I can almost hear the click, clack of the old typewriters; the little keys that could..I can smell the old filterless ciggie, and can feel the depth in this hero's heart. Great work, all of you. Bravo.
5
I wrote earlier to thank Mr. Butz, Ms. Tahija and Mr. Arango for their heart lifting work. As a letterpress printer (still setting type by hand) and retired librarian, my love of holding the printed word in hand is strong and undeniable. However, since writing my earlier comment, the digitized word world led me on a “rabbit hole” adventure. Mr. Butz introduced me to Kentucky’s own Myra Viola Wilds (blind, African American poet), and her poem, “Thoughts”, published in 1915. Reading about Ms. Wilds led me to her book of poetry, and her poem, “Our Exposition”, which led me to research the “National Negro Exposition” in Richmond, VA, in 1915. This adventure will continue.
Finally, I plan to print “Thoughts” to share with others. Ms. Wilds and Mr. Butz, your stories are worth sharing. Your words and endeavors continue to inspire.
5
I LIKE it-A lot!
More pieces like this, please...
4
All those people so happy to see their newspaper saved. This story says nothing about what THEY did to help save it. Always up to someone else, isn’t it
This story is not accurate. The Mariposa Gazette is the oldest paper. It began in 1854 with the Name the Mariposa Gazette, and never moved to any other location.
The Mountain Messenger says, "The Mountain Messenger dates to 1853 and began publication as the Gibsonville Trumpet in the former mining camp of Gibsonville, Sierra County. The paper was sold in 1855 and moved to La Porte, then in Sierra County and renamed The Mountain Messenger. In 1864 the paper moved to Downieville where it has been continuously published since." :)
2
A good rule for a small weekly: have every subscriber's name in the paper at least once every year.
4
Great well written article!
...just recently got off the phone with Carl trying to track Don down after running into him here in town, a sighting as rare as seeing an abomnible snowman.
All the best to you Carl. When and if I do track Don we will track you down and bend a few elbow.
You are the last of the last...
All the best of luck to you and Jill.
2
GO CARL! Rock'n roll, brother.
2
If AIs ever get good enough, a “Lou Grant” model should be made freely available by the NYT or the Smithsonian, with the Downieville publishers serving as templates. Throw in a little of Dave Mitchell of the Point Reyes Light, Bruce Anderson of the Anderson Valley Advertiser in Booneville, and maybe just a bit of Les Nessman, winner of the Buckeye Newshawk Award, and Bob’s your uncle.
1
I wonder if Tim Arango supplied a witty, intelligent missive to help Mr Butz fill his new acquisition? Very interesting article.
2
It would be great to see Tim Arango and the subjects of this terrific story turn up on “The Weekly,” the FX series that follows NYT reporters on the job.
I worked for a small-town weeky paper during the early 1980s. I suspect that was the brief golden age of community newspapering: post-Watergate, pre-internet.
My first day on the job, I was barely through the door when the editor sent me right back out in pursuit of a “very big story.” The small supermarket in the heart of the downtown had announced it was going out of business.
“Small potatoes,” I thought as headed down the street with a fresh notebook. The banners read “Store Closing.” The street signs above could have been in any town. I headed across the intersection of Washington and Pleasant streets.
When I woke up on the office floor the next morning, I had a different notion of what a big story was. The editor got rid of every semicolon and put the story atop page 1.
I made $200 per week. I worked all the time.
A 100-year-old woman kept a Norwegian flag on the table, and remembered traveling to a bigger town as a girl and seeing something simple but remarkable: electric light. Later, as the ship weighed anchor for America, her toddler had pointed. “Big bath water momma!”
Upstairs, I bent down in slanting sun and looked at a 1920s newspaper. A talent scout at Hampton Beach said girls without corsets wouldn’t make it in Hollywood. I picked the paper up and the story turned to dust, went dancing in the sun
4
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, bought the Washington Post and promptly shut down our local newspaper, the Montgomery County Gazette, which the Post had published. He also shut the free newspaper, The Express, which was distributed by the homeless at our Metro stations.
Not sure sending in contributions to Bezos would change his mind about this "competition" (both newspapers were profitable, though not very profitable). I'll contribute to the Mountain Messenger instead, as I search, in vain, for good local stories about my community in the Washington Post.
4
I love this amazing story about a widower saving his life by saving a newspaper and all because he watched an old Orson Welles movie on cable one day.
His happy face says it all!
More power to you and the Messenger, Mr. Butz!
How can I get a copy?
5
Our local paper of record came into existence after the Civil War and was eagerly read by residents of this area for decades. They sponsored all kinds of fund raisers, focused on local events, held an annual Christmas Drive for the needy - all the things you'd expect from a community paper.
Things started going south with the advent of Internet news sites, and you could see the established paper cutting back on both frequency of publication and page counts. It was noticeably skinnier by 2000.
That same year, another group launched a small community paper with once-weekly distribution. No one gave it any chance, but it persisted and grew steadily with multiple sections. It also started to attract a lot of advertising while the first paper was bought and sold twice, the last time to venture capitalists that like to squeeze out every penny of operating costs.
Today, the "new kid on the block" is now the paper of record, having picked up a ton of advertisers, subscribers (did I mention it's free?), and most of the sponsorships its long-established competitor had to give up because of relentless cost-cutting.
The "upstart" continues to operate from a two-story house in a commercial and retail area, while its older rival has had to relocate to a small office in a shopping mall as its nearly 50-year-old editorial offices and printing plant was just demolished for upscale townhouses.
The morale? Small, advertiser-supported papers CAN thrive in today's economy.
2
A shout out to Weaverville's Trinity Journal, also a weekly, published in another rural California mountain town. In continuous publication since Jan 26th, 1856, it has never missed an issue. An invaluable source of local news.
7
Wonderful story. Makes me want to visit Downieville. And kudos to the photographer, Jenna Schoenefeld. Great pictures that really put you there.
7
I love this story. Heart lifting in these gray days. THANK YOU Mr. Butz, Ms. Tahija, and Mr. Arango!
