By Sarah Opdahl

When the Town Tribune’s publisher, Marylou Schirmer, recently became a grandmother, she says the experience “made me realize it’s time to stop thinking and start doing!” Ideas that were floating regarding modernizing the paper and mitigating increasing costs, while staying true to the existing newspaper, are the driving forces behind some big changes.  With over two dozen years with the newspaper, Schirmer says she is “most happy about keeping the integrity of our community staple, while innovating it to benefit both towns. I don’t want to see this wonderful paper lost, and I want to add my stamp for whoever wants to take the reins when I am ready to retire. I truly love what it means to residents, and I believe this will keep it alive and relevant.”

Most importantly, we are excited to continue to provide a weekly newspaper that is largely the same as area residents have enjoyed. The changes come into play with a far more sophisticated online presence. All are invited to sign up for a free digital issue, which will land in inboxes on Thursdays, as usual. In addition, there will be free printed copies delivered to New Fairfield Mobil, The Goodie Shoppe, and Candlewood Drugs in New Fairfield, and The American Pie in Sherman, every Wednesday evening, for residents to feel free to pick-up. Those who would like to continue to receive printed versions in their mailboxes are welcome to subscribe for home delivery. Visit thetowntribune.com to sign up for the weekly digital version and find subscription information.  After the July 31 issue, the newspaper will not be delivered into all New Fairfield and Sherman mailboxes.

The financial and logistical challenges are real for small independent newspapers, many of which have folded or been absorbed by media conglomerates across the country, and Schirmer is grateful for the opportunity to provide a local news source for New Fairfield and Sherman that is well-intentioned and a steady presence. From local board coverage and feel-good human interest stories about residents to local sports and arts photo and legal notices, the paper provides a multitude of resources and has done so free of charge to residents since its inception. With the changes, the paper will be able to flourish in its current iteration, while its costly production expenses are eased.

“I’ve been excited about making the digital move for quite a while,” Schirmer shared, going on to say, “However, I was still unsure about how the community would embrace the change after having the print version in hand for so many years.” Therefore, she needed to create a good compromise for digital and print, and work with advertisers who will now have new opportunities to connect with customers, both in the local towns and beyond, through a digital platform. “I love this option for advertising!”,  Schirmer added, “I’m thrilled for advertisers to gain exposure with so many reader options. Advertising is also offered directly on the website. There are rotating banners on the home and digital weekly pages, where the ads will be displayed with links to each business. Classified ads will be easy to access, as well. Also, now it will be easy for readers to find the ads they are looking for currently or in past issues.”

Schirmer stressed, “Nothing will change about how the paper is now published. The entire staff will work as usual, and the final pages will be sent to the printer/web manager on Tuesday afternoons, with the publication date remaining on Thursday.” Digital readers will receive an email on Thursday mornings with a link to that week’s paper. She explained, “I’m hoping readers will become comfortable with the digital version quickly on a laptop or cell phone. There are two versions available: full view screen, which works very well on a computer and  I like the download option for cell phones. It’s easy to control the text by pinching the type to whatever size works, and the columns fit perfectly for easy reading.” With the switch, readers will find it handy to access the paper wherever they are with just a link on their phone and sharing any article or event will be easy to do. In addition, back issues will be saved on the website for quick and simple retrieval. A few articles from the weekly issue will continue to be uploaded to the paper’s website as well. For paid subscribers, newspapers will be mailed directly from the Printer by regular mail and from the office on Wednesday evening for priority mail subscribers. Subscriptions are based on a year (50 issues) but other increments are available for residents who would like a different timeframe—just email mschirmer@thetowntribune.com. 

“To me, the Town Tribune feels like home,” Schirmer shared. She went on, “From its beginning, many years ago as the Citizen News, to the present, it has been a very real connection for local officials, organizations, and residents alike. I’ve had the privilege of enjoying that connection

for over 25 years. I love having the opportunity to work with such a dedicated support team – I could never do it without the Town Tribune family! Their dedication and love of the paper is immeasurable, and I thank them for their dependability and friendship.” Though she realizes that these will be welcome changes for some and not for others, “My hope and goal are that the community embraces all that’s new and continues to support our community news. As in the past, I have a good feeling they will!”