Growth in newspapers? Yes, it can happen. We’ve proved it.

Date: 7/17/2019

As regular readers will note, every now and then I’ve used the phrase to describe our offices as “The Reminder Headquarters for World Domination.”

I’ve used the phrase as a joke, as of course, a local newspaper group our size is not likely to achieve world domination in any way.

What we have been able to accomplish since last summer when we were purchased by The Republican and set up as a separate but associated company has been to put forward changes that have allowed us to grow.

Growth in newspapers? Yes, it can happen.  We’ve proved it.

Within the last year we have instituted two home-delivered editions. Readers like them. Advertisers like them.

My boss Fran Smith likes to dodge the spotlight, but he has been instrumental in developing a local news format that’s proven its success.

Fran is always looking to expand our format and to tap into a very real phenomena: people wanting local news.

People want to know about all of those factors of living in an area that affects them the quickest and sometimes the most: taxes, schools, how their money is being spent, interesting people who are their neighbors, student accomplishments and much more.

The desire is there even if other media outlets seem to be stepping away from local news. We’ve been going in the opposite direction.

On July 11, Reminder Publishing LLC purchased the Westfield News Group. The daily Westfield News and weekly Pennysaver, Longmeadow News and Enfield Press are now all under our banner.

All of these publications are committed to local news just as we are. That dedication is not going to change.

Our goal is to work with and support the present staff in its mission to present the news people need and want to know about their hometown.

There will undoubtedly be some changes down the road for both the staff in Westfield and our own in East Longmeadow.

I’ll be candid here: when The Republican bought this company a year ago I personally had many misgivings. I soon learned though the company’s intent was to give us resources and then leave us alone as we fulfilled the goal of continuing to present local news.

The plan has worked very well so far.

I’m sure there will be some people learning of this acquisition and have their own concerns. I understand that and I don’t blame them.

If those folks can give us a few months, though, I think they will see their worries are unfounded.

For me, the idea that I will be “returning” in a way to Westfield is a little nostalgic. I worked as the Lifestyles page editor in 1979 through 1980 at The Westfield News. My brother Patrick was the staff photographer.  Amazingly enough having both Dobbs boys at the same company did not cause some sort of cataclysm. I met colleagues there who are still friends today.

Westfield is an interesting community with a rich industrial history. It was called the Whip City for a reason as being a center for production for buggy whips. There were more than 40 such businesses at its height and there is still one company producing whips today.

Good things are happening there today.

Members of my family, including my wife, worked at the former Digital Equipment and my niece serves with the Air National Guard at Barnes.

I’m looking forward to this expansion and I welcome addressing any comments and concerns. The best way to reach me is at news@thermeinder.com.