By Ken Robinson

Beginning with the issue of Sept. 6, your local paper will take on a new look. We are combining all the elements of your community paper with those of neighboring communities in a package called The Westside Weekly.

For many decades, the West Seattle Herald , White Center News , Ballard News-Tribune and Highline Times have provided essential news to their communities. Inside The Westside Weekly, you will find news, features, photos, columns and advertising from the community in which you live along with coverage from adjacent communities west of I-5, from Des Moines to Ballard.

Robinson Newspapers have been serving this community for more than 60 years, and we thank our readers and advertisers for supporting us throughout that time. We have been able to bring you many hours of news and entertainment custom-tailored to your community, which has always been our goal.

Market forces have led us to make this change, but we are focused on producing a paper we believe you will like. The cost of producing the newspaper has risen significantly in the last few years along with a decline in classified advertising that once was a mainstay of newspaper revenue. Changing to a single edition will allow us to have just one pressrun instead of three. This will help us control costs and allow us to continue to bring you a good newspaper every week.

You will be able learn about what is going on in neighboring towns and communities in a single edition and still have the paper you have relied on for many years. Within each Westside Weekly you will find the traditional nameplates, identities and coverage for each community as their own sections.

Over time, it became clear to us that people's lives do not stop at our circulation borders. That is one of the reasons we chose to group the papers into a single edition. In addition to learning more about neighboring communities, we hope you’ll be able to take advantage of offers from a wider range of advertisers as well.

If you like the paper, let us know. If you see areas where we can improve, we want to hear how and why. Send us a letter. Email to: kenr@robinsonnews.com. Snail mail to 14006 1st Ave. So, Seattle, Wa. 98168

Websites for each of our three papers will remain unchanged (although we are working on an upcoming format revision to improve our readers’ experience). So, while the print editions are combining into one, our websites will remain distinct.

Thank you for all your years of support and readership. We hope to share many more stories with you in decades to come with The Westside Weekly.

There's more

Speaking of newspapers, it is disheartening to watch the ceaseless attack on Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn by the Seattle Times. In their words, McGinn can do nothing right. We know him from his many appearances in Ballard and West Seattle during his reign listening to the people. In our view, he is the best, most responsive mayor Seattle has ever had.

The Times, irked because the candidate they endorsed took a drubbing in the election that elevated McGinn, has not been able to get over it. They lowered the guns on him immediately and have not missed a moment to vilify him. It seems shameful that to a person, the Times reporters and columnists have not had the guts to back from the attack demanded by their publisher, who is a fellow traveler with downtown business interests.
But we get it. Whose bread I eat, his song I sing. All those writers want to keep their jobs and you do that by writing what the boss tells you to write.

McGinn is an honest, forthright man who follows a path with a heart. He has stepped on his own feet a couple of times. But his character can go unchallenged. He says and does what is best for the people. We respect him for that.

Does it matter to you who is mayor of Seattle? Yes, if you work in Seattle, travel there or through there. Ideas promulgated by his office touch lives through the region.

No mayor before spent as much time in the communities as McGinn has. Most stay in the castle while their staff representatives made the visits to bring back the views of the constituents for consideration by his honor.

McGinn doesn't do that. He is very grounded and very smart.