A sad good bye to the Kadoka Press newspaper

The last Issue. -0-
As I write this story (actually it is more of a column/editorial) I think about the old publisher’s rule of thumb to keep the facts on the front page but do keep a page where you and the readers can voice their opinion. This week I am breaking the rules! I keep thinking of the Larry Parkinsons of the world. Those type of editors and publishers never let themselves get bigger than what they personally could handle. Larry, and his wife Alvina, with some help once in a while, took care of the paper and printed news for many years (30 years actually). Maybe they had less troubles, back then, but I doubt it. The Kadoka Press was the third newspaper that we added to our newspaper and publishing group. We grew and added newspapers in communities that were over 100 miles apart, Two hunded miles separates the Bison Courier from the Murdo Coyote. It seemed to be easy then.
When we purchased the Kadoka Press in May of 1989, it was 81 years from when the first Kadoka Press was printed. (See reprints of front pages inside) There were struggles in every decade for the newspaper industry. I know there were tough issues, because of the stories the old publishers told at conventions. After listening to their stories, I would say we have it easy these days, going from the hot lead and hand-set type of the letter press days, to offset printing and digital composition.
My father, Les Ravellette was a newspaper guy that dealt with the letterpress days, just like the former publisher of the Kadoka Press, Larry Parkinson. In their early years they set copy made of lead, and printed the hard way. Now we can hammer out a story and set in on fire through all kinds of avenues on social media, even before it’s printed on newsprint and mailed through the US Postal Service. We have it easy. 
Pictures are easy to take now. We can even take them from our phones. Pictures can be shared on all avenues of social media way before they get printed in the newspaper. We have it easy. . . . . . or do we? 
On social media and the internet, things can get erased, we can lose data, we can even manipulate pictures and data that can change everything. 
As you will see in some of the pages of the old newspapers printed in this issue, you cannot erase that. Once it is in printed form it is very powerful. So powerful, grandparents cry when they see their grandchildren receiving their high school diploma or making the winning basket at the basketball game. So powerful that parents can’t wait to open up and see a picture of their son or daughter receiving the state FFA award printed inside the newspaper. How many newspaper cut outs of children and family members have hung on refrigerator doors over the years?
These past few years have been challenging for everyone in every facet of business. Even before the pandemic we had a work force issue. Since the pandemic, we have some of the former work force not wanting to step back into the working world. The last couple years of the pandemic has given more reasons for adults and youth, to not hold a full or part time job. Stay at home and live off others, has been the norm for some of our country’s former work force. “I can make more money staying at home, then I could ever make working at my job.” I have actually heard that too many times. What have we created here? We have created a very bad work ethic that has been the reason for many partial and permanent shut downs. We have the need for many more workers on the job than are actually coming forward. Where have they gone and what are they doing? 
Many business owners have been forced to cut their services or fill only a portion of their tables because of a lack of servers at restaurants. Some businesses have had to open their seasonal tourist businesses a month late, or not at all, due to the lack of workers. Some have had to shut down their businesses totally due to the lack of work force, like the Kadoka Press. I know we are not alone. Do those in business have it easy? I don’t think so! Small business ownership is tough, but it is the livelihood of every community. It takes guts to own and run a business. We have to bring back the guts to our workforce and our youth, or this situation is going to continue. 
Please keep supporting your local business trade. Work if you can, even part time workers are needed. If you are able, consider going out and helping a local business keep their doors open, or they will close. I ask that you be responsible, and work for a living. Enjoy the things that you worked hard for, and take pride in it. 
I do want to thank our loyal readers and advertisers. You have been what has driven us to publish this newspaper for the last 33 years. I send a great big thank you to Mary Poss, Ronda Dennis, and Robin Jones, former editors of the Kadoka Press. Over the years of our ownership, these three ladies went above and beyond and had the courage and tenacity to keep the news in front of our readers every week. We thank all of our past employees and free lance writers, for the hard work and dedication it takes to run on tight deadlines and be as correct as you can with every week’s newspaper. We also thank our local correspondents who week in and week out shared the happenings of the area. They played a big role in our weekly newspaper’s readership.  Thank you all!
Our last issue . . .  Where do we go from here? We do have legal obligations as an official newspaper. The Kadoka Press has been the official newspaper for the City of Kadoka, the Kadoka Area School District, and for Jackson County, along with some other smaller entities. We will  continue supporting the “public’s right to know” by publishing legal notices within the pages of the Pioneer Review newspaper. 
All subscribers of the Kadoka Press will begin receiving the Pioneer Review. If you subscribe to both, we will extend your subscription of the Pioneer Review with the remainder of your Kadoka Press subscription. We will still accept news and pictures from the Kadoka Press area. We have readers who from time to time send us news and photos, and we will continue to print them. We are very proud of the accomplishments of the students in the Kadoka Area School District and will keep promoting them the best that we can. 
Monday, April 11, 2022, the Kadoka Area School Board voted unanimously to select the Pioneer Review newspaper as their official legal newspaper. The City of Kadoka also met on Monday evening and voted to select the Pioneer Review as their official legal newspaper. The Jackson County Commissioners informed the publisher last week that they are selecting the Pioneer Review as their legal newspaper.  
We are keeping the Kadoka Press’ phone number, mail box, and email address so news and advertisements can easily be sent to us for printing in the newspaper.
Yes, this is a sad day for us at Ravellette Publications. We will do our best to keep promoting the Kadoka area. 
We once again say thank you for 33 years of allowing us to publish a paper every week and print area news in the Kadoka Press.
– Don Ravellette, Publisher

The Pioneer Review

221 E. Oak Street
Philip, SD 57567
Telephone: (605) 859-2516
E Mail: ads@pioneer-review.com

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