Hometown paper strives to keep the "local
in "local news"

Mary Le Arneal
Published 7/10/13

This past week we celebrated the 4th of July. Hopefully it was a safe, fun time for everyone.

The 4th of July is a day we celebrate our country, our freedoms, and all that we take for granted because we live in the United States of America. Most people swell with patriotic pride during this holiday. I know I do. We attended a church service in Omaha where they have a patriotic program the Sunday before the 4th of July. It is mostly in song, and I got choked up with many of the songs.
With three veteran organizations, and a Veteran’s Memorial Park in our community, I think North Bend and Morse Bluff is a pretty patriotic area.

One of our basic freedoms is freedom of the press. I know you get most of your daily news from the radio, television or one of the daily papers, but I hope you see the North Bend Eagle, your hometown newspaper, as an important asset to our community.

Having a local newspaper gives our community a place to highlight local events, accomplishments of local residents, our school, our town government, give local organizations a place to share their news and find out the school or senior center menus, what’s on sale and the social news. It is important to the community to have a newspaper that toots the community’s horn.

Since Nathan took over the newspaper, the subscription rate has increased by 31 percent, and we really appreciate those who have show support for the Eagle. But lately that number has become stagnant. In fact it has dipped a little. Some of it is due to those who have changed over to receiving their Eagle in color over the internet. Even taking that into account does not make up the difference. We still have not grown lately.

I am not asking you to subscribe to the paper to have the convenience of it delivered to your home or mailbox. I’m asking you to subscribe to the paper to keep it alive and strong so that the community can remain alive and strong. A community newspaper is important to the viability of the community.

Mary Flamme, 85, started her subscription to the North Bend Eagle when she married Marvin Flamme and moved to North Bend in 1956. When asked why she reads the Eagle, Flamme said, “To find out the news. Always school activities when you have grandchildren. I enjoy reading it. It’s always good.”

Jan Merryweather has been reading the Eagle for 50-plus years.

“I read it for local news,” Merryweather said. “I enjoy seeing what’s going on. I’d be lost without the Eagle.”

Jeremy and Jeni Archer have lived in North Bend since 2008 and started their subscription to the Eagle in 2009.

“Neither of us works in town and it’s our way to keep up with what’s going on in town,” Jeni, 31, said.

In a letter written by Warren Buffet to the newspapers owned by Berkshire Hathaway, he wrote, “I believe newspapers that intensively cover their communities will have a good future. It’s your job to make your paper indispensable to anyone who cares about what is going on in your city or town.”

This is our goal at the Eagle. We are a local newspaper and try hard to stay that way. Your subscription, the advertisements of local businesses, and your support is vital to our existence, and for that we thank you.

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