Is the object you are now holding in your hands (or reading online) about to disappear?I refer to the newspaper, and I ask because I care deeply about the answer.My entire career was spent in newspapers — as a reporter, an editor and a publisher — when the industry was still thriving as the dominant force in public information and advertising. Now, looking back from a retirement perch, I see this institution declining day by day and wonder what this foretells.The evidence is everywhere: newspapers cutting back on size and number of pages, layoffs in the newsroom, and newspapers being sold at fire-sale prices or just shutting down. It is not just the “object” itself but journalism as a public service that concerns me, although I do confess to relishing a paper in my hands, the smell of the ink on that porous newsprint, and the systematic ordering of articles and photos as opposed to the undifferentiated deluge of data we call IT.We all know many of the reasons why newspapers are no longer as relevant and influential as they once were — and that means all the way back to before the founding of our country until about 25 years ago. That’s when newspaper readership, circulation and advertising revenue began its downward slide and the world of electronic communications, PCs and the Internet started to dominate our lives. I don’t blame the new technology, and I do use it myself. It is fast, encompassing, economical and interactive, much more so than a daily newspaper could ever be. But there are things that a newspaper still does better than anything or anyone else. I speak about serving the community.When a new school budget is proposed that could better educate my grandchildren or raise my taxes; when an old friend has died; when a new movie theater is planned in town; when the latest response times of the volunteer fire department are reported; what the state legislature is up to; and how the high school football team is doing: All that news still comes primarily from newspapers. Why? Because they are the ones with boots on the ground. Newspapers still employ the bulk of professional reporters, editors and photographers dedicated to finding out and telling us what is happening in our own backyard. No one else has been able to effectively do that. That doesn’t mean it can’t change in the future, and it doesn’t mean that newspapers have ignored the new technologies. On the contrary, their survival seems to depend upon it. The main problem is that there are fewer news professionals to do the necessary work.The Pew Research Center recently reported that U.S. newspapers have cut their news staffs by 30 percent since 2000 and employ the fewest journalists since 1978 — when our country had 97 million fewer residents (222 million to 320 million today). The electronic media have not filled that gap.For those unfamiliar with media economics, it is important to know that a successful newspaper — or any news provider, for that matter — must make money in order to fulfill its mission as a public servant. Most of the revenue — as much as 70 percent — traditionally came from advertising. Newspapers made their money mostly from display ads, such as a department store’s listing of the latest bargains, and classified ads, such as help-wanted notices and apartment rentals — neither of which radio or television could adequately provide. Today, the Internet gets much of that business, except for local retail advertising, where local newspapers still enjoy an edge. I believe one reason for that is that local businesses know that local newspapers are very much still a key part of the community. As an editor and publisher, I always felt that a newspaper’s most important function was to serve as the public’s “watchdog” of government. But I couldn’t afford the staff to cover all the board meetings, courts, fire and police in our area without making enough money to pay those bills while continuing to make a profit for owners. That is no longer a given.I think the public bears some of the responsibility for the demise of newspapers. It is clear that the need for two incomes in a family and the growing call on people’s time have made newspaper reading more of a luxury than a necessity. But willingness, or the lack of it, plays a role, too. Even back in the 1980s, when I was a publisher, reader surveys consistently showed that “watchdog” news was being read less than stories about celebrities, the entertainment industry, human interest, sports and the comics. We see this pattern continuing today in low voter turnout for town budget meetings, despite their direct impact on our pocketbooks and the good functioning of town government.The strength of newspapers in our society cannot be separated from the democratic process. I hope readers will remember that when their subscription bills come due.Forrest C. Palmer, a resident of Heritage Village in Southbury, began his career at the Waterbury Republican in 1951, joined the Danbury News Times as editor in 1968 and retired as its publisher in 1990. He has remained active in Freedom of Information advocacy and is a past president of the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government.
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One systemic consequence of slavery is the loss and obscuring of the histories of those who were enslaved. Records were often not kept about where Africans had been stolen from or who they were related to. Families were torn apart, leaving nothing but the faintest traces of the past. The delineation point, where genealogists can no longer trace histories back, is refered to this as the “document wall.”
Today, 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and more than 160 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, there is a growing effort to restore some of the history stripped from enslaved people and their descendants. Among the leaders of these efforts is Mills, president of the Alex Breanne Corporation, a nonprofit organization that works to identify previously anonymous Black Americans from history and connect them with their living relatives.
The work began with Mills’ sister, who started digging into their family’s past in the 1990’s and introduced him to this emerging world of genealogy. Through that process, the Mills family discovered their great-great-grandfather, Ned Mills, who had been enslaved in Texas. His last name came from his final enslaver and remains the family surname. Through their research, they found that the document wall directly affected their ancestor, who learned of his liberation on June 19, 1865, now commemorated as Juneteenth.
“For the first time,” Mills writes on his website, “American slavery wasn’t something that had happened to anonymous people in a history book. It had happened to my family.”
The discovery gave Mills a familial pride he had been missing for years. That pride fueled his desire to help others find their own history. In 2023, Mills received his certificate in genealogical research from Boston University. He has used his expertise to help descendants of enslaved people uncover histories they never dreamed of learning.
To do this, he uses a process called “reverse genealogy,” identifying a person from the past and working forward to discover their descendants. Along the way, Mills has found some remarkable people who fought for freedom on American soil, some of whom were never freed.
