We have issues! Twenty-five years and counting.

1996-2021 | The Observer — your local community newspaper — arrives at another significant milestone.

PUBLISHED

1,300

Editions of the Observer

PUBLISHED

36,400

Printed pages of the Observer

DELIVERED

16,900,000

Observer’s to homes and businesses

As a fledgling start-up in 1996, we pledged that journalism in the “public-interest” would appear within our pages. That pledge, demonstrated over the years, earned The Observer the privilege to serve our community. Whether we’re covering a local council meeting, taking photos of a community event or informing the public about a pandemic, the Observer delivers week after week, year after year.
Our stories highlight community achievements or shine a light on areas that need attention. We start conversations in the community and rally like-minded people through the power of words. We give communities information about themselves and where they live in order to take action and make meaningful connections.

A few memorable moments

The Observer has spent the last twenty-five years focused on our communities and very seldom turned the camera lens on ourselves. Here are a few images that we could find.

Observer Staff

Many people got their start at The Observer as a first job and the mix has been great for local coverage and diverse perspectives.

Joe Merlihan

Publisher / Owner

Damon MacLean

Reporter / Photographer

Patrick Merlihan

Print Manager / Owner

Sean Heeger

Reporter / Photographer

Steve Kannon

Editor

Cassandra Merlihan

Graphic Designer

Donna Rudy

Sales Manager

Observer Staff through the years.

● Brian Jantzi – March 30 1996
● Pat Merlihan – March 30 1996
● Joe Merlihan – March 30 1996
● Grace Stephenson – March 30 1996
● Jack Lefcourt – March 30, 1996
● Allen D. Martin – April 20, 1996
● Daniel Shipp – April 27 1996
● Stacey Ash- May 18, 1996
● Dave McPherson – August 31, 1996
● Peter Cross – September 21, 1996
● Dayna Buder – November 2, 1996
● Becca Miller – December 7, 1996
● David Gambrill – November 8, 1997
● Patrick Moore – February 14, 1998
● Jeff K. Brubacher- June 6, 1998
● Donna Rudy – September 4, 1998
● Angie Collins – October 3, 1998
● Andrea Reid -February 6, 1999
● Janet Wakutz – July 31, 1999
● Richard Vivian – January 8, 2000
● Magda Konieczna – January 8, 2000
● Jeremy Lenz – Feb 26, 2000
● Kristina Treciokas – July 8, 2000
● Maryann Solomon – August 5, 2000
● Jodi Pallagi – September 30, 2000
● Ashley Campbell – October 21, 2000
● Steve Kannon – November 4, 2000
● Alex Philips – January 20, 2001

● Janice Drexler – February 3, 2001
● Cathy Bieman-Leth – April 21, 2000
● Jason Sheardown – May 19, 2001
● Erik Martensson – July 14, 2001
● Stefan Deubowski – July 21, 2001
● Jonathan Jones – February 9, 2002
● Scott Arnold – March 30, 2002
● Joanne Peach – April 20, 2002
● Hugo Rodrigues – May 11, 2002
● Karen Trick – May 11, 2002
● Casey Lessard – September 6, 2003
● Peter Criscione – February, 2004
● Kyle Rea – July 17, 2004
● Michael Hillborn – Sept. 24, 2005
● Desiree Finhert, November 5, 2005
● Marc Miquel Helsen – April 29, 2006
● Jason Kiefer – May 27, 2006
● Geoff Micks – May 27, 2006
● Marcia Thompson – January 13, 2007
● Matthew French April 14, 2007
● Chad Mueller – June 30, 2007
● Vanessa Moss- July 28, 2007
● Joni Miltenburg – September 20, 2008
● Lyndsay Lehman – Sept. 20, 2008
● Martin Minajew – August 29, 2009
● Katie Edmonds – September 5, 2009
● Kyle Leadermann – March 27, 2010

● James Jackson – August 14, 2010
● Jon Sarachman – September 11, 2010
● Elizabeth Bate – January 15, 2011
● Colin Dewar – May 7, 2011
● Leanna Boron – December 10, 2011
● Craig Ritchie – May 19, 2012
● Elena Mystruk – July 7, 2012
● Will Sloan – December 15, 2012
● Cassandra Merlihan – July 13, 2013
● Jake Stallard – July 20, 2013
● Scott Barber – May 17, 2014
● Whitney Neilson – May 31, 2014
● Liz Bevan – October 1, 2015
● Ali Wilson – May 11, 2017
● Faisal Ali – June 15, 2017
● Nik Harron – February 1, 2018
● Veronica Reiner – May 03, 2018
● Aneta Rebiszewski – August 8, 2019
● Damon Mclean – February 27, 2020
● Sean Heeger – February 27, 2020