber; Walt Holloway; Peggy Holsclaw; Richard Honn & Marguerite Snow; Ken Hooton; Douglas Hopper; Jan Houghton; Christy & Robert Howard; Wayne Howard; Eugene Hubbard; Bobbi Huinker; Frank Hungerford; Larry Hyder; Barbara Hynes; Joan Marie & Thomas Iaccino; Idyllwild Animal Rescue Friends; Idyllwild Master Chorale; Idyllwild Ventures (Neal Goldman); Idyllwild Water District; Tom Inocencio & Gail Wesson; David Israelsky & Janice Zahn; Don “Jac” & Mimi Jacaruso; Ron Jackson, a gift from Scott Corbett; Jan Jaspers-Fayer (#1); Jan Jaspers-Fayer (#2); Martha Jay; Laurie Jewell & David Wieder; David & Marla Johnson; Ed & Linda Johnson; Josh & Lea Johnson; Julie Johnson; Barbara Jones; Wendy Kahle; Lorraine Kassarjian; Ron Keating; Dave Keena; Doug Kelbert; Bill Kellogg; Donna & Sam Kelly; Marilyn Kemple; Donna Kennedy & William Linehan; Teresa Kilfoyle; Ted & Beverly Kilman; Lawrence King; Barbara & Ted Kinoshita; Dan Kirby; Stan Kling; Helen Knauer; Lydia & Wolfgang Knauss; Julie Koppel; Marcia & Ron Krull; Paul Kucharczyk; Nadiene Kuhn for Diane Smith; Diana & Terry Kurr; Carl & Pamela Lagoni, a gift from Maxine Wells; Lake Hemet Municipal Water District; Don & Mimi Lamp; Karen & Mel Lansky; James Larkin; Gordon Larson; Elaine Latimer; Erin Latimer; Dale & Linda Lee; Ileana Lee; David Leonard; Daniel & Jane Levy; Trudy Levy; Bob Lippert; Elizabeth Locke; Elaine Lockhart; Barbara & Michael Longbrook; Rafael Lopes; Cathy & Dave Lopez; Kathy & Ken Luber; Virginia Lumb; Marsha Lytle; Kerry & William Manos; Virginia Mardesich; Pandra & Tapio Markkula; Michèle Marsh & Peter Szabadi; Brian Marshall; Brian C. Marshall; Barbara Mathahs; Erin Matthews; Lynette Maxey; Barbara & Robert McCalla; Lucy McCampbell; Bret McCaughin-Strong; Carol McClintic; Ralph McClurg; Joan McCullough; Maureen McElligott; Bob & Marilyn McEwen; Cal & Nancy McIntosh; Dick McKee, a gift from Jerry & Kathryn Holldber in memory of Virginia; Michael McKenzie & Robert Thorson; Colonel & Bonnie McLyman; Kelly McMakin; Jane Meier; Joan Melling; Carol Mendoza; George & Sheila Meyer; Leslea Meyerhoff; Maurice Meysenburg; Middle Ridge Winery Tasting Gallery (Chris & Melody Johnston); Susan Millard; Mary Ann Miller; Marcia & Richard Montaño; Melissa Montgomery-Lynch; Elanie Moore; Tim Moore; Maria & Mark Morgan; Walt & Liz Mueller; Carol Murrel; John Myers; Lauren & Mark Myers; Susan Myers; Wayne Myers & Aaron Twombly; June Nelson;
