I do not work for the Chester/Community Spirit newspaper

Chester's Favorite Publishers Stefan Roots (L)
and Paul Bennett (R) of the C/C Spirit. 
We agree to disagree respectfully.

As recent as yesterday, someone thanked me for featuring their neice in the Chester/Community Spirit. For the zillionth time, I had to explain that I have nothing to do with that paper.

Yes, it's confusing. When they started in 2008, they choose a name very close to my Chester Spotlight paper. Maybe they intended to confuse people or maybe it's the best name they could come up with. 

I enjoy reading the Chester/Community Spirit except when they embellish their role in the Chester community as they did in the article, 'Major lifetime award for ex-Mayor Wendell N. Butler, Jr.' on page 7 of the June 12-18, 2013 issue.

In that article, they wrote a ridiculous paragraph they should really be ashamed of. It goes like this…

Butler's leadership saw implementation of projects such as the Wharf at Rivertown, Harrah's Casino and Racetrack, University Crossing, PPL Park and it became home to the city's first professional newspaper in 49 years, Chester/Community Spirit.

How can they put themselves in the same sentence comparing the Chester/Community Spirit to Harrah's, Wharf at Rivertown, and PPL Park? You are not in the same league as those guys.

How can you claim to be Chester's first 'professional' paper in 49 years when The Perspective and the Chester Spotlight were going strong before you?

At one point you claimed to be the 'first' paper in 49 years, then you switched to the 'first paper of record' in 49 years, now you're the 'first professional' paper in 49 years. You constantly behave like the other papers didn't' exist. Butch Slaugher and I both have a problem with that. 

Speaking of professional, please turn to page 4 where you split column one with Shep Garners photo. You know you're not supposed to do that. It looks and reads crazy. 

My other problem with the Chester/Community Spirit is its identity crisis. It wants to claim to be a Chester paper but many weeks it has fewer Chester articles than out of town articles. When you're only printing 8-12 pages, you can't serve Chester and the Community (that's every little town surrounding Chester) fairly. Chester really would love to have their own paper like you started. To share a paper with the rest of the county only makes you look like a tiny Daily Times. And you know how Chester feels about the Daily Times.

Let's recount the Chester/Community Spirit history

• 2008 - "Please join me and city officials in the launch of the first paper in Chester in 49 years." That was the first line on the invitation sent out for the kickoff event announcing the Chester Spirit. At that event Mayor Butler, State Rep Kirkland, and Economic Development Head James Turner took turns on the mic to tout how great it is to help bring this new paper to Chester. And no, I was not told the Chester Spirit was coming, asked to join them, or considered to merge with them. Why little ole Chester needed a second little paper has never been explained to me. But, we coexisted with my Chester Spotlight and their Chester Spirit for 2 years until I started The Chester City Blog. 

• Couple years later…The Chester Spirit and The Community Spirit were published separately each week. I couldn't understand why there was a Chester paper and a 'everybody else' paper; an us and them; and why Chester stood apart from the Community. Isn't that what we've been trying to get away from? Doesn't Chester strive to be included in the larger community of Delaware County?

• Later still…The two papers became one as The Chester Spirit was read from front to back and the Community Spirit was read from back to front, or the Chester Spirit was the top half of page one and the Community Spirit was the bottom half of page one. Honestly, I have never seen one paper take on two identities. Have you?
• 
  
• Today…They are one, as the name is now The Chester/Community Spirit. I still ask, why can't it just be the Community Spirit. Why does Chester have to be completely separated from the larger community?

I hope the Chester/Community Spirit continues to evolve into a paper that Chester readers  find value in. I'm often asked to bring the Chester Spotlight back because Chester people want their own paper with local stories and advertising from the mom and pop businesses around town. 

I have no desire to do that type of paper again, but stay tuned, I am coming out in the fall with something that Chester folks will love.