Newspapers tie communities together. You can get a weather report by checking on your phone app. It’s also easy to scroll through social media postings to find and celebrate a connection to friends. Surfing the web offers a boundless experience.
What’s different about a newspaper can be its commitment to help a community make sense of itself. Whether it comes from the news reporting published week to week, a feature story that gives a deeper view of life in our corner of the world, the obituary pages that provide a final record of the lives of our friends and loved ones, the letters to the editor that can express a frustration or salute an achievement, the newspaper reflects back who we are.
With the pandemic largely behind us, The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News are continuing on a mission to revitalize operations and build staff to better serve communities in New York and Connecticut, which has been the primary focus since the 19th century in the case of the Journal, and for more than 90 years in Millerton.
We strive to be the authoritative record of news and information, and serve up a lively report week after week about arts, entertainment, culture and lifestyle for our community of readers.
That in itself is a tall order these days as community newspapers continue to close under a variety of pressures. We are not immune to the problems facing rural or remote areas, but we are fortunate to have the support of the community, and equally blessed to have a staff of writers, editors and photographers who love what they do and who fan out every week to meet the community on its own terms.
The border between our two publications is porous — with transit back and forth between these two collective communities happening on a daily basis. Patrons of the Oakhurst Diner drive over from Connecticut to enjoy a meal and the spirit that can be found in the dining booths overlooking the village. Similarly, residents of Millerton also frequently drive the few miles to Salisbury to meet friends on the lawn at The White Hart, or to grab a treat at Sweet William’s. In countless ways, business people traverse the border every day to conduct business.
Yet, each newspaper stands on its own, and the nonprofit organization that publishes both papers recognizes the importance of that independence. The communities in Dutchess and Litchfield counties each have their own needs. We remain committed to comprehensive coverage on both sides of the border, preserving The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News as distinct publications. Some stories have appeal to all readers, and we’ll serve that need, too, when there are overlapping interests — as we are doing this week with a Page One story about Salisbury Central School students visiting the Irondale Schoolhouse in Millerton to experience 19th century classroom education.
The goal is to grow to meet the needs of each community. In Millerton, we have reopened our office at 16 Century Boulevard. At both papers, we are investing in operations for readers who rely more on digital platforms, while, of course, continuing to print a newspaper. Local communities that lack a local newspaper are the ‘have nots’ in today’s media landscape. That is a sad state of affairs. Fortunately, we are in the ‘have’ category, and are here to stay in your community.
Justine and Victor Valla in their studio with a painting of Victor’s,”Jonah and the Whale.” Robin Roraback 
