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 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…