5
Wonderful article. "It is saving me", Mr. Butz says. I'm sure he is going to have a good time as a publisher.
4
Living in the Sacramento valley and going to school, I used to subscribe to the MM. Later I worked on the Downieville District with the USFS living in Camptonville, Halls Ranch (cabin), and in Downieville and appreciated the local news that was referenced with the local flavor.
Those whom have never experience this life in a mountain community of 275 people have no idea of the special wonderfulness experienced by those who love and hold it dear to ones heart, soul and inside spirit!
Now I live in DC metro and the WH will NEVER understand this country as I felt it living where and doing what I did in that small hamlet in the Sierra, once called home.
8
What a great photo at the top of this story. Good eye and well done, Jenna Schoenefeld!
3
What a great story. Just what I needed this morning.
2
If you want to get a feel of an old town, read their newspaper. I visited Downieville in 2017 and ran into Don early one morning on the street and ended up in the Messenger's office for about a half hour just talking. My interest was the 1850's, when my great-great grandfather tried his hand at mining, real estate and banking in Downieville, all things I know because they were written in the Mountain Messenger. Local papers still write stories or place ads you won't find anywhere else. The early Mountain Messenger archives that still exist are available via the California Digital Newspaper Collection website for free.
4
If we loose our local newsies we loose our future because we loose our yesterdays and todays. Giddy up Carl! Thank you Tim Arango for covering the little guys.
1
Wish him luck with his mission. Unfortunately, it is just a matter of time before he accidentally sets the place on fire.
1
If you want "freedom of the press" support the hometown newspapers. Local news is just as important as global- maybe more so. A local will tell you about things you can do something about. Support your local one.
4
What a elevating story during these otherwise politically and socially terrible times. Thank you, Mr. Butz. We are all fortunate to have you. And if hope were not enough, you've given me my next travel plan--a visit to Downieville, CA.
1
". . . his wife, Cecilia Kuhn, the drummer in an all-female punk band, Frightwig . . ." Ha, the most intriguing line I've read all day. Wish I could've met HER. And supreme kudos to Mr. Butz for going that extra mile to help keep our Fourth Estate alive.
4
History being as significant as it is, perhaps there's a larger existential question of the town. Does a town of 300 rely on tourism, perhaps? Does it have historial significance to the state and nation? Would anyone else outside of the small town care for its existence? Is the town itself dying (population growing old, with no new blood)? Would it help with a GoFundMe campaign for needed funding source? Sometimes, even just a simple account on Twitter and Facebook could help put it on the map in the larger world, even though the paper is all local.
It reminds me of another NYT article a short while back, about how everyone lamenting the closing of a beloved diner. Everyone bemoans the loss of an "iconic landmark," its period decor, yet it couldn't survive because not enough customers was coming through the door. I find it almost hypocritical for those who never cared to visit, yet bemoaned its passing. The joint was not a charity. People want it, but only on someone else's dime.
2
This story brings back memories of washing printers ink off my hands after delivering my hometown newspaper in the 60s. A warm, rich, inviting story. Superb photography. Well done!
4
Mr. Butz meets my criteria for hometown hero, tops in civil engagement. He inspires us all to contribute our part.
2
A true ying and yang...NYT and The Messenger. Seems to me that the vast NYT resources can help steer people and/or funds Carl’s way and help local papers in general (see @USAF-RetProf ideas)
4
We were so delighted to read about our friend, Carl. He and my wife were part of the first wave of AFS exchange students sent from the US to Australia in 1965. I have been fortunate enough to spend time with him at 2 reunions of the AFSers in the past 10 years. Not surprisingly, he was the driving force behind the reunions, spending countless hours locating 15 of the 17 no longer quite-so-young students.
Not at all surprised that he has undertaken the effort to keep The Mountain Messenger alive.
5
A pleasure to read a meaningful story. Thank you.
5
Loved this story. Would love to see more stories like this. What an amazing human who had a great need and met it by giving back to his own community. Love it!
3
This is precisely how I started in journalism nearly 50 years ago, on a "little country weekly" run by a passionate editor who cared deeply for his community and his profession. The five years I spent on that first newspaper, the Pinellas Park POST in Pinellas Park, Florida, were the finest education in journalism I could have ever had. I learned precisely what Carl Butz knew -- that a good newspaper, whatever its size, holds the heart and soul of its community. Professional media types today often discount "community journalism" (sometimes said with a sneer), but it's newspapers like the Mountain Messenger that document life in a tough-and-tender way that no other media has. I'm still proud to call myself a community journalist, and I salute Carl Butz for his vision and courage.
10
This is such an inspiring story when journalism is at a tipping point, reflecting the same tipping point in every person's life these days. Digital vs. Tangible? When we are all struggling with the decision to disconnect, or not. There are few pleasures like reading your local newspaper with a cup of coffee learning about the news that directly affects your environment. Thank you to all those taking on these herculean efforts to maintain individualistic voice when the norm has been moving towards one very large megaphone for the entire country.
5
We all who enjoy our weekly (or daily) 'fresh loaf' greatly appreciate this initiative of Mr. Butz and the diligence of so many others in the news business, big and especially small.
Best wishes and a thank-you to you all.
2
This type of story is truly what America is about. Keeping what is good and true of the long lost citizens that made the country great - not being politically compliant or ever needing that badge, but just reporting the home town news. I am not religious or not sure if he is, but bless his heart to show what can be done by an honest person without of all undo bias of the perceived outside world of just being yourself and living in a town without side comments that do not change or matter to the local view.
58
Wonderful story, and his wife was drummer in a punk band, how cool is that, so glad there were a few of us who kept the faith and did our own thing; when I’m walking around the small Uber rich town I live in ( I’m not rich)I observe so many snarly old geezers, “all the tea in China” I think the song went, but nevertheless miserable, not so Mr. Butz : I have to say as I reflect on my own life after seventy eight years, I didn’t make all that much money, but I did enjoy myself, and tried to be a decent person I still get Christmas and birthday cards from dozens of clients that I haven’t seen in more than a decade. It appears Mr. Butz is setting himself up to have some fun in the next chapter of his life, good for you Carl, I’m going to get out there this morning and try to do the same thing and I would encourage the rest of you to get out and have fun as well; life is short, smell the roses, and vote for a Democrat of course. BTW I love the picture of Che.
