A humble thank you
Let me take a moment to recognize you, the reader. At the beginning of March, we all received worrying news. A new virus had appeared, its lethality and contagiousness unlike anything seen in nearly a century. Everything was to be shuttered—businesses, schools, and our ability to interact with our friends and loved ones. The idea that our hard work and sense of security could be upended in the blink of an eye was terrifying.
The reader of Nordstjernan has always been what makes us what and who we are. You are what makes Nordstjernan, your newspaper, strong. Your dedication and loyalty means the world to us. Renewals are stronger than ever and we continue to grow in new subscribers. This newspaper, no, this community we are all a part of has become stronger in a time of struggle.
The new disease that began to spread across the world appeared to have a mortality rate of over three percent, according to the WHO. But this was just a temporary snapshot. As more and more mild cases are found, the mortality assessment has also changed. British researchers along with the CDC currently estimate a mortality rate lower than 0.4 percent, but the estimates still vary widely.
At least 350,000 people in the world are no longer living due to the virus, and even more have become seriously ill and need hospital care. At the same time, at least 2.5 million people have recovered. Please, if you belong to the risk group, stay cautious, keep your distance (no contact-no worries), don’t touch your face, wash your hands often and stay well.
As you read this, summer is here and we begin a slower pace at Nordstjernan; slow in the sense that we print less but also prepare for an eventful second half of the year. Your next issue will be dated July 15. The celebration of Midsummer is something all Swedes look forward to, and a tradition that non-Swedes can also easily fall in love with. We covered how to best celebrate Midsummer at home in the previous issue but couldn’t resist offering yet another Midsummer-inspired recipe, this time by Nebraska reader, blogger, photographer and chef Kristi Bissell, whose photograph also graces our cover.
Once again, thank you all, hoping to see many of you soon.
Happy, safe and sound Midsummer!
Ulf
It would be un-Swedish to boast about anything under any circumstances and more so than ever at times like these, but it’s perfectly in character to thank everyone for your support of Nordstjernan ...
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The Editor & Publisher
Inte som andra bloggar.... this entry will be sometimes in Swedish, sometimes 'på svenska' - Just så händelsrikt är livet som utgivare av Amerikas äldsta och numera enda Svenska tidskrift.
Här ovan poserar jag “on location” kl 6 på morgonen i Minneapolis St. Paul för två år sedan. Henrik Olund tog bilden som förberedelse för en porträttbild av Vice President Walter Mondale. (Det var en bra intervju med en bra person) Jag skriver sällan med byline i Nordstjernan men jag är alltid ansvarig för innehållet, även om jag inte alltid håller med om allt.
(PS. Intervjun med Mondale hittar ni på nordicreach.com DS.) |