FORT FAIRFIELD JOURNAL

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FORT FAIRFIELD - The Fort Fairfield Journal has opened a new print shop in the Village Square and has commenced on-site publishing of the newspaper beginning with the August 27, 2008 edition.

Started in June, 2004, the Fort Fairfield Journal had formerly been printed in Madawaska, Maine. However, with the acquisition of new printing and paper binding equipment, editor/publisher David Deschesne will now be able to provide the production of the entire newspaper “in house.”

“I’m pretty excited about this new format,” said Deschesne. “While the methods I’m using to print here locally are a little unconventional, nobody ever accused me of being a ‘conventional’ newspaper publisher.”

The new format for the Fort Fairfield Journal features brighter pages on paper slightly heavier than newsprint and a full 600 dots per inch (dpi) resolution for pictures. “What’s good about this format is the newspaper ink won’t rub off onto your hands or clothing,” said Deschesne.

The paper continues to be printed on a standard 11”x17” “tabloid” format and has the potential to add full color as needed. The pages are bound together on a manual glue-binding machine that Deschesne had to custom build because none could be found on the market. “I knew I had to bind the pages together to keep the look and function of a newspaper, but could not find anything on the market to do the job, so I built one myself,” he said.

While the standard black and white format will allow for much higher resolution pictures, the move to full color is the next step on the horizon. “I have some advertisers who’ve been waiting patiently for me to be able to offer full color at a reasonable rate. After I get used to printing with this new format, the expansion to color will be a simple step,” said Deschesne, who also sees the Fort Fairfield Journal going to a weekly paper sometime in the future.

The Fort Fairfield Journal’s print shop is located in BOOKMART at the Village Square on Main Street, Fort Fairfield BOOKMART is a used book/movie store jointly owned by David and his wife, Tammy. “We have the print shop set up as a copy and print center,” explains Deschesne. “We can provide photocopies, fax services, booklet making, full color copies and color photo copying, as well.” All pictures featured in the Fort Fairfield Journal can be acquired at the print shop in Village Square for a nominal fee.

Bringing the printing of the Fort Fairfield’s local newspaper back to Fort Fairfield represents somewhat of a milestone for the town. The former Fort Fairfield Review, which had been in publication for over 100 years, ceased printing locally over 20 years ago. The Fort Fairfield Review went out of business in January, 2004 with newspaper duties being resumed with a new name and owner in June of that year.

Deschesne, who is a sound system contractor by trade, started the Fort Fairfield Journal because “it didn’t look like anybody else was going to do it. I figured that since I grew up in Fort Fairfield and still live close by, I’ll give it a try.”

The Fort Fairfield Journal started off with a mere four pages in its debut issue, to be followed by eight pages and twelve, soon thereafter. The standard size of the Fort Fairfield Journal is currently locked in at 16 pages, expanding to 20 as more space is needed.

The Fort Fairfield Journal continues to be published every other week and enjoys a circulation of 900 copies.