The Friday Flyer celebrates 28th anniversary

The first issue of The Friday Flyer was printed 28 years ago. The issue had a total of four pages. File Photo

The very first newspaper edition of The Friday Flyer hit the streets in November 1990, exactly 28 years ago this month. That newspaper, printed with a full-page black-and-white photo and a single spot color logo, was a combination of a newsletter the POA had been publishing in conjunction with the Canyon Lake Home Owners Club and the weekly 8.5×11 single-page flyer handed out to residents at the gates every Friday. The Friday Flyer, as we know it today as a community newspaper, was born.

Golding Publications had just begun as a business in a small office in the Canyon Lake Towne Center in July of that year. The publishing company had intended to focus on printing various high-end residential directories, including the Canyon Lake Residential Directory. The POA, though, approached the infant company and asked if it would take over the publication of its monthly newspaper.

After some negotiating, it was decided Golding Publications would publish the weekly Friday Flyer, combining the two existing POA publications into a single community newspaper.

The POA turned ownership of the newspaper over to Golding Publications in the 1990s and continued to pay the company through paid subscriptions in exchange for several pages of official POA-provided news content. That contract, after 24 years in existence in one form or another, was canceled by the POA in 2014.

The Friday Flyer has evolved as the times change. The paper is now printed with color in three sections. Many years ago, the newspaper went online and its entire contents has been available at fridayflyer.com. Since then, a “flippable” version of an exact replica of the newspaper has been added to the website. The Friday Flyer also has a very active Facebook page.

The electronic age has made it possible for Canyon Lake residents to submit photos for publication. Readers submit story ideas and letters at a much greater rate now that the newspaper editor is just an email away. Online articles also have options for readers to comment on the story. The intent of these features is to encourage reader participation and interaction.

Since it’s inception, The Friday Flyer has had three editors: Carolyn Knight, Sharon Rice and current editor Donna Ritchie.

The future for The Friday Flyer continues to look bright. Despite large daily newspapers struggling amid the electronic advances, community newspapers continue to thrive. The Friday Flyer, and other community newspapers like it, is the sole responsible provider of local news. The newspaper continues to be read at the same rate as it was decades ago. The online version complements the printed version.

The Friday Flyer now embarks on its next 28 years providing an even more enhanced level of exclusive and informative coverage of Canyon Lake news and activities.