Seventeen years ago, a vision to create a way for Londonderry residents to obtain local information they needed (soccer registration dates, for example) led to the creation of the first issue of the Londonderry Times. What began as a humble monthly town journal, printed in the basement of the Londonderry home of Deb and Chris Paul, has blossomed through the past decade and a half into three weekly newspapers full of news, sports, features, photos, and advertising for three newspapers serving five New Hampshire towns. All brought to you by a staff of seven in an historic Londonderry building with an unwavering commitment to focus on everything community.
Under the auspices of their company, Nutfield Publishing, the Pauls and their staff (all southern New Hampshire residents) put out three newspapers every week, each one dedicated to the communities they were created for.
The Londonderry Times was started in January of 2000 as a monthly publication. The weekly Nutfield News in Derry started in 2004, and the weekly Tri-Town Times for Hampstead, Chester and Sandown began in 2005.
During a time when print newspapers are expected to go the way of the dinosaur, and people claim that they have no more readers, the Londonderry Times and its two sister publications are still going strong, even as other newspapers cut the number of days a week they publish, slash the number of pages in each edition, or move to a completely electronic platform.
We report on town and school district activities, official and otherwise. Happy stories are given emphasis to ease the uneasiness brought on by less pleasant news. Local high school sports teams get detailed coverage, much to the delight of parents and family members. Most importantly, we make sure that all of our readers are informed of all of the decisions being made and discussions that are taking place in each of their hometowns.
It’s not unusual for news stories to appear first in one of the Nutfield Publishing papers, well before other news media can produce a report. How is that? Everyone at the paper is dedicated to producing a quality product, and put great care into what it looks like and what it says, recognizing that timeliness and accuracy are the hallmarks of what a newspaper offers its readers.
The mission, of course, is the same as it was 17 years ago: to provide a place for local residents to obtain information they need about their community, whether it’s a school play or an update on how tax dollars are being spent, is our number one priority. What’s going on in Concord or in Washington, D.C., or abroad is available elsewhere, mostly online, and does not concern us. But if it happens in one of our towns, you should expect to read about it in our newspapers.
And we always like getting news tips. Stop by our office at 2 Litchfield Road in Londonderry to say “Hello,” as we mark our 17th Anniversary.
We’re here for you, 17 years and counting.