Opinion

Few would argue that America’s metropolitan newspapers are in trouble, beset by declining circulation and ad revenues and free online competition. But rural and community newspapers, like the six weeklies we publish here in Plumas and Lassen counties, are weathering the storm.

In the United States, some 7,500 community newspapers — papers with under 30,000 in circulation — still hit the streets, front porches and mailboxes at least once a week.

Sometimes my job can be tough.

Maybe that is because I actually have two of them: Reporter by day; small-business owner by night and on weekends.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m having a blast reporting the county’s news. And I equally enjoy building campfires and tracking down extra toasters, pillows and wine glasses for my guests at Camp Layman.

“It’s 10 p.m., do you know where your children are?” was the question asked on nightly television, usually about the time of the evening of curfews, which based by county or city ordinance, was either 10 or 11 p.m.

It was a national message, a very well-recognized public service announcement that played daily on the ABC television network from the 1960s through the 1980s.

6/15/11

Fifty years ago, Plumas County celebrated the grand opening of Plumas-Eureka State Park. A half-century later, we are in danger of losing our county’s only state park. PESP is on the list of parks the state plans to close by July 2012.

Since the list was announced May 13, the state’s plans have hit a few snags. For starters, the feds say it may be illegal for the state to close certain parks. The National Park Service says 16 California parks — PESP is not one — receive grants through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. By grant contract, the state is supposed to keep the parks in public use for perpetuity.