Supporters, thank you for your 2020 vision
by Melanie Jongsma, Managing Editor
LANSING, Ill. (January 3, 2021) – I spent some time crunching numbers at the end of 2020. With a little spreadsheet help from my brother-in-law, I was able to get new insights from the Lansing Journal data I’ve been gathering for the past few years. (Thanks Steve.)
It made an impression.
Growth in dollars
For example, I could look back and see that we started 2020 with $484 in support from 48 readers. We ended the year with nearly 10 times that amount from 137 readers.
That increase in dollars is not exciting in and of itself. It’s exciting because of what it accomplishes. That growth in dollars is necessary in order to sustain the growth in coverage readers have asked for.
Growth in coverage
In 2019 The Lansing Journal published a total of 1,213 articles. In 2020, we published 1,648. That averages out to more than 4 articles every single day. And Josh Bootsma, who is largely in charge of managing and scheduling content, works to make sure that at least one of those stories each day is an original piece by one of our own local journalists.
We want to do even more in 2021. We are putting plans into action that will allow us to publish more frequently about the things you’ve told us are important to you—school district news, sports, and business, for example. Those plans will require additional dollars, either from advertisers or from reader donations, so we are looking for another year of continued growth.
Growth in vision
For now though, I want to publicly thank the readers listed below. These are people who have a vision for what a community newspaper can do for a community—and they gave to make that vision reality.
Thank you, December 2020 supporters—
Lindsey and Saad Abbasy
Karen Adams
Jim and Kathleen Adduci
Annmarie Aud
Judith Beezhold
Barry Bergstrom
Marlene Biesboer
Gloria Biondi
Vicky Booth
Nancy Boukal
Susan Bovino
Theresa Bresnahan
Charlie Burton
John Bush
Maryann Centracchio
Laurel Clausing
John and June Cole
Cole & Young Jewelers
Greg and Jane Compeau
Marlene Cook
Ruth Cook
Diane Costello
Denise Cox
Jeannine Cusson
Kerry Czarobski
Floret Daniels
Christopher Deckinga
Debbie DeNardo
Sandy DeVries
Fran Duffy
Barb Dust
Rich Dust
Roseann Dykstra
Margaret Evans
Anonymous Friend
Frank Fetters
Fine Tune Auto
Janice Fox
Marilyn Freeman
Jim and Judy Friesema
Tina Funchion
Rebecca Furlong
Carol Gadbois
Jeff Gajewski
Sophie Gaylor
Edward Gonzalez
José Gonzalez
Jacob Gourley
Tony and Maureen Grady-Perovich
Greg and Janet Gremba
Patty Grigutis
Joyce Haak
Gerald Haan
Cathy Hallow
Jim Hansen
Brian and Kathy Hardy
Ted Hnatusko
Marjorie Holme
Mark Hornung
Donna Huizenga
Jim Janssen
Patricia Jaracz
Melanie Jongsma
Terry Kapteyn
Steve Kasper
Jerome Kern
Jean Klacik
Judith Koch
Pat Kremer
Cynthia Krusza
Pamela Lancy
Bev Lich
Friends of The Lansing Journal
Jim and Suzanne Long
Luci Lugowski
Diane Lund
Kathleen Maanum
Bob Malkas
Ed Marco
Roberto Mendoza
Lynda Mendoza
Christine Merchat
A Lansing Journal Supporter
Joyce Mulder
Chuck Murach
Nauta Enterprises
Marilou Ooms
Grant Oppenhuise
Mike Packard
Donald Palka
Mary Beth Palka
Thomas Panichi
Robert Parrent
Moira Peterson
Richard Podgorski
Rosemarie Polgar
Jay and Chris Popp
Joanne Pritchard
Rosalie Prystalski
Jean Qualls
Anonymous Random Friend
Janet Rehak
Penelope Rellis
Clarence and Joan Ridder
Jim Ridder
Jane Roseen
Jennifer Saia
Dolores Samples
Carol Schaap
Rudy Schaser
Schultz Insurance Agency
Peter Schurman
Dave Schurman
Irene Sepiol
Robert Sharer
Connie Simon
Slaughter & Associates
Michelle Smith
Kelsee Stallinga
Someone Who Believes in The Lansing Journal
Kirstin Stellfox
Stony Tire Incorporated
Cindy Sulli
Jim Sweeney
Linda Todd
Anonymous Friends
Virginia and John Ulaszek
Leo Valencia
James Van Milligen
Tim Vermeer
Sandy Vree
Phyllis Warsen
Waters Edge Aquascaping
Dave Wilford
Robert Wood
Patricia Yos
Deborah Zadrozny
Chris Zdanowski
