Lake Champlain Islander

The Islander is an American newspaper serving Grand Isle County, Vermont with an average circulation of 4,500 copies.[1][2] A free weekly paper, it is published each Tuesday. The paper's circulation fluctuates throughout the year, peaking during the summer tourism season on the islands.[3] The editor and owner is Tonya Poutry.[4]

Lake Champlain Islander
TypeWeekly Newspaper
FormatTabloid, Digital
Owner(s)Tonya Poutry
PublisherTonya Poutry
EditorTonya Poutry
Founded1974
Headquarters3537 US Route 2, North Hero, VT 05474, United States
Circulation4,500
Websitewww.theislandernewspaper.com

In its current iteration, the paper primarily offers readers a look into the minutiae of small-town life in the Champlain Valley. Stories promote local events, such as giant pumpkin contests and spaghetti dinners, honors acts of local philanthropy, raise awareness for community fundraisers and report on town hearings.[3]

History

The paper was founded in 1974 by Phil Gimli-Mead[5][2] as the first newspaper of the Champlain Islands.[6] Gimli-Mead, a 22-year old college dropout at the time, said that he wished to fill a gap, as there was a "lack of recognition" of Grand Isle as a county.[5] While Gimli-Mead had run for office unsuccessfully as a Democrat, he billed the new paper as strictly non-partisan: "[W]e're not a liberal, radical, or conservative paper. Those who read it can either do something about it or nothing about it."[5]

George D. Fowler and his wife Elaine Sinclair-Fowler bought the paper in 1982.[7]

The paper was sold in 2016 by owner George D. Fowler to Tonya Poutry, who had worked for the paper for 15 years.[8] As part of that change in ownership, the paper's headquarters moved to the second floor of a historic North Hero building, a general store called Hero's Welcome.[9]

National coverage

The Islander made national news when it was the first to report Bernie Sanders's purchase of a third home, a lakeside weekend home in North Hero, which he purchased for $575K.[10][11] The story, which was lifted to national prominence by Vermont daily Seven Days, was picked up widely in the national media.[12]

The Islander again made national news in 2018 when it reported on a Vermont farmer who sprayed manure on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection cruiser during the summer of 2017. The farmer told the Islander that he was unhappy with immigration enforcement efforts to curb illegal immigration, saying that the agency had not done enough to prevent undocumented immigrants from working on Vermont farms.[13]

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References
  1. "Lake Champlain Islander newspaper". Mondo Times. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  2. "The islander". Chronicling America: America's Historic Newspapers. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  3. "The Islander". Vermont Guides. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  4. "The Islander". The Islander. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  5. Chamberlain, Edward (6 April 1974). "Islander Marks Journalism Debut". The Burlington Free Press.
  6. "Philip Gimli-mead - Celebration of Life". The Caledonian Record. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
  7. "Islander Sold to New Yorker". The Burlington Free Press. 5 September 1982.
  8. "The Islander". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
  9. Goldstein, Sasha. "Looking for a Hero: A Champlain Islands Institution Is for Sale". Seven Days. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
  10. Donaghue, Mike (9 August 2016). "Welcome Neighbors: Bernie and Jane Sanders" (PDF). Lake Champlain Islander. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  11. D'Ambrosio, Dan (13 August 2016). "Accusations of hypocrisy fly as Vermont senator and his wife purchase 3rd property -- a $575K weekend retreat for family". Burlington Free Press. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  12. Andrews-Dyer, Helena (10 August 2016). "Bernie Sanders buys a $575,000 vacation home and the Internet cries hypocrisy". Washington Post.
  13. "Vermont man finally admits to spraying Border Patrol agent's car with manure". Fox News. 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
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