15
Enjoyed the story, thank you. I just read through the comments and there were several from people complimenting the story’s writer (totally well deserved) but nobody saw fit to include the photographer. So (as a former newspaper photographer myself) let me be the first to gives kudos to Jenna Schoenefeld for her fine work. I especially love the first photo of Mr. Butz looking heavenward and the one of the newspapers on the dashboard.
16
As a retired journalist, who appreciated and admired award winning newspaper photographers I worked with, I also enjoyed Jenna Schoenefeld's excellent photographs especially the last one of Mr Butz sitting at his desk piled high with mail and other papers representative of newsrooms before they went digital. The tilted hanging painting on the wall is the sweet spot.
12
If you find this story affecting, please consider subscribing to the Monroe Watchman of Union WV, since the 1870s covering news in and about Monroe County WV each and every week. In the last 150 years it has been owned successively by just two families, and faces similar problems to the Mountain Messenger - no website, no FB page, and a rapidly shrinking advertising base - plus he threat of a proposed new law which would drastically reduce its income from legal ads.
No one in the rising generation of the family has stepped forward to take the reins. Bu the big difference between the two papers is he fact that the Watchman's editor, Craig Mohler, has not, and will not, give up on his family's mission - to give residents of Monroe County the news of today and remind them of their cherished past.
10
Downieville and its neighbor Sierra City are quite wonderful. We used to spend Christmas at Harrington’s Motel with fishing in the pond out front. One Christmas we walked to the local restaurant for a holiday dinner. A young boy came to the door to say the restaurant was closed for his family’s private dinner. We went back to our room and opened our presents which included a good wine, caviar and smoked herring. The young boy appeared at our door. “My family is going to beat me if I don’t bring you back to have dinner with us!” I won’t say how the evening ended. But a local paper in a town that size might have picked up the story.
11
This is exactly what newspaper editors should be: chain-smoking, hard-drinking, foul-mouthed grizzards who don’t brook fools. God bless Carl and his predecessor, Mr. Russell, too.
11
As one of the very few profitable digital newspapers, what could the New York Times do to counter the rampant increase of local "news deserts"?
* Perhaps syndicate New York Times national and international stories (for nominal fees) to local new media.
* Award local news media "prizes" and republish selected local media stories with news value that transcends its origins.
* Establish and support local news media "farm teams."
These kinds of measures would also help the NYT broaden its own perspectives that too often ignore what matters in America's fly-over heartlands.
31
Great story about a great man and the sort of American who still adheres to our basic values of citizenship and community service (against the grain of these trying and online-driven times)...The suggestions about how the NYT (and others) might step up and provide a variety of support is wonderfully stated too.
8
Well-stated account of a great American who still practices community service in these trying times...Good suggestions, too, about how the NYT might step up to provide important support for this and other community papers.
4
If I could afford to, I'd move there and work for at the paper for free. The setting alone seems enough of a draw, and I miss writing for an analog publication. I graduated with a journalism degree in 2009 and worked in various online media until about 2015 when I left it behind for more money (after my first kid was born, I had to give up idealism for reality - online media barely paid the bills and no one wanted a feature writer, they all wanted a regurgitation specialist, aka "blogger"). While I was still an undergrad, I did internships at a small community paper in Philly and another at the Inquirer, and I remember being in awe at the ink-stained newsroom. I haven't seen a real newsroom since. If I could still support a spouse and two kids on a journalist's salary, I'd go back in a heartbeat. I make a lot more money now working in tech, but I feel like I've lost a piece of my soul. All the respect in the world to Mr. Butz.
26
Your first thought was mine too! Maybe we can be stringers sending in short op-ed pieces or help in some other way. I’m headed to google maps to find the town.
7
Yes, and I’d be happy to join you. I’d also work for no pay.
5
Reading this excellent account refreshes the memory which never subsides, the joy of local newspapering. In 1967, when I interviewed at the former daily The Herald-News in Fontana, California, and they agreed to give me $90 a week to report, I thought the publisher was crazy. When I left the business 35 years later, I was still having fun. But by then the industry had started losing its advertising to computers and the end of local newspapering as we knew it was history. Much respect for Mr. Butz and local journalists throughout the country who are still fighting the good fight.
10
We wish Mr. Butz the best of luck with the Mountain Messenger. It was due for a renaissance. Really looking forward to the new poetry section.
To all readers outside of Sierra County: what interests you about this article is in abundance in Downieville. Charm, grit, character, history, etc. Oh, and an emerald green river going right through the middle of town. Come have a look. You won't be disappointed.
9
Hats off in the most profound way to Mr Butz, Ms Tahija and Tim Arango. One gem of a story!
12
Now THAT looks like a real newspaper office!
14
Mr. Butz's effort to revitalize a lifeblood for citizens in a tiny community reminds all of us: Yes, the the global economy is here to stay. But yes, local reality will alway matter. Go, Carl.
99
I am an absolute news junkie and have been reading several newspapers a day since I have been 10 years old, and the demise of the local newspaper is a sad situation, but my current understanding of the Press and the media in general have changed, from one of informing the public and encouraging discourse to one of pushing an agenda and shouting down dissenting voices. The major media sources and the trickle down effect to regional news sources of blatant manipulation of the media content and emphasis has tainted, diluted and corrupted the purity of the Press. The media is no longer an expression of by the people and for the people for the people but is an elite interpretation, and representation of what the powers that be want to be. Frankly, whatever happen to the media and its demise is self inflicted and much deserved.
1
@D
So, we take the alternative — no media? Just Twitter feeds? Blech.
1
This post, itself, is a fine example of pushing an agenda. Are there no daily newspapers, major market news broadcasts, or national media that you could have called out as acceptable or, even, exemplary?
