Publisher’s Letter: What it Takes, Adventures Continue! (Part 2)

Last week I wrote about how “snowmageddon” put a wrench in many of my current plans. This week, it continues!

The cold weather has dried up the shallow well where I’m staying. The house went dry, and I went into a frantic multi-week project to restore water flow. I’m sad to say that the well is not performing. So, the house owner now has the arduous and expensive task of drilling a new one!

These things take time. It could be months before we have a working well again. So, being the problem solver, I dusted off my toolbag, worked out a plan with the owner of the house, and got to work.

The tractor is still stuck. Many of my tools are inaccessible because of snow. So, I borrowed another Tractor (thanks, Ben)! I went up the hill, plowed along the way, and got my two off-grid 275-gallon water tanks down the mountain. I put them on my little trailer and brought them to the house in the country.

Luckily, in the meantime, we had a shower and bathroom. Thanks to Winne (donated by Helen, thank you). I parked the Winne by the front door of the house.

Then, I hooked the large tanks to the house, bypassing the well, and voila! We had hot running water in the place. About 1-week later, my initial testing for portable (potable) water trucked in by me — from the City of Fort Collins — was successful!

Meanwhile, my other friend took charge of getting the tractor out (thank you, TJ). As of this writing, he is up on the mountain with a wrecker designed to lift the tractor out of the ditch and get it back on the road — just in time for the next snow (scheduled the day this newspaper comes out).

What would I do without all these people?!?! I have met or worked with all of them through North Forty News.

I have said this before, but North Forty News has presented many life challenges while helping me solve others! I could only have done what I’m doing today if North Forty News was still going. I’m thankful for the hard work my team and I have put into this for the past five years. And we are trucking on! Sales projections are up, and circulation continues to rise.

As for our goal of 1,000 new subscribers by January? Well, time is ticking, and we are slowly making progress. We have gained 44 new subscribers in two months, with 956 to go. 

Why not subscribe? We have a plan where you can buy one subscription and give one as a gift to a friend or a neighbor — for an entire year!

Just go to northfortynews.com/subscribe and enter the promo code Buy1Get1.

If you are reading these columns, you see some value in North Forty News. I have seen first-hand how it can change lives — not just mine. Many people have written stories about how they have read content or advertising that changed their lives! One couple got married because they met at an event they saw in the newspaper. Another subscriber told me yesterday that he saw our recent article about the LEAP program. He called and is getting the assistance he needs. That same subscriber thanked us for giving him a free ticket to the Fort Collins Symphony. He wouldn’t have otherwise been able to go.

The numbers don’t lie. On one hand, a growth of forty-four subscribers is good, but on the other hand, in two months, we have yet to hit the hundred mark. There are nearly 500,000 people in our coverage area! If just one percent of the population in the coverage area subscribed, this organization would become a multi-generational news service that would change lives and help entire communities! Again, I’m a witness to this change with MUCH less than that.

It’s not just about subscribing. It’s about SUPPORTING. We print donation information at the top of every page. We also have an online store at northfortynews.com/market.

You don’t know how life can change, and here’s the bottom line. If you connect to your community, you have more resources and tools. Your life will likely change positively! That’s why we print “Connecting Communities” on the top right-hand corner of our newspaper thousands of times every week!

So, will you join me? Let’s make a positive change in our lives together, and while we are doing that — let’s make a positive change in many other peoples’ lives. 

Support North Forty News with me!

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