Free commentary: Every week, this newspaper is delivered to subscribers and newsstands in a four-county area. Fifty-two times a year. We won’t celebrate our sixth anniversary until April 1, but the math points to 300-ish issues so far.

The Fort Vancouver Regional Library District Board of Trustees decision to strike the word “equity” from their work plan is another example of a current trend: Boards seeking an outright ban of the word.

Free editorial: Columbia Gorge News posts stories to our Facebook page and allows comments as a way for the community to engage with each other. We keep an eye on comments to ensure they are civil; those that aren’t are deleted or hidden. Repeat offenders are blocked.

Free commentary: This new year, I want to say thank you to our readers far and wide. I also thank my reporters, freelancers and volunteers, who continue to put in extra effort week by week to cover important issues facing our community, work that is incredibly important.

Free commentary: There are many federal policies that are affecting us at the local level, as we often report. Those stories feel political because they are tied to the federal government. If it’s “liberal” to hold the current administration accountable, then I’m not sure what to tell you — that’s what journalists do, and have always done, beginning with the founding of this country. 

Commentary: Imagine my surprise and delight to learn that, even without experience, credentials, or a single interview, I managed to become the superintendent of an entire school district! I read it on the internet, so it must be true.

FREE NEWS: Week after week, Columbia Gorge News staff work to bring our local communities the news. News that matters. News that helps us better understand what is happening and why, from people who are part of the communities they serve.

I appreciate all our readers, but this column is for those (very vocal) Facebook commenters who, based on said comments, do not understand the difference between “news” and “opinion.”

I am excited that Columbia Gorge News is celebrating our fifth birthday this week on April 1. It’s a big milestone for both me and my staff as we continue providing an essential service to our community — news you can rely on and trust, no matter if you live in the east or west ends of the Gorge.