Pay Bill for Robin Starr’s service in the Continental Army.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
At the Cornwall Historical Society event, Mills will present the stories of four Connecticut families: Job Lathrop of Norwich, the son of Pirmus Armes, about whom Mills has published a book; Prince Mortimer of Middletown, also the subject of a book by Mills;, the three sons of London Wallace of Simsbury; and Robert “Robin” Starr of Danbury, who later lived in Cornwall and Sharon.
A few years ago, Cornwall Consolidated School social studies teacher Will Vincent reached out to Mills for research guidance on a local history project his students were undertaking. Together, they learned about Naomi Freeman of Cornwall. After purchasing an acre of land on Great Hollow Road in 1828, Naomi Freeman became the first Black female landowner in Cornwall.
The students petitioned the town to rename a road after the historic Cornwall resident In April 2025, Great Hollow Road was officially renamed Naomi Freeman Historic Road. U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes joined Mills and the Cornwall Consildated School students for a presentation of their research.
Since then, Mills has guided the students in their quest to learn more about Starr’s story. Starr was a Revolutionary War soldier who joined the Continental Army to earn enough money to buy his own freedom, receiving the Badge of Merit in the process. The stories of his descendents’ services are equally worthy of their own books.
In recognition of Mills and the students’ work, First Selectman Gordon Ridgway proclaimed Feb. 8 as Robin Starr Day.
Preregistration is required for the event at the Cornwall Historical Society. To learn more about Mills’ work, visit
alexbreanne.org.
John Mills speaking at Quinnipiac University.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
Stephanie Saetta runs Charlie Chicken Bones, a sanctuary in Salisbury.
Dogs have been at the center of Saetta’s life since childhood. She remembers going to the library to research different breeds and trying to convince her parents the family needed a dog. She had her heart set on an Irish Wolfhound, but she was more than happy when her mom brought home a West Highland terrier.
After college, she adopted Charlie as a puppy from a rescue on Long Island. He was a hound-shepherd-Rottweiler mix who suffered from intense seizures. Some veterinarians recommended euthanasia, but Saetta wasn’t ready to give up on him.
When Charlie would have an episode, she would sit with him, nose to nose, talking him through it. She learned to look for the moment he began to come around — when he could smell her again and his tail started to wag.
“You only get one or two of these soul connection dogs, so I do this in his honor,” Saetta said. “I like to think that all the dogs that come through are going to have that person that they connect with just the same.”
Through a network of women working to rescue animals in Texas, she learned about the desperate situations facing many dogs.
With limited space, some public pounds euthanize even healthy animals to make room. Limited access to veterinary care leaves sick dogs or unvaccinated puppies especially vulnerable.
Saetta saw that reality firsthand with a puppy named Gus, a Labrador mix she fostered who has since been adopted. Gus and his sisters had been dumped beside a road, where they were living under an abandoned car. People would leave food for them, but no one would take them to the pound.
“Even the people who rescue animals down there were like, ‘sadly, the best place for them to be is on the side of the road,’” she said. “That’s safer. Someone might actually help them that way.”
Saetta knows that there are far more dogs than any one person can save, but she also knows that helping one dog means one fewer on the street.
Stephanie Saetta,with her rescue dog George and Blue (left), a shepherd mix awaiting his forever home.Madi Long
Charlie Chicken Bone Sanctuary operates entirely through foster homes, a model that Saetta believes is best for the dogs and the humans hoping to adopt them.
Rather than moving directly from a difficult environment into a permanent home, the dogs have a chance to settle into a quieter setting. They can learn what it’s like to live with a family, sleep somewhere comfortable and receive affection without fighting for attention. Fostering also allows the rescue to really get to know each dog.
“As fosters, we’re honest,” said Saetta. We’ll tell you everything that’s been bad, everything that’s been good. What their temperament is and how they’ve responded to all the things they’ve experienced.”
A successful adoption is not just about finding a dog a home; it’s about finding the right home where the dog and family can thrive together.
Saetta is looking for more people willing to open their homes to foster dogs. She understands that the thought of growing attached and eventually saying goodbye can feel daunting. But she sees that goodbye a little differently.
Fostering means being part of a dog’s journey, even if only for a short time. It gives dogs a safe place to rest, the chance to trust again and the love they have gone without for much of their lives. And when the time comes for them to leave, it is not really a loss. It is the reward of knowing they are moving on to a forever home.
Blue, Saetta’s current foster, is hoping to find his perfect home.
Blue, a 7 year-old Shepard mix, is waiting for his forever home. Madi Long
Now around 7 years old, Blue spent most of his life wandering the streets of Texas. People sometimes left food out for him, but his mangy, dirty coat kept them from stopping to pet him. Today, he has a chance to experience something different.
Blue is still waiting for his forever home. Saetta believes he would do best as the only dog in a household or alongside another senior dog. He will need someone willing to continue working with him on his training and understand that a dog with his history needs patience.
But what he gives in return is a whole lot of love.
“He’s so enthusiastic, he’s so excited for life, he’s so friendly, and he’s got such a good heart, and he loves to cuddle,” Saetta said. “He’s a good, good, good dog.”
For more information on adopting Blue or how to foster, visit ccbsanctuary.org.
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