Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my concern about the recent decision not to print the 2023 Union County Junior Fair 4-H Results Guide as in years past. As a 4-H club advisor, dedicated member of the 4-H community and a loyal reader of your newspaper, I learned that this was only available exclusively online for digital subscribers of the Marysville Journal Tribune. I believe this change has important implications for our local youth and the community.
Traditionally, the 4-H member awards have been an integral part of our community’s recognition of the hard work, dedication, and achievements of our young participants. These awards not only celebrate the accomplishments of our youth but also serve as a source of inspiration for other aspiring 4-H members.
The 4-H program plays a vital role in the personal and professional development of our young citizens. Making these awards accessible only to a select group of readers could diminish their significance and hinder the sense of pride and motivation that comes from seeing one’s achievements recognized in print, which has been a long-standing tradition.
While I am pleased to learn that there was a one-day free access period for the digital version of the 4-H member awards, my concern remains regarding the lack of communication about this arrangement. As an active member of our community and a dedicated reader of your newspaper, I was unaware of this opportunity until I inquired directly. It raises questions about how such important information is shared with the community.
I understand the challenges that the newspaper industry faces in the digital age, but I believe that preserving the tradition of recognizing our local 4-H members in print is a worthwhile endeavor. Alternatively, if the transition to digital content is inevitable, I suggest that a compromise be made, such as providing limited free access to these awards online so that the entire community can still celebrate our 4-H members’ achievements.
I hope that you will take these concerns into consideration and work towards a solution that ensures the inclusivity and accessibility of these awards for everyone in our community.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Jill Kleiber,
Marysville
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Editor’s note: We appreciate the feedback about the Union County Fair because we have always tried to listen to the ag community when publishing the results guide.
This year presented different circumstances for us when we had to switch printing facilities in March. The page count available to us would not accommodate the 157 photos we took for all the junior fair projects. Thus, we had to either take out photos of certain children or publish an electronic edition. Producing a digital publication also allowed all of the photos to appear in color. We also made access to the publication free to anyone that wanted to download it.
Though it won’t appear on large newsprint, the Journal-Tribune office does have printed copies of the edition for those who would like a keepsake but were unable to print one at home.
Overall, we are glad the results guide has grown since we started it 23 years ago and will work with the fair on a better solution for next year.