16/03/2026
Beginning with the July 2026 issue of Kaw Valley Senior Monthly, our events calendar will be moved to our website at seniormonthly.net/calendar. Recurring events have already been added to the online calendar.
I decided to make this move for several reasons:
- In 2025, 90% of adults 65+ said they use the internet, 70% said they subscribe to home broadband, and 78% say they own a smartphone. At the same time, 17% of adults 65+ are “smartphone dependent” (smartphone users with no home broadband). I believe we are now at a point where the vast majority of our readers can access an online events calendar.
- Moving our events calendar to our website will free up space in the print edition of Senior Monthly. This will allow us to add new features to the print edition. As always, the print edition will be available as a PDF file on our website. We have also started making a flipbook option available.
- Moving our events calendar to our website will move Senior Monthly one step closer to becoming a 100% online publication if we decide to make that change. Earlier this year, Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper announced it would discontinue newsprint mill operations. The paper mill said North American demand for newsprint had fallen 40 percent since the company was purchased by Atlas Holdings in 2022; there was an 18 percent decline in North American newsprint demand in 2025 alone. With that closure, only four paper mills in North America continue to make newsprint. Just one of those four is in the United States. Area printers may no longer be able to purchase newsprint in the near future. We could switch to super-calendered or another similar magazine paper. However, these papers are much more expensive than newsprint.
An online calendar will also provide the following benefits for readers:
- Events Can Be Updated Instantly. In print, if an event changes, cancels, or moves locations, the listing is wrong for the entire month. We can also add new events at any time, including those that miss the print deadline.
- We Can List Many More Events. Our print calendar is limited by page space. Readers will get a much more complete calendar because we can add many additional events, including events outside of our distribution area.
- Events Can Be Searchable and Filtered. Our online calendar will allow readers to find exactly what they want. Readers can search by city or date, and filter by type (health, music, classes, senior centers).
- Readers Can Add Events to Their Own Calendars. Readers can also download an event reminder, which increases the likelihood they will attend.
- Events Can Link to More Information. Print listings must be very short. Online listings can include full descriptions, links to maps, and registration links. This is especially helpful for classes, health screenings, and trips.
- Mobile Friendly. A printed calendar is harder to use when someone is already out. With an online calendar, readers can check events on their phones.
If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions concerning an online events calendar, please feel free to contact me at 785-841-9417 or [email protected].
