Philomath News has entered uncharted territory in the news publishing business here in Oregon. Earlier this week, it was announced that the digital-only news operation has been officially designated as Philomath City’s newspaper of record for purposes of publishing public notices.
This move will benefit the news site as it will bring in advertising revenue that it has not been able to achieve before. It’s also a win-win for the city and taxpayers, as it can publish public notices at a much lower cost than traditional newspapers. Most of all, it is useful for readers who have free access to notifications.
wait a minute. Do legal notices not have to be published in paper newspapers? This was the case before the state Legislature approved House Bill 3167 and the governor signed it into law earlier this year.
The latest law provisions amending Oregon Revised Statutes 193.010 refer to the definitions of “bona fide subscriber” and “digital newspaper.” Important subsections to allow the city to publish notices on his PhilomathNews.com are:
“Consistent and regular coverage of local news, with at least 25 percent of the total news content being locally and independently composed by the newspaper, regardless of whether the newspaper is locally produced or printed. ”
Philomath News continues to produce well over 25% original local content.
In addition to saving the city money, publishing a public notice in Philomath News increases visibility. These will be displayed on the homepage, and there will also be a dedicated announcement ‘section’ where an archive will be maintained. There are also other strategies you can use to draw attention to your notifications, such as linking in related articles or featuring them in newsletters.
In my opinion, this gets more attention than a public notice buried in the legal or advertising section of a printed newspaper. Plus, there’s no paywall to read Philomath News. I admit that this is a new thought process for me personally. I mean, 90% of my career in this profession has been spent in traditional newspapers. However, I believe there are situations where this digital approach makes sense and Philomath fits that mold. The weekly paper that served Philomath closed three years before he did, and the local newspaper reduced its presence in reporting, distribution, and frequency of publication.
City Manager Chris Workman shared the changes with councilors through a city management report that was included in the Nov. 13 meeting materials. Before making this decision, the city consulted with legal counsel to interpret the revised ordinance and determine whether Philomath News was legally eligible to publish public notices.
So we’re venturing into new territory: public notice publication requirements. Other local governments will likely follow suit. Or, if the same situation exists, perhaps digital news operations in other parts of the state will play the same role in their communities.
2. Holiday fun is just around the corner
Once you get past Thanksgiving week and Black Friday or Cyber Monday or whatever shopping promotions exist these days, you’ll see a variety of holiday events pop up on your calendar.
This year’s Philomath Area Chamber of Commerce Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 30, at the Philomath Museum from 6 to 7 p.m. In the coming days, you may notice that Chonnard (which Pacific Power has supported in the past) is lighting up the tree.
Christmas tree lighting has become a lovely tradition here in the small town of Philomath. Enjoy cocoa and cookies, listen to the Philomath Elementary School choir sing, and high-five with Mack the Knight and Lil Knight. Of course, Santa Claus will always be there, and Philomath Florrick and the Rodeo Queen will be handing out candy canes.
The countdown to the tree lighting is the highlight of the night. It’s always a fun time (though I remember one year when it rained all the time, so let’s hope the weather turns out nice that night).
Our friend Yvonne McMillan is launching a new Christmas Sing-A-Long event this year. It’s Saturday, December 9th. Regular readers of this column will remember that I wrote about this about a month ago when I first learned about it. But this sounds like something really festive.
The Philomath Christmas Sing-A-Long begins at 7pm at Mary’s River Grange Hall. Organizers say the event will also include a potluck of desserts to enjoy along with the sing-alongs. Oh, and wear your best holiday attire or your worst tacky sweater (leave the booze at home and carpool if you can since parking is limited).
And if you can’t sing like me, you can just lip-sync (I saw a Milli Vanilli documentary a few weeks ago, so I was reminded of this option).
Finally, the city brings us the first Philomath Parade of Lights. This is what I also wrote a few weeks ago when the organizers gave me the details. The parade is scheduled to begin Saturday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.
If you watched the Frolic and Rodeo Grand Parade last summer, the route for this holiday parade will be the same. It starts at Chapel and South 19th Street, continues to Applegate, goes a short distance down South 15th Street, and then turns onto Cedar Street. and ends at the rodeo grounds.
Organizers are hoping for a large number of entries to brighten the night. The mayor will select the “shiniest float.” If you would like to enter, please go to this registration page.
I noticed a few days ago that Santa Claus took time out of his busy schedule to attend the parade. Just like with Christmas tree illuminations, let’s hope for good weather, rain or shine (well, it’ll probably be at night).
Other organizations and businesses always have events and activities related to the holiday. For example, the Lions Club usually arranges for Santa Claus to appear in the library (though I haven’t been able to confirm that yet).
There are also some pretty cool light displays around town, like Blinky Lights at 597 Neabeack Hill Drive. Steve King said the event will start at 5pm every night from Nov. 30 until the New Year, and end at 9pm Sunday through Thursday and 9:30pm Friday and Saturday. The accompanying music can be heard on He 87.9 FM and the “Control the Show” option is available online at this link.
3. References to philosophy in the Wyden statement
U.S. Rep. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) testified last week as part of a Senate Finance Committee hearing focused on investigating tax avoidance schemes used by the ultra-wealthy. In other words, people who have access to highly paid tax attorneys and accountants who can help them pay little or no federal taxes each year.
Wyden drew a reference to Philomath in a statement at the hearing.
“Today we’ll be looking at one strategy in particular called ‘Buy Borrow Die.’ Just three little words on the chart behind me have a big impact. Here’s how it works.
“Corporate raiders buy up companies and use their growing tax-free value to borrow money to fund lavish lifestyles. From superyachts to luxury vacations to expensive art deals. Anything goes. Even though they haven’t paid a penny in taxes, the value keeps going up and up. Then, when they die, the assets are passed on to their children (often completely tax-free) and the cycle continues. follows.
“Now, let’s contrast ‘buy borough die’ with the tax system that is mandatory for everyone else.
“Nurses and firefighters living in Philomath, Oregon, have to pay taxes out of each paycheck. Working people can’t play by the same rules as millionaires. Call your accountant every time you don’t want to pay taxes. I can’t afford to do that.
“Currently, the average millionaire is hunkering down in a tax bracket of just 8%, while a nurse or firefighter making $45,000 pays 22% of their salary in taxes.
“How is that fair? Americans overwhelmingly believe otherwise. So it’s time to look at solutions that restore fairness to the tax code while rewarding success. , that’s the foundation of our country: the idea that everyone should have a chance to advance.”
It’s a fair reference that appears to be accurate. For example, I know a lot of people who are in the fire department, and as far as I know, none of them have superyachts.
(Brad Fuqua is the publisher/editor of Philomath News. He can be reached at News@PhilomathNews.com).