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THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2019
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
DERRICK DePLEDGE
Editor
Founded in 1873
JEREMY FELDMAN
Circulation Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
PUBLISHER’S NOTEBOOK
Reader feedback is valuable
T
hank you for reading this column.
According to a National News-
paper Association readership sur-
vey conducted last year, 60% read their
local paper for the editorials or letters to
the editor somewhat often to very often.
Which means that 40% don’t often read
the O pinion page and aren’t likely to read
this column. And that’s
OK .
Readers fi nd the con-
tent they are interested
in when they browse the
newspaper, and not all
readers are interested in
the same things. That
KARI
was evident in the com-
BORGEN
ments of T he Astorian
reader survey we con-
ducted about the Sports Extra section we
published on Saturdays during football
season.
I shared the results of that reader sur-
vey in my last column — 37% of respon-
dents said they didn’t read a single issue
of the nine Sports Extra sections we pub-
lished. And that’s OK , too. The 63% who
did read the section shared their sugges-
tions and comments about the sports sec-
tion, and sports coverage in general.
We also asked for feedback on gen-
eral improvements to the paper. It was not
a surprise that respondents didn’t agree
on what they’d like to see in our pages.
Some of the responses:
“Continue Sports Extra!!”
“Eliminate it (Sports Extra) and the
other useless supplements you’ve added.”
“There’s too much space and
resources dedicated to sports. It’s not
journalism, it’s entertainment pages and I
read the paper for news!!”
“I would like to be able to read the
D ear Annie column in every paper
instead of once or twice a month.”
“Inclusion of more national news on
weekends would be an improvement in
the paper.”
“More local news and features instead
of national news.”
“Less articles pulled off the wire.
OPB, Oregonian, Capital Press.”
“Eliminate sports and add more state
or national news.”
“Open your eyes folks and put in some
important news. Australia is burning up
... so is California.”
Although readers don’t agree on what
should be included in our pages — or
what should be left out — our prior-
ity is and will continue to be local news.
Despite requests that we eliminate sports,
national news, wire and comics we will
still include those things in T he Astorian.
A community newspaper should offer
a variety of content so that readers can
discover things they didn’t know that
they wanted to know until they read it in
the paper.
Survey respondents did offer good
suggestions for improvements.
“Educate readers to use online
edition.”
“If information about all events could
be posted earlier, it would help those of
us whose schedules are slammed. Try
harder to get out of the box and do more
articles that include those not seen as
much.”
“Thursday events in the Thursday
paper are useless! Mail delivery is an
improvement.”
“I would prefer that sports are inside
and articles carried over from front page
are put on back to make it easier to con-
tinue reading.”
“Love to see local stories about what
is happening, but wonder about all kinds
of things I never read about. Wonderful
old boat in Youngs Bay last week, what
was it and why?”
“I get overwhelmed by the political
dramas, but am happy you cover them as
they are important. Especially the local
things. I wish there were more community
activities listed like literary and arts or
wildlife activities and engagement.”
“Stop with the stories that fl ow
through several pages. Give us more,
shorter stories.”
“Suggest that the digital edition be
revised for easy usage and readabil-
ity. Look at nyt.com, wsj.com or ft.com
for examples. Also ... if you elect to con-
tinue left leaning editorials and/or cop-
ies from other papers, please also pro-
vide opinions and news from the right for
a balanced approach. Lastly, how about
a fi nancial section covering Northwest
stocks and business information.”
“Add more and different content. Too
much repeat and you need more articles.
Better editing to reduce the size of the sto-
ries so more stories can be added.”
“I’d like to make a suggestion about
the Coast Weekend; I miss the weekly
restaurant reviews; I especially liked it
when the author was unknown; it would
also be nice to have movie reviews.”
“I wonder if it would ever be possi-
ble to run a story or two about life on the
street, the homeless in Clatsop Co. like
who are they? W here did they come from
and what help do they need to survive.”
“More attention to regular summa-
ries of the decisions of public boards and
bodies. We need that info to be informed
voters.”
“I especially like the stories about
individual people in our community,
including people in new positions or busi-
nesses, or people, like Liisa Penner, who
have been serving us for decades.”
You might have noticed that some
suggestions we’ve already started work-
ing on, while others are in the works.
Feedback is valuable and I’d like to
thank readers who offered to share their
opinions.
Our challenge at T he Astorian is to
strike a balance for all readers so that
everyone can fi nd content that inter-
ests them. Not every reader will appreci-
ate a budget hearing story, or comics, or
national news or sports. That’s OK .
We hope that once in a while you’ll
fi nd something that makes you chuckle,
or makes you smarter about your commu-
nity, or gives you something to talk about
with your kids over dinner. Odds are that
at least 60% of you will.
Have more ideas to share?
Send them to kborgen@dailyastorian.
com
Kari Borgen is the publisher of The
Astorian.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Welcome
his is in response to the letter “Hard
being an outsider” (The Astorian, Dec.
10). I’m saddened by your experiences
with trying to make friends. You’re on a
great path, with all your volunteering in
order to make it happen.
