Front Page News

As a former Girl Scout, with God and all creatures as my witness, I swear the last subject I wanted to address here is federal governance. Can we think or talk about anything else?

The second-longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, which began Oct. 1, shows little sign of ending soon. The Trump Administration is poised to shatter its own record-breaking first-term government shutdown of 35 days. Many federal workers are furloughed; others have been fired. Federal employees deemed essential workers are commanded to continue working without pay, some with no assurance that they will ever be compensated.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives refuses to call legislators back to work at the Capitol. Doing so would mean swearing in the newly elected representative from Arizona, a Democrat, which would tip the balance just enough to demand the apparently unthinkable public release of the infamous Epstein files. Then candidate Donald Trump first promised to do so in June 2024.

Speaker Johnson’s refusal to call the House into session has given the executive branch free rein to do whatever it wants to achieve its goals.

Depending on your persuasion, this may make your chest swell with pride or cause sleepless nights worrying that the greatest constitutional democracy on Earth has already made a bitter turn to autocracy.

At times like this, I remind myself of something the British philosopher Bertrand Russell said: “Whenever you find yourself getting angry about a difference of opinion, be on your guard; you will probably find, on examination, that your belief is going beyond what the evidence warrants.”

Our editorial focus is and remains writing about life on the Key Peninsula, even when events beyond our shores intrude.

When hundreds of people gather to rally in Key Center, like it or not, it’s front-page news. During COVID, we covered an organized protest in Key Center with fewer than a dozen sign-carrying participants protesting mask and vaccine mandates.

Then, of course, there is tracking the health of the KP fire district and the ongoing speed bump conflict; and the work of our schools, food banks, and clinics, leavened a bit with sports and columns, recipes, nature walks, thoughts on books, and the very latest reporting on our local Sasquatch population.

The KP community is, by and large, a compassionate lot. Just walk into the Angel Guild Thrift Store in Key Center, and you’ll get a small taste of what I mean. Not only do they provide a place to donate gently used cast-offs, but they are also affordable for families on a tight budget. The money earned by this beloved recycling operation is turned into grants that the Angels award to help fund other worthy nonprofit community efforts. That’s just one place, but it’s so KP.

The number of thriving nonprofit organizations on the KP is a testament to a community that wants to create opportunities for engagement and is forever seeking opportunities for learning and having fun. One look at the Key Peninsula News community calendar is a taste of what is offered here.

Without local news, who would know about the fascinating characters who live here? Maybe a reporter would show up once or twice a week for juicy plums to turn into clickbait, but even that would lie behind a paywall, and you’d have to subscribe to read.

Social media is no replacement for quality, nonpartisan journalism.

Early in October, several of our team traveled over the pass to attend the annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association convention, this year held in Wenatchee. In these challenging times for newspapers, it was particularly heartwarming to visit with and learn from other editors and publishers in the industry.

We visited the Wenatchee World Press and toured the facility where KP News goes to press each month. It is an impressive operation. The company’s print business is going strong, but other printers have closed shop for good.

Sound Publishing is the largest publisher of print newspapers in the state, with roughly 30 newspapers, including dailies and weeklies in Washington. It just closed its press in Lakewood after less than three years in operation. The communities served remain under the Sound Publishing label, now owned by Carpenter Media Group, based in Mississippi.

Our business model is entirely different. We are an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan newspaper that publishes and distributes 10,500 copies each month, mailed to every address and boxholder in our coverage area. We believe that communities thrive best when everyone has access to quality journalism. Our website houses archives of every story we have published, going back over 50 years. No paywalls — not now, not ever.

How can we do this? It’s all possible thanks to local businesses and nonprofit advertisers, but it would not survive without your individual support.

Our annual funding campaign begins Nov. 1 and runs through year-end. That familiar green envelope is tucked inside this edition, and we are grateful for any financial support you are comfortable giving to our mission to deliver the steady, reliable news and features that make our community unique.

Our team is largely made up of volunteers. It takes everyone working in unison, doing their part. I know from your thoughtful love notes, cards, and messages that we have assembled the best team Key Peninsula News has ever had.

Together, we are going to be just fine. Reach out if you need help, and please continue treasuring life on the KP, the magical land where we can all live our best lives, enriched by each other.