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Todays Gazette is being brought to you by fantastic tasting Walleye, a
giant plate full of fabulous Spaghetti and a Super Bowl of Scrumptious
Soup topped off with a Taste Tantalizing Ice Cream Sundae.
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The current temperature is 5 degrees.
Yesterdays H/L temperature was 17/5
Normal H/L temp for this date is 15/-4
Today is the first day of Raumin-gone.
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"Profanity makes ignorance audible."
"Smoking makes ignorance visible."
"To know what is right, and then not do it, is the worst form of
cowardice."
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L O C A L news & stuff,.. mostly stuff.
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Whether you are simply a consumer, or, a died-in-the-wool connoisseur
of the fine art of culinary wizardry. Grafton is the place to be this
Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Your participation in all three of this
weekends Delightfully Delicious display of nutriments, will be very much
appreciated by all those involved.
Where else can one satisfy the need for nourishment, fortify our local
domestic violence program, and, help defray some of the monstrous
medical liabilities incurred by the John & Joanie Silewski family?
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ADVERTISING, everyone knows it pays. BANG for the BUCK, It goes without
saying, everyone expects the BIGGEST BANG, for the least bucks. I was
reading the Kittson County Enterprise the other day and found their
"Advertising News Policy" most interesting. (It follows)
The policy of the Kittson County Enterprise, in ascertaining what is
advertising and what is news, is based on one simple test.
If an individual, business, club, church, or organization charges for
admission to an event, for an item, service, etc. It will be considered
advertising or if it is an "intent to invite" i.e., baby shower, bridal
shower, open house, etc.
In other words, "if you charge, we charge."
Advertising is the lifeblood of a newspaper and without it a newspaper
would cease to exist.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
HOLY SMOKES, I THOUGHT. That pretty much sums it up, I thought.
Then,... during a research session in the Gazette Library, I got to
thinking. Can it really be that plain and simple? Is,.. I wondered,
advertising truly the lifeblood of a local small town newspaper?
Then, for a moment, (while I was completing the paperwork) I let my
mind wander and it was asking, What came first, the chicken or the egg?
I know,... that one confused me too. Then I started thinking.?.? If I
couldn't find anything interesting to read in the paper. Why on earth
would I buy one. It also follows then, I think, if I (and everyone else)
didn't buy a paper because there wasn't anything of particular interest
or importance in it anyway. Why in heavens name would any logical sound
business venture, spend perfectly good money, advertising in a paper
that nobody reads anyway?
Now I'm not real sure, yet, it may take another trip or two to the
library, but I'm guessing "that" is probably why "some" small town
newspapers are loosing readership.
For the most part. A newspaper is nothing more than "a hard copy" of
the news we hear on the way to work, or Granny's, or the library for
that matter. O, no, it's not just "nothing more". It's a whole lot more!
It's much easier to remember something when you see it in print. It's a
valuable solid "resource" we have learned to rely on.
Information over the airwaves is timely that's true. However, try and
"re-listen" to it when the radio station goes off the air. The three
functions being held in Grafton over the weekend is truly "BIG NEWS" in
a small town. They ARE the kinds of items people buy papers for. When
people buy papers, businesses will demand to advertise in them as well.
It seems so easy. --- If we charge, they charge. They charge us for
putting the "news" and information in the paper so we have a reason to
buy it. Then they charge local businesses to advertise in it.
There must be more to it than that. Maybe it isn't quite as easy as it
sounds. Maybe small town papers need to adopt a simpler Advertising News
Policy.
Maybe it could be something like, "If we don't tell them, they can't
tell us."
Or so it seems to me.
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GOTTA - GO - WORK - ON - MY - DASH
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"The Gazette will only continue, as long as the membership continues to
participate." Or so it seems to me.
Write if you can, call if you can't, and, tell your loved ones they are,
before it's too late.
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