Introducing the Green River Observer

Some thoughts on starting a local newsletter

I’ve really appreciated the warm response y’all have had on Green River Friends for a community newsletter! Hopefully this digital and soon-to-be print publication can begin to fill a need for gathering news, events, and stories about Green River. Just for fun, here’s a reminder of what some of the previous GR newspapers have looked like: Green River Dispatch (1914-1919?), The Green River Journal (1955-1956?), and The Green River Newspaper (2013).

As mentioned on Facebook, I met with anyone interested at the library this past Monday at 4pm (thanks Chris Sheeter and Conra Weber!). Here’s a bit of what we talked about:

CONTENT IDEAS

• The newsletter could start small by just summing up:

  • City council meetings

  • Planning commission meetings

  • City employee reports

  • Potential ordinances

• The newsletter could also eventually feature recurring sections or columns like:

  • Previews of local events coming up

  • This day or month in history

  • Oral history and old stories that haven’t been written down yet

  • Features on local business and artisans

  • Farmer's almanac-style updates on crops and home gardens

  • Reports on seasonal changes like which birds are in town or which flowers are in bloom

DISTRIBUTION IDEAS

• Make a print newsletter and mail it to every PO box in town and to paying out-of-town subscribers

• Post and send a shareable digital edition with Substack (this website)

• Start an Instagram page and maybe a Facebook page that share links to the digital newsletter

• Place coin-operated newspaper dispensers around town (used ones are relatively cheap!)

REVENUE IDEAS

• Sell ads in the newsletter, with a focus on individuals who don’t have a storefront

• Sell Substack subscription tiers:

  • Free - digital edition only

  • Paid - digital edition and a print edition (mailed to people living out of town)

  • Paid - bigger supporter, maybe including some merchandise as a bonus

• Sell merchandise:

  • Stickers

  • Clothing: Hats, T-shirts, or Sweatshirts

  • Wall calendars with seasonal GR photos and important local dates filled

  • Posters

  • Mug

  • Tote bags

  • Carpenter pencils

• Sell to distributors or in coin-operated dispensers

• Apply for grants intended for small media projects

PRODUCTION IDEAS

1. Produce content of newsletter over the course of a month

   1. Attend city council and planning commission meetings and take notes during the second and third weeks of the month

   2. Compile notes on meetings and staff reports into main "this month" summary and main "next month" summary

   3. Write an overarching editorial and/or edit submitted editorial(s) and reports

2. Prepare newsletter during print week (aim for the third or fourth week of month)

   1. Add any recent updates and do final English edits

   2. Send to the Spanish translator (still need to figure out their average lead time)

3. Produce digital edition of newsletter

   1. Add content to the InDesign file and edit down as needed

   2. Add content to the Substack draft and schedule send for the print mail day

4. Print the physical edition of newsletter

   1. Send to printer in Price or Moab

   2. Pick up printed copies (likely 1 day turnaround)

   3. Fold printed copies, unless the printer is paid to fold or make booklets

5. Mail the print edition at the post office

NEXT STEPS

1. I’m going to register an LLC with the state and city.

2. Once the LLC is ready, I’ll open a bank or credit union account. I won’t sell any ads for the first edition, so I should have time to finish all the paperwork beforehand.

3. I’m going to gather notes for the first edition, so send me any tips you have.

I think that’s all for now, but let me know what y’all think and if you want to help out or send something to put in the newsletter!

-Kenny

P.S.

A little bit about me: I moved to town back in August 2022 with my partner Zoe (you may have seen her behind the counter at Swell Coffee/Tamarisk last year) and our two cats: Lina and Peanut. I was born in New Orleans and grew up there and around the South in towns big and small. I currently work most of the week at Epicenter, largely on our affordable housing project here; remotely part-time at Community Rebuilds, an affordable housing builder in Moab; and as a volunteer board member for the Carbon-Emery Housing Authority, so please let me know if you want to talk about housing! I also publish, edit, and occasionally write for The Last Straw magazine with some friends.