Welcome To MacArthur Metro

It became the Laurel/Dimond Reporter, then The Reporter Click to enlarge.

Used to picking up that crisp monthly Metro at The Food Mill or Farmer Joe's? Well, 20 years ago you could get your organic peanut butter but no Metro. Not until 1988 did we have an outlet for discussing our neighborhood concerns or sharing our experiences. Then Laurel resident Mary Sharon contacted the editor of the Rockridge News, Don Kinkead, expressing her interest in having a similar paper in what we now proudly know as the "MacArthur Metro area." Together they collaborated on the Laurel Reporter, which gave birth to the Laurel Dimond Reporter. Their shared vision established the paper as both a communication source for our neighborhoods and a tool to help small businesses become stronger.

As they worked together, the Laurel Reporter changed its name to reflect the growing readership. It became the Laurel Dimond Reporter, the Reporter, and after a year, emerged as the MacArthur Metro. The paper had several talented caretakers along the way. When Mary Sharon moved, Janet Caulkin began to work with Don. Then Suzan Lorraine and Ellen Griffin edited it. It fell into the hands of our editor emeritus, Toni Locke, by the end of 1991. Don notes that the current paper is as it has always been, "… a compilation of neighborhood concerns [with] chatty, informative articles."'

Don remembers the many challenges of starting a paper. "[Neighborhood papers] are not intended to make money, but it was intended that they cover their costs through advertising, and advertising was also seen as a way to show what the neighborhood could offer." It was important for the Metro to give people "an awareness of their neighborhood." Don adds that it's a challenge to "keep people interested." Ultimately, if the paper has relevant material, then it's got value. When the Metro started, the Internet did not exist. While too many people rely solely on the Internet, Don sees it as an ancillary and "reciprocal source of information." Unlike today's tidbits on the Internet, "there's a permanence to print…as long as you have a copy around, you have it."

Don worked on the Laurel Reporter/Metro for three years, and he remains the editor of the Rockridge News. He finds his rewards in getting to know people involved in his neighborhood who are actively striving to keep the community viable. "Papers make a difference." He cites the example of a redevelopment issue in Rockridge: "We solicited donations from the community, and the community responded. It was a tangible resource for the people and a communication source." While the Metro has also had a positive community influence over the years, it must continue to call for volunteers.

As a long-time editor of a community newspaper, Don has had to face many policy issues. He believes that small papers should "not shy away from controversial issues." While they should not try to be provocative, "let the reactions fall where they may." If readers do not agree, they can "join the paper and speak up."