As a student at New York University in the late 1950s Aldrich wanted to be a reporter for radio, but he soon realized television was the growth industry. At 27 he moved to Rockland County and worked for a media conglomerate which he described as “corporate hell.” Seven years later he decided to take a chance and start a newspaper dealing specifically with issues in Orangetown. He scrounged for equipment and used $3000 of his own money to get things going. He didnʼt take a salary for himself for more than a year.

Aldrich wanted to publish stories about issues affecting peoplesʼ lives. He also wanted Our Town to bring together different interest groups in the hope they would act together for the common good. Rockland legislator John Murphy once stated about Our Town, “This paper has kept Orangetown honest.”

Over time, as news issues grow more complex, and parts of Rockland County are more interdependent, Our Town is working to become more readable, accurate, and inclusive. The weekly publication makes a special point of covering news stories about local sports and students, as well as highlighting important milestones in residentsʼ lives. It also publishes more letters from readers than any other Rockland publication and was recently designated Orangetownʼs official paper.

"Being a weekly is as much a gift as a curse," says Managing Editor Kate Raffa. There is less pressure to produce copy for a weekly, she explains, but stories can't be superficial. They have to be thorough and in depth. Aldrich says the paperʼs impartial - but not neutral - editorial position is the result of collaboration between himself and staff members.

Itʼs a tricky balance in a town where political opinions can run the gamut from far left to far right. As a result, Our Town has two regular columnists who are political polar opposites, Michael Bongiorno and Lydia Cotz. Liberal readers complain that Bongiorno is too conservative and conservative readers complain about Cotzʼs liberal bias.

Our Town was originally published in Ramsey, New Jersey and mailed free to every Orangetown resident. Today it is published in Pearl River and you can subscribe for $25 a year, get it free on line, or pick up a free copy at a local store. There is less local advertising than in the past, and the paperʼs coverage has expanded to events in Clarkstown, as well as stories of interest to all Rockland County residents.

The Our Town staff consists of Aldrich, Associate Editor Michael OʼSullivan, Managing Editor Kate Meagher Raffa, staff writers Anne Phyllis Pinzow and Suzanne Daycock (both dedicated free-lancers), City Editor Eleanor Harman, Senior Account Executives Vittoria Lenzi and Kathi Hoffman, and four other employees who handle graphics and classified advertising. Some of the staff has been with Our Town for over twenty years.

Our Town is a good read and a valuable source of local news and information - take a look at it next week.