Folks in Gilman. and beyond, are losing a friend. Today (Wednesday) is the last edition of The Gilman Star !
The weekly newspaper has been a lifeline for so many people, covering and reporting on notable events in western parts of Iroquois County since 1869. Publisher John Elliott finds this day, this final edition, a difficult thing to deal with …
"I'm sad. I hate to see it," Elliott says from his downtown Gilman office. "I think a weekly fills a needed role in the daily life of a small community. We've covered so many human interest things --- weddings, births, funerals, even telling people what they did 15 or 20 years ago."
And John Elliott grew up with The Star. He delivered newspapers for 7-cents with his siblings, Norma and Carol. John’s dad used to own and run the newspaper, moving to Gilman from Iowa in 1949.
The business, although a way of life for so long, has changed. The economy finds so many businesses that supported advertising revenue gone today. Circulation has gone from 3,000 plus to maybe half that today.
It hurts to experience the changing times. Elliott says people, the readers, say they’ll miss THE STAR and he’ll miss them …
" They tell us they'll miss us and we'll miss them. I miss people I deal with, they're all a big part of my life," the veteran newspaper man says.
The weekly news compiled by Elliott at The Star over the years included local government, school board meetings, sports relations with coaches ---- 45 plus years ! Thinking about what stories stand out, Elliott says there's a lot but "school referendums are big because they affect so many people. Even our Old Boys Reunion in Gilman is a big deal -- especially trying to rekindke it after COVID."
And it’s not just the local citizens affected. So many former residents, who have moved elsewhere, find their weekly newspaper ‘a lifeline to back home.
The Star, and other weeklies, are that connection --- a connection John Elliott says people should always feel …
"You need to be active in your community, a small town needs its people. If you get a chance to be active, do it. Don't complain if you're not trying to be a part of the solution." Elliott adds.
The Gilman Star, its readers, are so much more than just people who read the newspaper – they’re friends, business associates, kinda like family …
"I like to think so. Gonna miss it"
94.1 WGFA
