The Citizen newspaper first arrived in area residents’ mailboxes in August 1995. About seven years later, in 2003, I stepped in as editor. My mission, then as now, is to provide readers in more than 11,000 households each weekend with local news for Atlas, Brandon and Groveland townships along with the villages of Goodrich and Ortonville.
Over those nearly two decades I’ve seen plenty of change — from new faces in local government, to growth of area businesses to a bevy of world events — that impacted our community. While the 24/7 dynamic news cycle provides a multitude of stories, the staff at The Citizen remains dedicated to this community.
Be assured the View Newspaper Group, which purchased The Citizen along with our sister papers on April 1, mirrors that weekly effort.
From a fresh new design with familiar bylines to sponsorship of community events to a broader coverage area for our loyal advertisers who support The Citizen each week, the View Newspaper Group not only recognizes the value of a dependable local product, but also provides a new platform for growth into a modern publication.
During the coming months the forthcoming changes will assuredly make The Citizen newspaper, winner of 63 Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper awards over the last two decades, just that much better and more closely connected to the communities we serve.
To all our readers and the many business partners who have supported The Citizen over the last 27 years, thank you. While change is inevitable, The Citizen news staff will continue to reflect our community each weekend with all the same stories that our readers have come to know.