1
Great story and a great new owner of the paper. Perhaps they best keep the paper simple and non digital.
43
Carl you are a hero and inspiration. Thank you NYT for introducing us all to him. I love how to took action and risk to save a part of history. Quincy and the gold country is beautiful as are it residents like you Carl. keep on keeping on!
13
Making it a non-profit, with grants and donations to support it, may be the way to go. I worked, a while back, for another local newspaper in the High Sierra. Trying to get local businesses to buy advertising to sustain it was like pulling teeth. Good luck, Mr. Butz!
72
Sounds like Mr. Butz got a deal with a sweet opportunity for some personal growth. Even if things have gone a tad south as an earlier commentator alluded what a fun way to go not gentle into that good night.
87
@Barb Davis Exactly. Beautiful way to word it.
10
Nice story, we need more local newspapers.
btw: Downieville is neither remote nor high in the Sierra. It's easy to get to off Interstate 80 and it's about 3000 feet so no worries about altitude sickness or heavy snow. Come visit! spend dollars in this magical area.
125
@Andrew , specifically, the juncture of I80 & hwy89 at Truckee to head toward Downieville and Hwy 49, about 60 miles distance. There can still be snow and ice traveling that way via higher pass elevations into a river chilled steep walled shaded canyon. Just reference dot.ca.gov, magnifeye.com and weather.gov for state of roads before traveling there in winter from I-80.
8
@Andrew , specifically, the juncture of I80 & hwy89 at Truckee to head toward Downieville and Hwy 49, about 60 miles distance. There can still be snow and ice traveling that way via higher pass elevations into a river chilled steep walled shaded canyon. Just reference dot.ca.gov, magnifeye.com and weather.gov for state of roads before traveling there in winter from I-80.
And yes, a lovely place to visit, with more than one restaurant open beyond winter season. Lots of fun events, scenic, historical.
8
@Andrew It's an hour and a half up a winding (mostly) 2-lane highway from I-80. Still worth it, but it IS remote.
3
After reading this, I called the paper to subscribe and was charmed that Mr. Butz personally answered the phone. We talked about the importance of a small town press, a free and fair media, and the emotional and psychological assistance a newspaper resident dog can bring to a newsroom. I urge other NYT readers to do as I did, contribute in a real time, small time financial way to keep this publication going.
318
@Annabel L
I'll consider it if he quits smoking. Some habits should remain history.
9
@Annabel L Would you mind sharing what number you contacted him on? The one I seem to keep finding is not in service any longer.
11
This is exactly the kind of economy Andrew Yang is talking about. When people have disposable income, they can make choices from an abundance mindset and contribute to local businesses and people and make positive things happen! .
37
Our community had a local 16-page nonprofit newsletter published monthly and sent free to every household in our little town (pop. 3300). It ran for 26 or so years on volunteer labor and submissions and was funded by grants, donations and advertising from a small yet loyal group of local businesses. When the founder/editor died his wife, the "Assistant Editor," kept it going for about two more years but was overwhelmed with trying to handle the job while in the middle of grief. After months of unsuccessfully trying to get younger people in town to join the parent nonprofit's Board of Directors (or at least to submit articles and help with the administrative end) the newsletter ceased publication in August and the nonprofit is in the process of dissolution since the youngest board member is 66 years old and most want to go on to other things.
Of course, once the newsletter stopped arriving in mailboxes, folks who never thought of donating or submitting articles or even helping with the sorting and folding (and who also may have been part of the substantial group who just tossed the publication in the Post Office wastebasket rather than take it home and read it) gave out a great hue and cry about what a shame it was that the town was losing this asset, and demanded to know what could have done to save it.
Moral? Show your appreciation for something while you have it, not when you're about to lose it.
I wish Mr. Butz all the luck and joy in the world with his new project.
72
Way to go, Carl.
3
great story. its why i buy the NYT!!!
9
I love this story, and am so happy to see it in the NYTimes. Places like Downieville are the true beating heart of California. Come for the sunshine, but stay for the warmth.
14
This is the first time in my life that the smell of second hand seems appealing. Mr Butz. I would wish you the best of luck but you don't need it. We do. Thank you. And if anyone says your desk is too messy. Remind them that Lincoln had a messy desk too. And Jill thank you too. We are all with you.
10
Thank you for sharing. Heart warming.
5
Interesting that Americans seem to have lost nearly all interest in local news. I wonder who benefits from this.
29
@CDF I think people are plenty interested in local news. But huge corporations buy local papers and consolidate them. The consolidated papers print barely any local news, they just use AP wire stories, and readership continues to drop.
12
@CDF Everyday I look at three local tv stations and a local newspaper. They appear to have very little interest in providing local news.
1
I grew up in the Sierra foothills not far from Downieville in the 1950s. I have fond memories of plying the North Fork of the Yuba with a fly rod while my father walked along the river banks looking for pretty rocks. We last paid a visit in 2011, when my dad was 100. The river was running high and we crossed it on a foot bridge to visit one of his old law clients in the town. The Mountain Messenger appears to be fading into the past. Best of luck to Mr. Butz in his labor of love. Long live Downieville and the small print press.
16
All things must pass.
@Ambrose Bierce’s Ghost
All things must pass, but it wasn't meant to be the Mountain Messenger...nope, not yet.
10
Love the article. Interesting to read how the once profitable small town weekly newspapers of the past struggle to remain relevant. Mr Butz, God love him, he seems up to the challenge. I wish him the best. Long live The Messenger!
18
Ahh, I'm sure Hunter S. Thompson is somewhere smiling at this.
17
I had missed Mr Arango's by-line, and this article reminds me just how much I had missed it!
5
A free press is so important to everyone and obviously particularly crucial to people in sparsely populated areas - this region also being breathtakingly beautiful! Good on you Mr. Butz!! Thank you!
19
A free press is so important to everyone and obviously particularly crucial to people in sparsely populated areas - this region also being breathtakingly beautiful! Good on you Mr. Butz!! Thank you!
