LETTER: Honoring the 'Grant County Journal'

Dear Editor,

This is to salute the service the Grant County Journal provided Ephrata residents over the years.

As a former reporter for The Herald who covered the county seat, it's still hard to admit how many times Randy Bracht scooped me on stories. I always felt I had to work a lot harder just to keep up. It seemed like every morning we'd say hello as we made the rounds to the jail, courts, and other government offices.

For The Herald, it means carrying a greater responsibility. Ephrata generates a lot of news and it will take greater courage, persistence, and resources to serve readers. Perhaps the paper will consider hiring additional news staff...

Matthew Erlich

Gig Harbor

Hi Matthew,

Thank you for writing in.

As I said in a recent note to our readers, the Journal has always done an amazing job of caring for the community in Ephrata and the surrounding area. The staff there are a wonderful group of people that understand the value of the work they do and it is sad to see them closing shop.

The Columbia Basin Herald will work to enhance our coverage of the Ephrata area and endeavor to honor the legacy the Journal has established there. We are hopeful that we will be able to ensure the community remains informed about the happenings at Ephrata City Hall, community events and all those things that make Ephrata and its surroundings a wonderful place to live.

We will also continue to run the First Amendment on page A2 of the paper each day in honor of papers like the Journal that have served their communities well, yet have had to close down due to economic and industry concerns.

I encourage readers to buy a copy or three of the Journal's last edition this week and to wish the staff there well as they move on to their next professional opportunities.

With appreciation,

R. Hans "Rob" Miller

Managing Editor