Sierra Mountain Times

Agree with Green

I’d like to commend you for printing Bill Green’s letter in your Mar. 14 issue. Most newspapers would not print anything so critical of their editorial choices and you’re to be applauded for doing so.

Having said that, I’d like to add my voice to that of Mr. Green (whom I do not know). His message was loud and clear; perhaps knowing that there are many more of us out there who share his views will convince you to change yours. One can only hope.
-Iris Gardner

(Another formerly satisfied reader)

Growth is Good

Dear Editor:
I couldn’t help but respond to Mr. Greene’s letter in last week’s edition. While his bemoaning the lack of Twain Harte news is not without merit, I think a look at what has replaced that news is worth mentioning.

I live in Calaveras County but travel to Twain Harte and Tuolumne County often. Over the past several months, not only has the Sierra Mountain Times been much easier to find up in my neck of the woods, but there is a lot more content about Calaveras as well (stories about Camp Connell, Buggy Bill, the Bodega del Sur Winery and others come to mind). Whereas before with the SMT, I would rarely bother to pick up and read the paper because it was so Twain Harte centric, I find myself rushing to local shops like Claussen’s Corner or Bistro Espresso to pick one up. (And I must not be alone because oftentimes, all the papers are gone by the time I get there!)

The SMT has grown considerably over the past three years. And while there has been the addition of syndicated columns, there have also been the addition of great local columns, such as “Mutual Understanding,” “Tough Questions” and “Auto Adivce,” in addition to the longstanding ones like “Nan at Night” and “Kids Love to Cook.”

I imagine it was hard for sales reps from the paper to sell ads to businesses outside of Twain Harte during the old days of the SMT – what incentive would a business have to spend money with a publication if nobody in their town is reading it? Remember, we pick up the SMT for free, but the money has to come from somewhere to keep the lights on. I’m noticing more and more businesses outside Tuolumne County advertising with the paper, a trend that’s undoubtedly related to this growth of content.
So remember, while the Sierra Mountain Times is based in Twain Harte, it’s the SIERRA MOUNTAIN TIMES, not the TWAIN HARTE TIMES. I for one am glad that the newspaper has decided to broaden its horizons; I know dozens of people from outside of Twain Harte who would say the same thing.

-Jim Howard
Angels Camp