This year, The Bloom turns nine. Time sure has a mind of its own. About once or twice a year, I find myself talking about how important you, my readers, are — especially those of you who donate — and well, I guess I’m doing it again.
When I think back on the past nine years, I can’t help but be a little reflective. My youngest child was just ten years old, and I was working at Six Sigma Winery, pouring wine and telling every patron I served all about Lake County and its fine wines. At the time, I thought I might pursue a career in wine. But never once did I think of myself as a writer.
When The Bloom took over the Middletown Mercury, Jonah built a new website for it, and we expanded it to reach the whole county and beyond. Some things we did not change from the Middletown Mercury: its love for history, local stories, and, above all, 100% all good news. In addition, it has remained free to its readers.
Over the years, The Bloom has gone through its ups and downs like all the other small businesses have. Its lowest point came last spring, when The Bloom lost three of its major advertisers all at once, and the clock was ticking for it to stay afloat. You, The Bloom readers, donated and single-handedly kept The Bloom going financially for two whole months — until two life-saving ads arrived a few weeks later: Sutter Health and Mendocino College, followed soon after by Woodland Community College. My friends, I was literally one to two weeks away from writing you a goodbye letter and shutting down for good. But one thing I was NOT going to do was turn The Bloom into a pay-to-read newsletter, even if that meant losing it for good. And that resolve remains strong to this day.
I can’t help but remain moved by that fact to this day. A thank-you from time to time is probably all you’d expect from me. But I’ve been pondering how to thank you even more, and here’s the plan I’ve come up with. If I could, I would treat all my monthly donors to dinner as a thank-you. Of course, that is neither realistic nor even possible for a number of reasons. But it is my heart, and I have come up with an idea. The Bloom treats its major donors and advertisers to an Italian Dinner on Cobb Mountain annually. And that event is just around the corner. Now I can’t invite all of you to dinner, but I certainly can invite one of you! If you are a monthly donor, no matter how much you contribute, you are in the pot from which I will draw a name to invite to dinner. And if you are not yet a monthly donor, you can sign up anytime, and your name will go in the pot.
And if your name isn’t drawn, not to worry, because I will plan more dinners, still my treat, at least twice a year. Of course, you are welcome to bring a plus one. This is the least I can do, so thank you for supporting The Bloom all of these years. And when I tell you, you are the backbone of The Bloom in keeping its readership free, you know how true those words are. If only fifty percent of my readers donated $5 a month, The Bloom would never need to run an ad again.
So thank you, Bloom supporters and readers, and thank you to those who advertise. The Bloom can’t do what it does without you.
Nine years ago, I was pouring wine at Six Sigma, never imagining I’d call myself a writer. I still don’t know that I set out to be one. But you made me one —one donation and one read at a time—and I intend to keep earning that every week.
