During dim times for the nation and even darker times for the newspaper industry, comes a brief respite in the form of a Wall Street Journal story that reminds us, our advertisers and our readers of the importance of community newspapers.

The April 28 story recognized how, unlike large, metropolitan newspapers, small town papers’ strengths lie in its concentrated local focus and connection with the community. These attributes generate good stories for readers and solid results for advertisers.

Many readers have asked us how the Curry Coastal Pilot is weathering the recession and the resulting downturn in advertising (which pays for a majority our costs and employee salaries). Like most businesses, we’ve done our fair share of belt-tightening, but our future is not nearly as tenuous as that of big city newspapers, whose financial struggles have made national headlines.

The cornerstone of its success is the Pilot’s hyper-local coverage and news you can’t get anywhere else and will continue to be as we weather the changing times.

At 50 cents an issue – or free online at www.currypilot.com – the Pilot continues to provide readers with news that impacts their lives and their community. At the same time, the print and online editions offer struggling local businesses a cost-effective opportunity to advertise their goods and services to a large local market.

We truly appreciate our reader’s support and their feedback. And we appreciate the loyalty of our current and long-time advertisers whose businesses have helped the Pilot and it’s hard-working, dedicated employees during these challenging economic times.