Looking heavenly at 170: Folsom Telegraph celebrates milestone anniversary

I haven't been around as long as The Folsom Telegraph, but having been in the newspaper business 47 years, I've seen a lot and learned a lot. And 15 years ago, when the country was still emerging from a recession that coincided with the beginning of the downward cycle of the newspaper business – I concluded there will always be a place for small-town community publications. And here we are today – happy 170th anniversary to The Folsom Telegraph! The demise of newspapers has been cruel – to the loyal reporters and photographers who chased stories and pictures; to the copy editors who made sure each story was balanced, correct and fair; to the designers who made pages pop with headlines and color; and to the press crews who worked late nights inserting, stacking and bundling the next day's edition with whirring presses vibrating their ears. Many of these people are close friends. It's been cruel also to the millions of devoted readers who have witnessed their hometown newspapers close – nearly 3,500 papers out of business nationwide since 2005, according to Local News Initiative. Yet here stands The Folsom Telegraph in 2026, tall, proud and powering forward, along with its sister publications the Auburn Journal, Roseville Press Tribune, Placer Herald (Rocklin), Lincoln News Messenger and Loomis News, all part of the Alta Newspaper Group. All are weekly publications except the Auburn Journal, which publishes twice each week. The Press Tribune (120 years) and News Messenger (135) also celebrate milestones this year. Why do these small publications survive? There are a few reasons, starting with No. 1 – you, our devoted readers and advertisers. Generations of readers and advertisers have stuck by The Telegraph – the oldest business in Folsom – since the Granite Journal was first published in March 1856. In a day and age when the mainstream media is trusted less than ever before – at least in my lifetime – our readers still trust us to provide local news that's timely, topical, factual, balanced and most of all, fair. This is a perfect time to add: As much as artificial intelligence has been in the headlines lately, we have not turned to AI in our editorial content. The stories you read from staff writers Jessica Harrison, Midori Sperandeo and Matt Long are all theirs; same with contributing columnists Kari McCoy, Tom Rupp and Pat Quan. They're genuine, as true journalism should be. And as the editor of this cluster of newspapers, now known collectively as Gold Mountain California News Media, I give you my word we'll continue to provide you with local news you need to know about – fair and balanced. Our news focus isn't all doom and gloom, what "could" or "might" happen. It's the name of a new park in Folsom Ranch chosen by the public: Jackrabbit Hill. It's the highlights you'll discover on the new Historic Folsom Walking Tour. It's a local high school robotics team scoring big at the state championships. Those aren't made up; they were front-page stories in the March 20 edition of The Telegraph. Telegraph news is alerting readers of a water rate study public meeting. It's Ride 'Em Cowboy, a story about a Folsom Rodeo exhibit. It's longtime well-known columnist Rupp giving kudos to the restaurant Plank on Sutter Street and guest columnist Quan sharing his experience with the ritual of dyeing Easter eggs. It's puzzles and Sudoku (fun) and public notices (required). These past few years – and continuing – Telegraph news has been coverage of the booming Folsom Ranch area. And, The Telegraph provides the best sports coverage by far in the greater Folsom area, led by 27-year veteran Matt Long, who's as devoted as our readers. Worth repeating – it's Folsom news you need to know about, and we're proud to be your local source of information. As part of The Telegraph's 170th anniversary, we're featuring several local businesses who also are celebrating milestones this year or have been in business for many years, including Folsom Lake Bowl, Snooks, the Gold Miner Café, Sutter Club Sports Bar, Twin Lakes Food Bank, Visconti's Ristorante, Harris Center, Folsom Pro Rodeo and Sutter Street Theatre. They, too, have been loyal to The Telegraph, and we want to honor them in return. We also pay tribute to the Folsom Chamber of Commerce and Folsom Dam while recognizing the city's upcoming 80th birthday celebration in May. I hope you enjoy this special edition of The Telegraph, and if you have a story idea, reach out to us. The Telegraph is here to serve you in addition to informing and entertaining you. I'll sign off the same I do in emails to customers: Thanks for your support of The Folsom Telegraph. Bill Poindexter is the editor of Gold Mountain California News Media.