We at the Patriot sure appreciate our loyal and dependable supporters who faithfully read our stories, submit ideas and give us valuable pieces of advice. We have worked tirelessly to bring all our readers from Big Lake to Becker to Clear Lake and Clearwater the best newspaper we can since our inception five years or so ago.

Who we really appreciate, of course, are our advertisers. Without them, we would not be in business. I’ve recently become aware that many people in the communities we serve assume we get federal or state funding to run our newspaper business.

That is far from the truth.

As a matter of fact, our newspaper is 100% funded by the advertisers who support us with their weekly, monthly and annual advertisements. Without them, there would be no local newspaper delivered to your home or business.

The Patriot has faced a multitude of challenges since we started — which happened to coincide with the Coronavirus outbreak in 2019. Paper costs, printing costs, delivery costs, post office rate increases and general cost-of-living expenses have challenged us to stay afloat. Just like everyone else, the last four years or so has “kicked our butts.”

The Patriot added a subsidiary business called Trio Digital Media (TV screen advertising), which we hope will generate a supplemental income to offset some of our impending financial challenges. Again, our goal is to continue to provide a quality news source for the communities we serve for many, many years to come.

Though we (and you) have no idea what 2025 and beyond is going to throw at us but we are committed to making the Patriot a newspaper you look forward to reading each and every week. We want it to be your newspaper so we welcome any suggestions on improving the product you receive in your mail every week.

Again, this newspaper is produced solely on the contributions of our advertisers and supporters. We suggest you take that into consideration when you go shopping or need a service such as a plumber, a mechanic or a restaurant. Shop local. Keep your communities thriving by exploring the “little guys”. Be neighborly.

The Patriot staff thanks you all for your loyalty and trust and we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a New Year that improves and flourishes.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” — Albert Einstein