It’s always good to know our readers are paying attention … and I thank you for doing so.
You, the reader, are our bread and butter and the reason we do what we do, when we do it and why we do it. The Boerne Star is a service to you – as well as a necessity for anyone wanting to know what’s going on locally. We are here to serve you, and we do it to the best of our ability.
We’re very proud of the product we give you every Tuesday and Friday.
As we continue here at The Star to maneuver as best we can through this ongoing newsprint shortage and the rising costs of doing business, we continue to dedicate ourselves to you.
Let me tell you, no editor or publisher likes a smaller news hole, but it’s just the way we have to operate these days until things return to normal.
We don’t know when that will be, however, as our corporate headquarters continues to work its way through delayed paper shipments and making sure there are enough supplies to print our weekly stable of community newspapers. But rest assured, those fine folks also are working hard to ensure we give you a quality product.
It’s teamwork at its best.
Those of you paying attention know our paper has gotten a little tighter, and some features normally included in print have been published online only. We apologize that we’ve had to do it, but we’ve really had no choice.
The most noticeable item that doesn’t always appear in print is the police reports. We know these are important and well-read – always have been and probably always will be – and we do our best to include them in print whenever we can. With the tightening of the paper, there just isn’t always room.
But, they’re always placed online for you to devour, and we always encourage you to check them out there – as well as everything else. Everything in the print edition of The Star also is available online through our e-edition and through general posts on our website, www. boernestar.com.
This past Friday, we also cut back on a couple of the games and puzzles included in the paper. We know crossword puzzles, crypto quotes and sudoku are popular – as are the others – but, again …
In the newspaper business, advertising dictates the amount of news that appears, even during a newsprint shortage. The more advertising there is, the more space we get for stories, photos, columns, press releases and the like, even though it’s always supposed to be proportional. It’s supposed to be a balance.
And by the way, advertising in The Star continues to give you the best bang for your buck. Nobody around here reaches more people more often and more consistently. Let us help you help your business.
We did hear those of you who contacted us in one way or another about the police reports and the certain games and puzzles not in print in recent editions.
Reporter Zachary-Taylor Wright works very hard on the reports, going through each and every call sheet compiled by the Boerne Police Department and the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office. Sometimes, it takes him as long to compile the reports as it does to write a story.
The games, puzzles and editorial cartoons we use are part of a service we subscribe to. Believe me, growing up with and spending an entire career in this business, I know the importance of providing them. They are a part of the newspaper culture and remain a key link in the chain of a successful publication. I enjoy including them, and we will continue to work on providing them in print to you as best we can.
Thank you for your patience – and readership – as we continue to be that top news and information source for you.
• • •
Don’t forget there’s an important election on Saturday as Boerne Independent School District voters will decide the future of the board of trustees as well as the future direction the district will take as it tackles the rapid growth we’re experiencing.
There are also two key state constitutional amendments to consider.
All of these were previewed in The Boerne Star during the last couple of weeks.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and voting centers are scattered throughout the district. See the Page 1 story for more information.
The $162.64 million bond proposition includes an eighth elementary school; expansions at Boerne and Champion high schools as well as at North and South middle schools; portable classrooms where the need exists or will exist; land acquisition; a second access point to Voss Middle School and design work for a third high school; general maintenance, including measures to keep BISD Stadium safe and useable in the short term; network infrastructure and an audio/visual “refresh;” an aquatics learning center; work on the old administration building and Boerne Academy; library hubs at four elementary schools; moving and expanding the district’s operations center; and money for planning, management and contingency fees.
The separate $3 million technology proposition would fund student and staff devices in the eighth elementary school and expansions at the secondary campuses as well as refresh devices at all BISD campuses.
The Place 4 trustee election matches incumbent Maritza Gonzalez-Cooper against Armando Trevino Jr. The term is for three years.
As far as the state amendments, Proposition 1 would authorize the state legislature to reduce the property tax limit for school maintenance and operations taxes imposed on the homesteads of elderly or disabled residents to reflect any tax rate reduction enacted by law from the preceding tax year.
Proposition 2 would raise Texas’ homestead exemption from $25,000 to $40,000 for school district property taxes, which would save the average homeowner about $176 on their annual property tax bill.
No matter your opinion, if you haven’t voted please do so on Saturday. Every vote counts as we plan and prepare for our future.
After all, the future is coming whether we like it or not.
Again, please continue to bear with us as we battle and beat this newsprint shortage. We very much appreciate your loyalty and support.
And, of course, as always, thanks for reading.
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