Shelter Island Reporter announces community forums on the issues of the day

We announced several weeks ago that Times Review would cease publication of the Reporter under the present ownership at the end of the year. The economics of our business and Shelter Island have changed, forcing us to adapt.

During the last 25 years there has been a decline of small, locally-owned businesses, and an increase in off-Island ownership groups. This impacts our advertising base.

After our announcement, we were gratified by an overwhelming response from Islanders expressing their sorrow that their hometown paper might be no more.

We listened to you, and changed plans. We will continue — at least through 2025 — to produce a print and digital newspaper that covers the Island’s government, school, sports, the arts and the issues that affect residents now and in the long term.

Plus, we will continue to bring you the people who make this place a unique and vibrant community. Our commitment to be a strong and articulate advocate for all Islanders is firm.

And we here at the Reporter are going to do even more to keep our connection to the community we serve solid and engaged.

Coming up on Thursday, Sept. 26 will be the first in a continuing series of Reporter forums, where Islanders will be invited to attend public sessions of panels of distinguished experts in particular fields taking questions from a moderator, to exchange ideas and  opinions.

We will then open the discussion to the floor, where the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions and express ideas.

The first, 90-minute Reporter Forum is titled: “The Future of Shelter Island: Water, Housing, Health Care.”

It will be moderated by our Charity Robey, who will put questions to Town Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams; Community Housing Board Chairperson Elizabeth Hanley; Water Quality Improvement Advisory Board Member Gregory Toner; and Nancy Green, a former social worker and Reporter columnist who writes regularly on health issues — physical, mental, and emotional — affecting Islanders.

Our first forum will be at the Presbyterian Church’s Community Hall on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 5:30 p.m.

This is not a one-off. Future forums are in the planning stages to consider the issues seniors face living on Shelter Island; the unique issues affecting young people and young families; and the challenges facing business owners, to just name a few.

There will be no charge to attend this inaugural forum; we simply ask you to consider subscribing if you haven’t already or renew your subscription when the time comes. And we encourage you to ask your family and friends to subscribe. Here’s the link: https://shelterislandreporter.timesreview.com/subscribe/

We’re looking for sponsors to help us underwrite the costs of the series; please contact Kimberly Gersic at 631-354-8015 or [email protected] if you’re interested.

Our forums will be places to define issues affecting Islanders, and find ways to reasonably confront them as a community, as well as opening dialogues to make Shelter Island a better place.