Reporter Editorial: The Promise of January

One of America’s favorite flowers is the forget-me-not, with the tiny, delicate blossoms all showing their faces in a bunch, like happy school kids beaming together over some classroom accomplishment.

The Latin for the flower is myosotis, which means “mouse’s ear.” Perfect for the virtue of not forgetting, because no matter how small the ear, it hears the voices of the past as well as any other.

And as 2025 has slipped away, we hear the voices raised around the drama of saving our paper from extinction, when for a while it looked like the Reporter would not be a unique publication, but part of a website of the two other Times Review papers.

Hard work to find ways to save our paper, and opening ears to hear the community demanding the Reporter stand on its own, has given us a year’s lease and more to continue to publish our beloved weekly newspaper. 

The community’s response, spurred on and aided by Islander Duff Wilson, who set up a working group of Islanders on the issue devoted to finding ways to save the paper, and the efforts from our staff of writers, especially Nancy Green, Robert Lipsyte and Julie Lane, kept the flame brightly burning to light the way for a Reporter’s future. 

Special acknowledgment also must go to our Community News Editor Susan Carey Dempsey. Susan went to work right away to save our paper as an active participant of Duff’s working group, hosting one of the meetings at her home, recruiting others to the effort, and working diligently to find a solution. 

Most of all, it was you, our readers and advertisers, who stood with us and inspired everyone, including our publisher Andrew Olsen, who works tirelessly to keep our community newspaper alive.

In the Roman religion, Janus is a spirit portrayed as a man facing forward and back. His image can be seen in ruins in Italy, marking ceremonial gates and doorways. This month is named for him. The ancients believed that while passing through, look for what’s ahead, but also look back so you won’t forget who you have traveled with.