2
During the Eighties and Nineties I was a stringer and columnist for The Town News, one of the local weekly newspapers that once thrived here in Bergen County. Although my ex liked to refer to my salary as "your fabulous four figure income," my reporting days were some of the best of my life. I wrote stories about politics and about human nature -- some prosaic, some poetic -- about woe and about triumph. The connection that I made with the members of my community will never be matched.
33
Wishing all a good landing.
Checking links in article Jill Tahija and her dog resigned already.
Aka the one who does the work.
Luck to all, but reality is small local news papers are an ego trip.
Simple fact.
3
@HJR You've clearly never been to a zoning board meeting, which is often where real local power (and corruption) happens. If nobody is paying attention...
17
Oh dear hopefully another worker/volunteer and animal will step up!
2
I love this story!!!!
26
@Sonia I thought the very same thing. Love this story!
4
Kudos to Mr. Butz!
You are doing a very good thing.
Thank you.
15
@Ellie I'll second Ellie's comment and add that you are a hero!
5
My local paper, The Quoddy Tides (not "Times"– we have some of the highest tides in the Lower 48), "Most easterly paper published in the United States," runs to 32 pages, comes out twice a month, covers the news in small communities on both sides of the Maine-New Brunswick border, was founded in 1968 to replace several dying weeklies, and is independently owned, edited, and published by the son of the founder If you want to know what's going on, you need to buy and read it, no question. It's biggest problem? Not enough people know how remarkable it is to have such a great community resource these days.
37
Good for Mr. Butz! Years ago, I was thrust into the role of serving as faculty advisor of a small college’s struggling student newspaper. I had worked as s reporter, but had never laid out or pasted up a paper in my life, and we were pretty much in Stone Age mode, doing everything manually. Like me, Mr. Butz can expect a steep learning curve, sleepless nights, and regular moments of terror, but the thrill, the adrenalin rush, of picking up an issue from the printer and realizing that you have actually helped create a real, living, breathing newspaper is indescribable. I hope this will give Mr. Butz a new lease on life!
39
Had I bought this paper ten years ago, the first thing I would have done is brought it “into the digital age.” Today, the thought of that would make me look around for a crucifix to hold up in front of the digital vampires of Facebook and Twitter. Don’t make the paper beholden to them. Follow your iconoclastic star wherever it leads. You, the paper, and Downieville will be the better for it.
38
I visited the town over 30 years ago - at the time I believe the population was about 500.
When the county sheriff stopped by on his (no idea how often) rounds, what seemed to be the entire town came out to greet him.
It is a lovely place - and once was contention to be the state capital.
I am so happy for this story and for the New York Times highlighting small communities and the importance of local papers.
49
More authentic reporting ("journalism" is far too grandiose a term) there than anything you'll find on CNN or MSNBC, et al.
7
I love this story about bucking the trend of small-town newspapers closing all across the country. I live in a small town in South Dakota where we're blessed to have a DAILY paper for a town of about 7,000. Madison, SD. I subscribe, and every weekday a new batch of news arrives at the end of my driveway. Thank you, Mr. Butz, for saving this paper for your community.
37
I'd like to help. I can edit from a distance. Just let me know.
I'm a retired journalism professor and newspaper editor. My email is killenberg@gmail com. I applaud you!
107
I hate to point out the obvious but I hope this septuagenarian comes from a long lived family, otherwise it’s just a stopgap solution.
2
@Tiny Terror I worry about Mr. Butz's health because of the cigarettes. But we can't be pessimistic. It's a new beginning, this story has stirred hearts and minds, and that's plenty to hope on for a start.
8
I would subscribe by mail.
29
Downieville is a nice little town. and I mean little. Its full time population is about 280 people. most of who are retired. In the summer it goes up some. It is very hard to sustain a newspaper is such a small town since the town has cable.
7
The story was such a beacon of joy!
19
The story sounds all too familiar. The Catskill Mountain News stopped publishing two weeks ago. The CMN, which has had a couple different names over its lifespan, had been published continually since the 1860's. The Margaretville NY community feels a sense of loss.
15
Good story—thank you.
12
How can I subscribe by mail?
28
Many of us newspaper people who've had to move to Plan B can relate to the love Carl brings to the venture. WE all appreciate being called "a romantic idealist and a nut case." Big compliment!
At the same time, happy to see he does want to hand it off, see it modernized. The "nameplate" should not be retired!
16
Great story! I worked with the US newspaper industry and now watch with great concern as the weeklies and dailies continue to disappear. We need our fourth estate - more than ever now.
38
The picture says a thousand words. I see an old gumshoe behind a typewriter in a dimly lit, smoke-filled room. The debt collectors are one step away from repossessing the black machine with a broken semi-colon key. Mickey Spillane is lurking around somewhere...
Edward Murrow... there’s still hope.
51
This is a terrific story! Here in Juneau, Alaska (the Capitol) we have the Juneau Empire. We have been subscribers for decades & get the actual 3-4 page newspaper although we can read it online. GateHouse Media bought it from Morris Communications in 2017. They kept publisher Deedie McKenzie.
16
I have the distinct pleasure of being acquainted with both Don and Carl. Carl, although perhaps not as hard-drinking or chain-smoking, is a worthy successor.
37
I operated a small-circulation publication that sounds a lot like the Messenger. Not profitable, frustrating and challenging, but always interesting and fun. Best of luck to Mr. Butz!
19
My great-grandfather made the news in the Mountain Messenger in 1871 when he made the trip on horseback over Yuba Pass from Downieville to Satley through 25-foot depth snow after three attempts. That was big news back then apparently. You don't see snow that deep these days. I still read the Mountain Messenger though it's just to get my dander up since it's always had a slightly "libertarian" slant in the Opinion Page.
31
@JDStebley
So what?
6
What’s with the attitude?
10
@Chrysse Just sayin'... You had to be there, I guess.
4
In a time like this, when journalists like myself are targets of hate and small papers, where so many of my peers also cut their teeth, are disappearing at an alarming rate, this is a beacon of hope. However small it may be, these are important stories to tell.
