Gazette-Advertiser, Harlem Valley Times, Hyde Park Townsman, Millbrook Round Table, Pawling News Chronicle, Putnam County Courier, Register Herald, Voice Ledger: 35*

Rhinebeck, N.Y.; Amenia, N.Y.; Hyde Park, N.Y.; Millbrook, N.Y.; Pawling, N.Y.; Carmel, N.Y.; Pine Plains, N.Y.; Pleasant Valley, N.Y.;
Owner: Journal Register Co.
Effective: February 2009
Journal Register closed the eight weekly papers of the Taconic Press group. The group’s 35 employees were laid off.
Sources: Record Online via News Cycle; Daily Freeman via @themediaisdying

* Updated March 8, 2009, with an additional source and number of employees laid off in the Taconic Press group.

8 weekly newspapers in Dutchess, Putnam to close

By Meghan E. Murphy
Times Herald-Record
Posted: February 11, 2009 – 2:00 AM

MILLBROOK — Up to 50 villagers come to the Millbrook Deli every Thursday with one purchase in mind: the weekly newspaper.

Yet this week will be the last time they’ll hand over their four quarters. The paper’s parent, Journal Register Co., announced Tuesday the closing of eight weekly newspapers in Dutchess and Putnam counties, with a circulation of about 12,000 and 35 employees.

Publisher Tom Cincotta said the bad economy is the main impetus for closing the entire Taconic Press group, according to a story in Kingston’s Daily Freeman, which is owned by the same parent company. Neither Cincotta nor a Journal Register spokesman returned calls.

In December, the company closed 16 weeklies in Connecticut. And last week, it shuttered the twice-weekly Independent, which covers Columbia County. The company’s stock was worth less than 1 cent per share at the close of business Tuesday.

Millbrook Round Table Editor Joseph Climek confirmed the closings but declined to comment further. He was busy putting out the last issues of the papers.

The Round Table was the only source of local news in Millbrook, said Marcus Gonzalez, owner of the Millbrook Deli. The paper covered village meetings, school happenings and posted events that rarely appear in the regional daily, the Poughkeepsie Journal, he said.

“That’s the way that we all connect together and figure out what’s going on in town,” Gonzalez said.

At Village Hall, Deputy Clerk Camille Prehatney trying to figure out where to print legal advertisements and communicate with residents next week.

“It’s certainly going to be missed,” Prehatney said.

mmurphy@th-record.com

Dutchess, Putnam weekly newspapers to close

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 4:17 PM EST

MILLBROOK — The eight weekly newspapers that comprise the Taconic Press group are publishing their last editions this week.

Journal Register Company, parent company of the Freeman, is closing operations of the Millbrook-based weeklies, as well as Weekend, Dutchess magazine and the Hudson Valley Guide.

Seven of the weeklies cover Dutchess County. They are: Millbrook Round Table, Voice Ledger of Pleasant Valley, Gazette-Advertiser of Rhinebeck, Pawling News Chronicle, Harlem Valley Times of Amenia, Hyde Park Townsman, and Register Herald of Pine Plains.

Also closing is the Putnam County Courier.

“It is with regret that we are no longer gonig to be able to serve our many loyal readers and advertisers,” said Publisher Tom Cincotta, who cited the bad economy that has negatively impacted the newspaper industry, the region and the nation as the primary reason for closing the Taconic Press group.

“This is particularly difficult for our hard-working, talented staff members,” said Cincotta.

Employees were informed of the news today. The final editions of the eight weeklies will be distributed Thursday.

Journal Register Company, based in Yardley, Pa., has closed and/or sold several of its titles in recent weeks. In this area, last week it ended publication of The Independent, a twice-a-week newspaper in Columbia County.

Journal Register Company has been publishing the seven Dutchess County weeklies since September 1998, when they purchased from local couple Helen and Hamilton Meserve. In 1997 it bought the Putnam County Courier and other titles from HVM company of New Milford, Ct.