We’ve been here over three years, we’re
close to your age, and have found Astoria
to be very welcoming, even by those who
grew up here, or have been here for many
years.
We’ve made some close friends at our
spiritual gathering on Sundays, and neigh-
bors, as well as those from volunteering.
Keep the faith and keep trying. It’s going
to happen. It just sometimes takes more
time than we’d like.
Best to you. Welcome to beautiful
Astoria.
ROBIN RODGERS
Astoria
T
Funniest sound
he word “laugh” is a funny word. If
you repeatedly say laugh, it at fi rst
sounds strange, then makes you smile and
laugh. Try it. Your body’s feel-good chem-
icals — endorphins —will kick in.
Laughter can provide good therapy.
When stricken with ankylosing spondylitis
(spinal arthritis) in 1964, Norman Cousins,
renowned editor of the Saturday Review,
treated himself with massive intravenous
doses of vitamin C and massive doses
of self-induced laughter, including Marx
Brothers movies.
Cousins recovered and lived another
26 years. He found that just 10 minutes of
rollicking laughter per day provided two
hours of pain-free sleep. Doctors were not
T
sure why.
When I face terminal circumstances,
I’ll view Mel Brooks fi lms, lots of Monty
Python, and Groucho’s “Duck Soup.” Toss
in Billy Wilder’s “Some Like It Hot,” and
I could die pain-free.
Loud and long laughter that goes so far
as to lose all touch with its motive and to
exist only in itself — that’s laughter at its
best.
I know that Chaucer and the Bible often
dish up good humor, ducks are easily the
funniest animals, and I can’t stay mad at
someone who makes me laugh.
But whenever the impeachment trials or
global warming start to daunt me, I heed
Woody Allen’s Aug. 10, 1979, advice to
a graduating class: “More than any other
time in history, mankind faces a cross-
roads. One path leads to despair and utter
hopelessness. The other, to total extinction.
Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose
correctly.”
ROBERT BRAKE
Ocean Park, Washington
This area centers around the impor-
tance of family and community. As an
example, friends invited us to the Knappa
school fundraiser. We both were amazed
at the amount of money raised for the stu-
dents, and the long-term dedication of the
Knappa area to improve opportunities for
their children.
As for your job issue, please
realize that rural areas today are
economically challenged. Large cities
such as Portland soak up huge amounts
of resources. Clatsop County and its cit-
ies receive what crumbs are left. But in
an odd way, that becomes a positive. Vot-
ers here make local offi cials account for
every dollar, and often come together to
solve problems without having to rely on
government.
I’m sorry the letter writer feels she is
an outsider, and not part of this commu-
nity. But my wife and I love this area, and
deeply feel a part of it.
DAVID and STACI BRASMER
Astoria
Warm and friendly
‘Are we there yet?’
n response to “Hard being an outsider”
(The Astorian, Dec. 10), my wife and I
totally disagree. There is nothing wrong
with the people in the Astoria area. In fact,
we have found this area to be wonderful,
warm and friendly.
We moved here in 2014. The day the
moving van arrived, neighbors came over
to introduce themselves and to see if they
could help with anything. Through them
and other people we have met, we have
many close friends and social activities. In
every way, we feel part of this community.
Even my chocolate Lab has friends she
visits to play with.
A
I
t this time of year, many of us are
traveling with children. How often the
children will say, “Are we there yet? Are
we there yet?”
As adults, we often ask the same
question regarding our personal life,
our spiritual life: “Are we there yet?” I
guess as long as we live, the search goes
on.
But at some point we need, for our own
peace of mind, to recognize the blessings
we have right now, and say, “Thank you,
Lord. We are there.”
JIM BERNARD
Warrenton
Cultural tax credit
very Oregonian has the right to direct
a portion of their state taxes to fund
arts and culture, but only a small percent-
age act on it.
Here’s how it works: Make a donation
to one or more of Oregon’s 1,400-plus cul-
tural nonprofi ts, then make a matching gift
to the Oregon Cultural Trust by Dec. 31.
You get 100% of the cultural trust dona-
tion back when you fi le your state taxes
— by claiming the cultural tax credit —
and the state Legislature invests that same
amount in Oregon culture.
In Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook
counties, grant awards have exceeded
$707,000, including a fi scal year 2020
award of $17,327 to the Astoria Library
friends association.
While the new tax laws reduced the
number of Oregonians who itemize deduc-
tions at the federal level, the benefi ts of
investing in Oregon culture remain the
same. Whether or not you itemize, your
donation to the cultural trust still prompts
a 100% tax credit on your state taxes.
Contributions to the cultural trust are
easy to make, and can be done online
at culturaltrust.org. The trust can accept
appreciated stock as well as individual
retirement account distributions, which
may provide additional tax benefi ts. The
tax credit is limited to $500 for individual
fi lers, $1,000 for joint fi lers and $2,500 for
C-corporations.
If you enjoy Oregon’s rich culture, par-
ticipating in the cultural trust tax credit
program is the best way to give back.
Make sure a portion of your state taxes
supports arts and culture. It’s a win-win for
everyone.
BERENIECE JONES-CENTENO
Astoria
E