43
I sold my weekly, The Black Mountain News in 1995 and retired. Today their office is closed. There is a notice on the door telling how to submit material, classifieds, news, subscriptions, etc. on line. My paper, now owned by Gannett, is apparently operated long distance out of Asheville. But at least it is still alive. Legals are a main revenue source. The legislature wants to permit local government to run them on their websites. That may be the end of local newspapers in North Carolina.
17
@Jim Aycock any archives ?
4
@Paul Jonker Bound copies by year from the first issue in 1945 were in the office the last time I was there. I don't know about the last couple of decades.
9
I was with you all the way until the end. Some old retired guy needing purpose. Then you mention the wife and I'm crushed. He needs something to save. Godspeed
7
@Liz I just watched a couple of Frightwig videos on Youtube, plus read an obituary about her. It's clear his wife was a real pistol. I'm sure he'll bring something unique to this venture.
10
Kudos!!!!!!!!!!!!
12
Funny thing about heroes; sometimes they’re just a guy with a dream.
74
Bravo! Baby Boomer HERO!
38
Wish him luck—
But he looks about as disorganized as can be.
6
From the article’s description of the office, it is likely he inherited some of that disorganization.
The historian might want to chronicle each layer of antiquities for historical artifacts...except for the empty beer bottles and ramen noodle packages.
26
A set designer couldn’t recreate Mr. Butz’s office.
26
The fact that he made the NYT aware of what he had done shows me that he will do just fine. Unless the cigarettes get him first.
Excellent story.
60
@Jim
I'm sick to death of reporters always noting that someone is smoking or that there's an ashtray in the office. What blasted difference does it make? Doesn't add to my understanding of anything, yet, it's become de rigueur in newspaper stories that have nothing to do with tobacco. Who cares?
7
@August West
Being saved from long cancer after 45 years of smoking, saying you Will be caught by the cigarette is evident if you procedé smoking!
6
@Paul Jonker
Well, sure, everyone knows that, including me, a former smoker. But there's a time and place. If I want to read about smoking, I'll read a story about smoking.
2
It's all a matter of personal choice. Making accounting based choices isn't always the best answer, just the lowest cost.
I run my own IT service business. Fortunately I'm in the Great Boston area which still has some great local sources for things I need. I make it work even though it doesn't make financial sense.
16
Beautiful story. But Mr. Arango -- you shouldn't say "a still-grieving" widower. A soulmate marriage partner loss is life-long. One can only hope to learn how to live alongside it. It sounds like Mr. Butz is taking the next step in that long journey.
37
What an inspiring story and a refreshing welcome from the daily litany of horrors. I was reminded of Portia's speech in the Merchant of Venice that contains the following line:
"How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world."
111
@Derek H. Jones This is what I love about NYT's readers. Broad educations utilized to illuminate the beauty in an already beautiful story. Thank you. Got me a little misty eyed.
35
If you want to support this paper because you read about a scrappy old guy trying to keep his ragtag band of journalists (him and another person) telling the stories in their community— please subscribe to your own local daily and weekly papers. I promise you, as a veteran of small town newspapers, they are stocked with well-meaning, underpaid, scrappy people trying to tell the stories in your community. The world is worse for information without editing and local institutional knowledge hitting Facebook local groups. Your paper may not be perfect, but it’s better than Karen on NextDoor.
259
@Farina: Thank you for the comment. It's much appreciated, as a former and longtime journalist.
24
Exactly! We should all invest in our local community by at least subscribing to the digital version of the local paper because it is much superior to Karen or Jim on NextDoor which is best used to return dogs and keys to their owners.
12
@Farina And often with a lot more frankness with chivalry/delicacy in the tradition of journalistic integrity---possibly an talent going the way of handwriting... Not too late. But, in same vein, similarly, can you call someone by a memorized phone number? Can you describe an argument in contrast to your point of view? Do you have conversations about political---no, life issues with family and friends and acquaintances? Do you express your outrage, if any, to any purpose, or do you lean on your horn and give someone the finger? Newspapers used to have an important purpose of civic forum, like the old ye agora. Blog concepts stole that (also turned such into bullhorning narcissistic, Rush Limbaugh-esque rant sources---not journalistic). Even as I'm doing here in the similar New-Ye Comments format, which could be considered a Rush-wannabe venue.
5
More of us -- we? -- Boomers need to do this. Band together and buy, save or start local papers.
One gentleman in a neighboring county in WI has done just that, he and his wife publish one main local paper covering their prime area plus several feeder publications.
They are a Gold Star family, and I think they also needed, or desired, an outlet and way to serve their community in the aftermath of their son's tragic death. Good people.
As I watch major papers go under right and left, realize more of us will have to step up and fill the breach. This is a good primer. Thank you for this timely piece!
41
My hero!
My friends and I often bemoan the lack of a newspaper here in a major university city and its surroundings We all feel the lack and mourn the demise of the paper we all used to need and read.
23
No offense, NYT, but I’m partial to our local paper, The Columbus Dispatch. The national news is important, but the local news keeps me connected to the issues that impact me and that I can do something about. Also, for those of you looking for ways to help, buy subscriptions as graduation gifts! A perfect way to keep kids in tune with their hometown and to keep local journalism great (still).
39
I feel like sending him free content. Nice story, and another little gem from the New York Times.
A paper that Mark Twain wrote for? Gold rush?
Thankfully there are people like Mr. Butz out there.
The loss of little papers all across America is shocking. A lot of the leftovers are generic chain operations. Change is the only constant, I guess.
33
Congratulations Downieville, Congratulations New York Times.
Downielle should rightfully be proud of having such a civic-minded native son to step forward and save a local institution.
Readers of the Times can be proud of sharing a newspaper that cares, a newspaper that has in its vast pool of talented journalists who turn the plight of a small community newspaper into a gem.
32
The most uplifting story I've read in a long, long time. We need more articles that makes us believe, gives us comfort, that some people care about the past and the future. No matter how small. Thank you!
