Word with our Publisher

— Created April 12, 2026 by Samantha Goodman

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

Don’t ignore the weeds in your garden in hopes of ravishing flowers.

Don’t expect things to come into fruition if you’re not tending to what actually needs care.

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In a life and time of constant artificial takeover, I’m grateful to be working on something hands‑on here with the newspaper. It doesn’t make me cry as much as it did when we first started. Now, I know to keep my hardhat on during the reconstruction phase at all times — with my velvet red cowboy hat on standby for when it’s time to make a hard sale.

Sales: It’s my background. I can do it extremely well, but in this day and age — to do it right — I need the proper tools. Automation. A phone that gets picked up or calls back. And eventually, a team that understands how much is enough, and how much their presence in the community (or at the farmers market, volunteering) actually matters.

Money: I’d quote a lyric from Hail Mary Mallon about money, but most people wouldn’t get it — and it’s obscure anyway. A quick search showed me I’d misheard the line, but honestly, what I made up in my head fit better.

I don’t have a specific attachment to making “money.”

It’s a construct that makes things function — but it will never replace the art of trade and traded care in my heart.

In this industry, though, money from sales is still necessary. As we’ve learned how to run this for the long term, we’ve also learned where trades hold us back — and where the greenback dollar, and the discipline of compounding it, becomes the real foundation of this newspaper (and its supplements) into the future.

Thank you: To the businesses and institutions that contributed to our South Whidbey Parks & Recreation Summer Activity Guide. We had a lot of fun with that — and with most submissions coming through the automated form, it gave us more time for phone calls and real conversations, which we value.

We’re going to continue pushing advertising in Whidbey Weekly until we can print more pages and more copies. Thirty percent off through the December 25 issue is part of that effort — to grow this into something stronger, and to support more of the content we all rely on.

We appreciate everyone who has contributed — financially to the newspaper, to the van, and even to our baby fund at the birth of our third son. Our 15‑year plan is about two and a half years in. We’re past survival and stabilization, and firmly in the phase where we build structurally.

To do that well, I need a few steady advertisers to fill the gaps — so we’re never in a position where we have to turn away contributions. If that’s you, call 360‑682‑8283 or email samantha@whidbeyweekly.com.

We look forward to supporting you. Thank you for contributing to, enjoying, and being the best part of Whidbey Weekly — the community we serve.

— Samantha Goodman
Publisher