01/26/2015
The Jack Pine Tribune is humbled by the support that we’ve received over the past five years. We’re humbled by our local communities and their ability to rally around the principles and ideals that we all stand for. We’re reflecting on the journey that has been the Jack Pine Tribune with great pride and gratitude. We all worked for each other. Like the jack pine tree does, we grew in a tough climate. We made something of ourselves, bursting from the earth with roots set firmly in the heart of the Jack Pine Conference. It was our fans, businesses, athletes, parents and friends who have watered the Tribune faithfully so that we could all continue to grow together.
The memories have stacked up like a room full of past newspaper editions over the years. Many of those memories will never leave those who have been associated with the Jack Pine Tribune. It wasn’t just a job to be here and the people who built this newspaper weren’t just co-workers. We were more like a family. Every day we worked hard because we all wanted to see this paper mold into a masterpiece and in many ways it did.
But at the end of the day, our work was always about the athletes of the Jack Pine Conference. We built it with the kids in mind. We built it so their parents could be proud of the work their kids are doing. We built it so grandma’s refrigerator door would never be empty and the local craft shops never had a hard time selling magnets. The articles have been clipped out and pinned up. They’ve been pumped out and posted online. They’ve been shared in other local publications. They’ve been appreciated and well received. For that, we thank you all.
As you know, the Jack Pine Tribune was purchased in October 2014 by the Hearst Corporation who also owns the Midland Daily News and the Huron Daily Tribune. The purchase came on the heels of two of the original owners making big life changes. Their paths were leading them in other directions. So, like a family is supposed to do, Adam Hall, Loren Dassay and Brandon Hodgins supported their new endeavors and vowed to keep the newspaper alive throughout the sale and transition.
All was on the upswing. We had a dedicated seller in the streets shaking hands and making contacts. We were set to roll out a brand new website this week. We contacted every principal and English teacher in the conference to get high school students involved with the paper. Our social network was blowing up with over 5,330 faithful followers. The Jack Pine Tribune was on the eve of finally reaching the potential that thousands of people across four counties knew it could.
Things change fast in the newspaper business. Months ago, the Hearst Corporation gave us another shot at survival. They afforded us impressive, dedicated and knowledgeable leaders to helps us charge into 2015. They breathed new life into the Jack Pine Tribune. Things began to improve. The paper started to look better. It read better. The crew at the JPT was gaining valuable guidance from a team in Midland who truly believed in the work we did. They recognized our strengths and weaknesses, and they worked hard to capitalize and correct accordingly.
To print a weekly newspaper is a tough game. This time, it didn’t work out. No fault to any single person, no fault to any single act. It just didn’t work out. Nearly five years after the first JPT newspaper was printed and distributed across the conference, with heavy hearts, the Jack Pine Tribune announces the closing of a chapter. A great chapter it was. One that will surely live on, long after the last page has been turned on the last Tribune that gets printed.
Our parting words are THANK YOU. To the students who inspired us, THANK YOU. To the parents who supported us, THANK YOU. To the communities that embraced us and had our backs through thick and thin, THANK YOU. To the local business owners who sponsored the athletes, bought business card ads and showed unwavering support to us year after year, THANK YOU. To every last person who made this possible, THANK YOU.
There is a need here that should be filled. At the end of the day, the kids are the ones who are impacted negatively by the loss of the Jack Pine Tribune. We whole heartedly believe that someone in the community will step up to fill that need. It may not be in the form of a print newspaper. It surely will no longer be called the Jack Pine Tribune. But as long as Beaverton continues to tip off Against Gladwin, there will be a need for the work we’ve done. As long as cleats dig into the track every spring, there will be a need for the work we’ve done. For as long as the Friday Night Lights shine on the gridiron, there will be a need for the work we’ve done. As long as the Roscommon Lady Bucks rain terror on anyone who steps on the same volleyball court as they do, there will be a need for the work we’ve done.
THANKS again to everyone who believed in us and gave us the opportunity to do what we’ve done for the athletes and families of the Jack Pine Conference.