79
I can't tell you how much I love this story and is so beautifully written. Thanks to Tim Arango for such a great piece.
42
Thanks for the great story - there aren't a lot of positive newspaper stories these days. Here's a toast to Mr. Butz and Mr. Arango.
23
Perhaps some of these small communities can work with nearby colleges to get something going, or keep old ones beating.
16
Thanks to the Times and Tim Arango for the story about the backwater, proud community newspaper that could and has, and I hope continue to bring the news to Sierra County, California.
You go, Carl Butz, Jill Tahija, and The Mountain Messenger!
25
Downieville looks nice, I will do a trip there and check it out. Thanks for the article I hope it will contribute to more subscriptions and sales for the little paper.
43
@Matthias I just paid for a one-year subscripion for the digital Mountain Messenger.
21
@Matthias
Bring your mountain bike or rent one. One can do an 18 mile descent from 8600 feet to 1800 feet on mostly singletrack. It is epic. So long you start begging for it to end.
13
I know Carl from sharing time at the Sierra Nevada Field Campus in Bassets, a few miles north of Downieville. I'm so delighted that he has found this new passion and admire him so much for doing this. He's inspiring, isn't he?
74
Hang in there, help is coming your way.
20
What a great story! I’d love to support this paper by subscribing. Is that possible?
24
@Anne G
For a subscription: send a check to Mountain Messenger at P.O. Drawer A, Downieville 95936 or call 530 289-3262 with credit card.
35
@Marco Thank you!
14
@Marco , amount, please!
10
It appears that Jill Tahija, "she who does the work' at the Mountain Messenger, retired 5 days before this article.
5
@Marco And she posted in her blog about it with not a little amount of bitterness. https://www.sierracountyprospect.org/2020/02/03/mountain-messenger-somebodies-2-5-20/
3
Carl!! Why’d you get rid of Jill? Don’t you need her?
@GAmom I think she left of her own accord.
I lived just down the road from Downieville for many years. Nice place to stop for a beer after climbing the in the sierra, but never knew it had a paper. Our local town just half an hour away did, as well, but it was a rag, filled with ornery old men ranting about whoever was in charge... I'll have to pick up a copy next time we head that way.
21
A great, honest little town! I met a County Supervisor once who said that folks who didn't like his votes would come up to him on the street and get in his face.
The Mountain Messenger is a great paper, always run by owners like the ones in the article.
26
What a fantstic story this is. Life in all its twists and turns.Mr Butz, you seem to have led a fascinating life. Question: You wanted to travel England and Latvia before you settled on this path. Why Latvia?
12
This article made my day! More and more little things like this are giving me renewed hope for America.
76
Thank you Mr. Butz for saving the paper and Mr. Arango for writing the article.
Downieville is a fantastic place with great fly fishing.
26
Just a month ago, I discussed an idea with my sister, who, like me, grew up in a newspaper environment. My idea: resurrect local papers with retired professionals who can be trained for the sensibilities of good journalism. So many retirees want to remain intellectually active and involved in their communities. What better way than to train them on how to properly identify important community issues, research them and report objectively their findings? With donations of web publishing infrastructure and maintenance, this could help re-establish one of the foundations of a healthy republic and democracy: newspapers (printed or digital).
175
Finding retired professionals who can be taught--or already have--journalistic sensibilities shouldn't be difficult. There is a whole generation of journalists who have been jettisoned by the consolidation of the industry.
33
This is what Andrew Yang the Democratic candidate is talking about
10
@ND Catt
Great idea - go for it!
10
I found this online, to subscribe to The Mountain Messenger:
https://mountainmessenger.com/subscribe-3/
18
I'm afraid the link you posted is to another Mountain Messenger --one in West Virginia.
17
@How to subscribe - Wrong paper. Mountain Messenger is a weekly newspaper located in Lewisburg, WV. But if you want to support the WV paper, why not?
5
@How to subscribe That link says it's a paper in West Virginia. On the other hand, they probably also can use the support!
8
There's something very lovely and reassuring and, I guess, unlikely about a newspaper with 3,500,000 subscribers (forgive me if I'm off, it's the best I could do with google) doing a story on a newspaper with 700 subscribers.
51
@Leigh And I’d add, it makes me want to move to Downieville and volunteer my time. I’d start by offering to kick a path through the office and adjusting that crooked painting.
26
@Leigh Me, too. Che on the bulletin board caught my eye.
11
@Leigh me too ! I'm retired not by choice from a long career in retail marketing and communications, along with copy editing and proof reading. Growing up, newspapers were sacred in my family and still are. Perhaps Mr Butz can use a new employee who doesn't need much of a salary and respects the printed word!
14
A newspaper helps to establish a sense of community identity, a place where people know something about what is happening around them and care about both their neighbors and the community at large. It can be the glue that helps hold things together, a defining mechanism. Most of the time, small papers don't act as an investigative force over local officials but just knowing one is around, and reporting, can serve as a small check on corruption and self dealing. Otherwise, they can get away with almost anything as long as it doesn't leak out and set off outrage.
Print media in America is dying in part because people don't think it is cool anymore. Radio stations, still more than 7,000 across the land, aren't cool, either. Most have been turned into mere relay stations for satellite supplied programming. There's no one home, no one at the station much of the time in the event of emergencies or local disasters.
Until very recently, newspapers and other media organizations could not get non-profit tax status from the IRS. That meant they could accept donations but the donor would not get a tax deduction. (That seems to be changing.)
If small and modest size towns want news, they are going to have to jump in a pay for it. That simple.
25
@Doug Terry
I think non-profit status is almost irrelevant now, with the massive increase in the standard deduction. The number of people who itemize has plummeted. So now, people can still donate to good causes - of course! They just can't sort of "justify it" to themselves, or whatever, by saying "well, I save on my taxes," or "IRS covers part of this," etc.
1
This story is great. Been to Downieville once and these rural communities need a newspaper. If anyone here want to visit there the Yuba river is quite a destination.
