Editor’s Note: In the Observer’s first year, the New York Times published an article written by Alix Boyle highlighting the startup of two small newspapers, one of which was Suffield’s Observer, the other a chain of weeklies published in Madison. Below are selected quotations from that story.
While everyone and his uncle is starting a Web site as a way to communicate with the world, two small groups of people are taking a more traditional approach: they are publishing newspapers.
In Suffield, a group of volunteers led by a retired banking executive cranks out a monthly newspaper called The Suffield Observer. Its aim is to cover town issues like planning and zoning, real estate development and schools, as well as to serve the community. Suffield, a rural town of 12,000 next to Bradley International Airport, is covered by The Hartford Courant, but has not had its own paper since 1940. Articles by the town historian in the Observer complement articles of more immediate interest. …
The people in Suffield couldn’t be more delighted with their paper. At a recent interview of about ten of its 100 volunteers, when asked why they spend their free time writing, photographing and laying out pages, the group answered in a chorus: “Sam Fuller.” …
Mr. Fuller would say that the Observer started as an outgrowth of his own personal newsletter that he had written for many years and distributed to about 400 people.
“It was a family pontification piece,” says Mr. Fuller, who was born on a tobacco farm in Suffield, went to Andover with George Bush, later the President, and then on to Williams College. “I used to express my political views, which I can’t do anymore.” …
”Sam is self-deprecating and he makes everyone feel important,” said Dick Labouchere, a volunteer reporter who edited Connecticut magazine in the 1980’s.
”He could probably sell wet matches.”
The paper rotates the editor’s position each month to give the news a different flavor. His wife, Jane Fuller, is the head of the proofreading squad, when she is not running a group for children from divorced families, or doing other volunteer work.
”We have a policy that we don’t change the narrative voice of a story,” Mrs. Fuller said. Her husband chimed in: ”These are volunteers and they love to write. We would rather have lousy writing than no writing.” …
Sally Peters, the advertising saleswoman for the paper, said businesses are happy they finally have a local outlet for ads. …
The Observer publishes all letters, as long as the facts are not distorted or the content too personal. He is also concerned with unbiased coverage and although he sometimes writes editorials, they are not critical. They tend to praise some aspect of the town and its people.
One editorial, titled ”Thank you!” closed by saying, ”To those who have said they found Suffield unwelcoming, I would only advise that they give of themselves, get involved, offer a friendly hand and a warm smile.”