We got our paper back
For most of the past year the Peabody Gazette-Bulletin has been sharing its "innards" with the Hillsboro Star-Journal. Or, if you are from Hillsboro, the reverse is true and the inside of the Hillsboro Star-Journal was suddenly carrying news about Peabody, Florence, and Burns. I only had one or two people tell me they liked having extra stories about Tabor College, Goessel, Lehigh, and Hillsboro. Mostly you readers asked why we were carrying them. You then informed us you didn't like it.
The former Hillsboro Star-Journal staff went to work elsewhere and attempts to hire new people were just not successful. In order to maintain a presence there the Hoch Publishing staff built individual front pages for the Peabody and Hillsboro papers each week, while combining the social, legal, school, and church news of both papers on the inside. Pretty clever, huh?
The plan didn't seem to appeal to many people from either community, but with the abbreviated staff there just wasn't much choice.
Now we have a real journalist-guy at the helm in Hillsboro and the Peabody Gazette-Bulletin is back to its normal six to eight-page self. And guess what? No one has even noticed. Not one whiner has said, "Well, congratulations. You are back to giving us the coverage we want." Not one sniveler has said, "Oh, thank goodness, I don't have to read about sporting events in those other towns anymore." Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
What do you think that means? After having been swamped with complaints for months, I think it is pretty amazing that there have been no comments. I am sure it means something about human nature, I am just not sure what.
If you figure that out, please let me know.
— SUSAN MARSHALL