32
Unfortunately, it seems there have been a few developments that make this a little less exciting. Check the posts in the Sierra County Prospect (linked in the article). Some people aren't happy.
6
@Tom in PDX
I had a look. Could not find anything that made me appreciate the article and the effort by this 71 y.o. renaissance man any less.
Be specific, please to what you object.
21
@CitizenTM There's a 02/05/2020 post titled "Mountain Messenger (Somebodies)" that references the Managing Editor's disappointment at being "demoted" to "staff" in the paper's masthead. Later that day she retired/quit.
4
The preservation of a local newspaper is still exciting even when the one prior employee is no longer happy because she is no longer called “she who does the work.” Remember she would have been out of a job if the newspaper had folded. Every new owner has new methods that may not work well with existing employees.
Who else is unhappy? You specify that “some people aren’t happy.”
7
Thank you, Tim, for a great puece. Thank you to you and Jenna for visiting my former place of employment and to tolerating the smoke-filled office and my dog, Ladybug. I really enjoyed meeting you both.
57
@Jill Hope that you can figure out how to encourage him to stop the smoking.
11
@FormerCapitolHillGuy
America lost its way as we largely eradicated smoking, while the Chinese, who smoke like chimneys, take it over. Coincidence?
2
@DisplayName
Having worked with head and neck cancer patients for 11 years I can tell you a good many are Chinese.
4
Love love love these comments from journalists wanting to send money and support! Count me in as another. Got my start at the tiny Jonesboro (GA) News Daily. Went on to work for the Atlanta Constitution, etc. But so many fond memories of that little paper.
46
Great story, and good luck to you, Mr. Butz! This is a great thing you did there.
We need feel-good stories like these, about ordinary people who save the day. And newspapers! Definitely, we must save individually owned newspapers...
46
So great to see this story covered not once but twice. Papers like The Mountain Messenger report on otherwise neglected local and regional news, and help keep communities together, especially in rural areas. They are also the collective memory of their communities’ histories. Kudos to Tim Arango for the coverage. In my town if Grass Valkey, Ca, we are fortunate to still have one of our historical local papers, The Union, founded in 1864 and still published five days a week. I wish Jeff Bezos and the other Silicon Valley tech people would direct their attention and money to the survival of these local papers to facilitate technology upgrades, fund internships for journalism students, and offer other support to keep local papers viable.
83
This is a really well written piece of reporting. I have edited weekly papers over the past 20 years and know how important they are to a community. Luckily, I was able to retire. I hope more small papers can be owned locally and not by huge conglomerates. I think that's the only way they can survive. I love the quote from the new owner saying the newspaper "was something we need in order to know ourselves." It's also a small local voice for truth at a time when our president is calling any paper that criticizes him "fake news."
133
@P.A. I fear we’re seeing the demise of our once robust daily. Every community deserves and needs a vital newspaper. Mr. Butz’s statement rings oh-so-true, that the newspaper is “something we need in order to know ourselves.” Fake news?? Not at all. Unless that’s what you call working 10-14 hour days, six days a week for stingy pay, little thanks and much unwarranted abuse. Kudos to the Mountain Messenger and to the NYT, which once owned but abandoned the paper here ...
9
@Laura There are indeed multiple layers to this story. Personally, I love the fact that he was married to a member of Frightwig! This is a fine new edition for Mr. Butz.
1
I love Mr. Butz. He is someone who is not afraid to step in and take over. I would get a subscription to The Messenger, even though I live in Michigan! Thank you Mr. Arango. Great job.
37
I used to subscribe to the Mountain
Mess, and mostly read the section
that reprints what was in the paper 100
years ago. This article has reminded
me of the need to support local papers -
I will re-subscribe now if I can find
my old analog checkbook. Thanks to
the NYT and the MM. You both need to
hang in there.
95
@dan gusfield
Great sentiment.
Although the NYT is doing just a bit more than hanging in there!
His thoughts on turning the paper into a non profit might be the way to go for most newspapers, rely partially on donations - just like NPR.
27
@Marky
NPR sure does like their donors. Like Big Ag (Monsanto and ADM), Big Pharma (Sackler Foundation, Novartis, etc), and Big Defense (Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman).
2
'Ride Like the Wind' to quote the message and title of "The Very Best of Christopher Cross"! We got your splendid message, Publisher Butz! Grateful for your saving our lifeline of democracy!
18
A real hero! Kudos!
16
Nice.
7
This inked stained wretch loved this story.
46
Mr. Butz, is it possible to subscribe by mail, if postage is pre-paid? P.S. Your work desk is Smithsonian-worthy - especially if there's a grease pencil lying somewhere under a few dozen Reporter's Notebooks.
30
@Andy I found this:
https://mountainmessenger.com/subscribe-3/
This is in West Virginia, not California.
10
@Andy
They don't have a website.
Here is a way to contact them:
http://www.sierracountyprospect.org/mountain-messenger-information-page/
The email info is for the old editor but there is a phone number. Yes, they desperately need subscribers, support.
6
Thanks for this story. So inspiring. I want to volunteer, send money, keep it going. A journalist myself, every bit of good news like this makes my day. May it go on and on and may more fine folks come forward to help it prosper.
66
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for saving the newspaper and NYT for doing the story. It takes courage, boldness, caring, and just goodness to ask "What can I do?" and then to do it!
Love you, Mr. Butz!
111
A great Americana story from a place most of us would never, ever have heard of. Bravo to Mr. Butz for clinging to an important tradition-the printed word (on paper), saving the newspaper and, at the same time, as he said, "It's saving me." Good for you, good for the community. And thanks, Mr. Arango, for bringing us in!
141
@Lyle Greenfield
Agreed! I love this story and hope he'll find a way to keep the paper going. Non-profit might not be a bad idea.
Best of luck to Mr. Butz!
42
@Jane Lyle, your comment is bang on.
1
@Lyle Greenfield I actually go to Downieville fairly often (for the mountain biking), but never knew they had a paper. Great to learn of it, and to get a different perspective on the region (which truly is beautiful, and wonderfully empty, unlike most of California).
1