We have a plan for sustainability that will take us in into the future.
I am excited to welcome you all to the new Pikes Peak Bulletin. I live here, just like you, and I am inviting you — readers, residents and visitors in Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City, Cascade, Chipita Park, Green Mountain Falls and Crystola — to help us tell your stories, your news, using the words and photos that define us as a community.
In recent years, we have lost many local news sources for Ute Pass and OCC and, most recently, for Manitou. I was re-reading Ralph Routon’s hopeful thoughts in the Jan 5, 2023, issue. He wrote of the new iteration of the Bulletin.
Here I am, just a few months later, explaining the next iteration. We are now a nonprofit news source, a community-powered newspaper. We are part of a growing network that ensures all people in every community have access to trusted news.
We face a challenge today to better understand our community’s informational needs. I, for one, want to get it right this time. I have heard the words of those who want their paper back. They want to hold it in their hands and pick it up again from the distribution racks. I want that myself, but reality says that is only part of the vision. We have a plan for sustainability that will take us in into the future.
We are designing a robust process for gathering a wide swath of public ideas. We want to hear from our traditional readers, yes, and we need to hear from those who may not be traditional newspaper readers. To the larger community, we wish to communicate we are building something with you. We are in print as you see today and will be returning weekly in July. The PPB has been a valuable news source and we will be an even stronger informational presence as we pursue a reinvented, vibrant digital presence that will include weekly email blasts.
There are so many people to thank. Rhonda, Bryan, our nonprofit board and an army of passionate and courageous supporters and advisers. I must thank John Weiss for spending many hours with me over the past two months, sharing his experience and expertise.
Thank you very much to our inaugural advertisers. They are the true lifeblood of our newspaper. Thank you to our initial financial supporters, for providing critical seed money! The truth is, we need more of you.
From my heart to our readers, THANK YOU. More to come. Stay tuned!