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In the basement of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman the walls of one room are lined with hard-bound volumes — a rich trove of our community’s treasured past. Many volumes represent whole years. But some years the number of pages we printed stretched to encompass two or three volumes.

We’ve moved our offices many times and changed editors and publishers many more times over the past decades. Even the newspaper’s name has changed a few times.

More change is coming Sept. 17 when we begin our 65th year of publishing the Frontiersman and turn the page on a new chapter in the life of Frontiersman.com.

With more than 4 million page views last year, it is clear that Frontiersman.com is where people go to read about the faces and places in the Mat-Su Valley. And while other news outlets dabble in reporting here, news in the Mat-Su Valley is our bread and butter. It’s all we do. It’s all we’ve ever done.

As we mark this milestone, folks who use our website frequently via their smartphones, computers or tablet devices will notice the addition of digital subscriptions to Frontiersman.com.

Although free access has helped build the website’s readership during the last 10 years, the realities of business are driving this change, said Frontiersman Publisher Mark Kelsey.

“While the newspaper industry’s initial response to the Internet was to offer content free online, we recognize that this is an unsustainable business model,” he said. “Like with any other business, what we produce has value. This move to digital subscriptions recognizes that value. It will help us meet the rising cost of continuing to provide the quality local news that readers have come to expect.”

So, along with our 65th anniversary, Sept. 17 also will mark the beginning of digital subscriber services at Frontiersman.com. This new approach, often referred to as a “metered pay wall,” allows for different options based on a person’s level of news consumption.

All visitors to frontiersman.com will be allowed to view five articles per month for free. People can gain full access, including unlimited use of our archived content, starting at $4.95 per month, or $45 per year. A significant amount of our online content will remain free. In addition to Frontiersman.com, the newspaper manages a popular community Facebook page and Twitter feed.

All visitors to Frontiersman.com will have full access to the home page, plus some breaking news events, reader polls, classified and retail advertising, public notices, special sections and the online calendar of events.

As a bonus for new or existing subscribers, the Frontiersman is offer ing a special home delivery rate of $39 a year for people who sign up prior to Sept. 17. These print subscriptions also include free access to Frontiersman.com for their duration.

“We want to make this transition as easy and affordable as possible,” Kelsey said. “We appreciate the tremendous support for the Frontiersman in this community. And we look forward to continuing our role as the Valley’s go-to source for local news.”

We don’t know what the future holds for our business or our community. Perhaps in the future we will exist only on the web. But we aspire to be here, in some form, building this community and serving its people for another 65 years and beyond.

As we roll out this change, if you have questions of concerns, feel free to contact Publisher Mark Kelsey at mark.kelsey@frontiersman.com or by phone at (907) 352-2250.