The Best of Marin fairy tale has ended, but that doesn’t mean that life can’t go on. We thought that this would be an ideal time to take a step back and assess what we are doing here at the Pacific Sun, how we’re doing it and how we can make the paper better. We want to know who our readers are, what you like and don’t like, and involve you in decisions about changes to your favorite alternative weekly newspaper. We haven’t asked for your feedback in a formal format for years, and we think that that’s a crime! Participating in our 2015 Reader Survey is your chance to give us your best feedback. Our editor, Molly Oleson, will personally review each and every form mailed in, dropped off in person or completed online.
What’s in it for me, you ask? Well, besides bragging rights that you contributed to a new and improved newspaper, we’re having a Reader Survey raffle for those of you who take the time to tell us what you think. The winner of the raffle will score a dinner for two at a downtown San Rafael restaurant. Sweet!
In case you need a refresher on what you can find in the Pacific Sun, below is a rundown of what we currently feature from week to week. (Regular readers will know that some columns occur more frequently than others.)
Please drop off the form provided in our print edition, postmark, or complete the survey online by Thursday, April 23. Surveys can be mailed to: Molly Oleson, Pacific Sun, 835 Fourth St., Suite D, San Rafael, CA, 94901.
Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you!
The rundown on current content in the Pacific Sun:
Advice Goddess: Amy Alkon takes no prisoners and gets straight to the point with her wise and witty advice for the lovelorn. In other words: When she tells you what to do—just do it!
Dirt Diva: Get down on your knees and dig it—advice and tips from Dirt Diva Annie Spiegelman are sure to get you and your inner gardener blooming.
Features: Perspectives and profiles—from musicians to moguls. Real-world stories—sometimes passionate, sometimes poignant, but always to-the-point. We’re not a daily, so you can count on us for in-depth and off-the-beaten-path stories.
Food & Drink: Keeping up with current trends and events, Tanya Henry satisfies your hunger and thirst for all things food and drink happening around the bay—and beyond.
Hero & Zero: Who are the good guys out there, and who are the bad guys? That’s what Nikki Silverstein likes to get to the bottom of.
Horoscope: Sassy Leona Moon doesn’t pull any punches when she consults her crystal ball and tells it like it is every week for each and every astrological sign.
Letters to the Editor: We really do want to know what you think. That’s why we present this open forum for feedback to our readers.
Movies: Our Movies page, which includes concise summaries by Matthew Stafford about flicks, along with local movie times, gives you the skinny on the films that everyone is talking about, and lets you know where you can find them.
Music: What’s new and what’s old, what’s cool and what’s even cooler—that’s what you get from Greg Cahill’s music column.
Single in the Suburbs: Is a woman without a man like a fish without a bicycle? See what Nikki Silverstein thinks as she reveals the trials and tribulations of living single in Marin.
Style: From the art of cleaning out your closet to what to wear to a holiday party, Katie Rice Jones is a woman in the know about the proper dos and don’ts regarding style.
Sundial: This is the place to turn to for all of the happening events in Marin and beyond. The Sundial section offers listings of live music, comedy, theater, art, film events and more, so that you can stay entertained every day of the week.
Talking Pictures: To see, or not to see? Movie critic David Templeton (and his ever-changing movie date) will answer this for you. The narratives are always entertaining, and often delightfully surprising.
That TV Guy: Even if you don’t “like to watch,” That TV Guy Rick Polito will make you “like to read” about current TV shows with his hilarious takes on what’s currently on the tube.
Theater: Theater critic Charles Brousse channels his inner drama king and reports on all things thespian for your reading pleasure.
Trivia Cafè: Brain twisters and teasers will sharpen your mind when you try to unravel Howard Rachelson’s trivia facts via clever puzzles and plays on words.
Upfront: Keeping you apprised of important issues, hot topics and debates facing Marin County is what Peter Seidman was born to do.
Video: Couch potatoes delight in finding out the good, the bad and the ugly in video reviews from Richard Gould.
The paper has lost some of its brightness and seems to be gasping for air. The writing and the columns that have been either dropped or significantly reduced like Single in the Suburbs and the Dirt Diva gave the paper a smart edge. I also miss the Rock n Roll stories, they were always interesting and fun. I looked forward to getting my Pacific Sun every Friday morning! Now not so much?