Most of you are by now aware I closed down the Citizen-Tribune’s sister newspaper, the West Sherburne Tribune, last week. Its final publication was Oct. 5.

The entire community has been in some sort of shock, because I refrained from sending out any SOS signals.

I didn’t think it necessary. The real issue, of course, was our consistent loss of advertising over the past several years to new alternative media.

So, after 40 years and four months, the Tribune is gone.

And, it is sad, because it was my flagship paper, the one which I gave birth to back on June 20, 1979 - and the newspaper which bore the brunt of economic stability in 2001 when I purchased the floundering Citizen. Had it not been for a giant infusion of money in 2001 and 2002, the Citizen would not have survived.

So, now, it is the Citizen which has survived. But we’re seeing the same signs of financial deterioration with this newspaper that were occurring with the Big Lake operation two and three years ago.

I will send out an SOS at this time, for this publication.

You read the newspaper regularly, just like the Big Lakers read the Tribune.

But as I mentioned in my parting comments at Big Lake a week ago, there seems to be a giant disconnect between your readership of the newspaper - and your use of it.

If the Citizen is to survive and continue to be of significant value to the community, you, the individuals, and you, the merchants and organizations, are going to have to step up and show it.

Social media has its place in this community, but it should not be something that tears at the fabric of this newspaper, ultimately destroying it.

And, that can happen.