BY JESSICA STEELEY
Clarkston News Staff Writer
The power of print is strong, and nowhere stronger than in community news.
“You guys are the glue that really binds this community together,” said Independence Township Supervisor Pat Kittle. “You’re the ones out there day in and day out trying to let people know what’s going on, how they can get engaged.”
“A community newspaper helps us remember history and also to focus on this community and all of the great things happening here,” said Superintendent Dr. Rod Rock.
Larger media companies don’t have much opportunity to celebrate good things happening in Clarkston, and that’s where the community newspaper comes into play, said Steve Hyer, Clarkston School Board president.
“Having local folks covering local activities and disseminating that information is vital to the health of our community,” Hyer said. “You can never have too much information about what’s going on in your local community.”
“Sometimes it’s the not-so-good news, but that comes with reality,” Kittle said.
The monthly Independence Times pages, appearing in this week’s edition, is a valuable source of community information, he added.
“No one can say ‘I didn’t know,’” he said.
“When things are going well, people don’t show up and pay attention and watch,” Hyer said. “We’ve seen that kind of village cycle, a township cycle, a school cycle, people showing up and really getting involved and then things, in their eyes, go back to normal and people drift away and they’re trusting the people they’ve elected are doing their job. I think that’s where a community newspaper is important and valuable.”