Over the past month, when I would do my weekly grocery shopping at Trader Joes, I noticed something different. First it was the empty stand, usually filled nearly halfway with copies, one of which I would pick up on the way to my car. Then, the last few shopping trips I’d make, that empty stand was gone altogether. Although I had my suspicions, they were unfortunately confirmed to me earlier today after I asked the cashier at Trader Joes. The San Diego Reader had ceased printing their weekly paper in mid-February. A quick Google search officially confirmed it, and my first reaction to this news (posted on Feb 18) was: had I been living under a rock the last month?? How could I have missed seeing this, even from one of the local blogs I read practically everyday, sandiegoville.com?

Back in 2002 when I first moved to San Diego, jobless & staying at my Grandma’s in Coronado, I would drive over the bridge into Hillcrest, hang out at the Peet’s Coffee, and comb the classifieds section for apartments in the San Diego Reader. This was pre-Craigslist, so the Reader was my main source for apartment listings and all other things San Diego. Back then, it was a huge paper filled with pages of plastic surgery ads, happenings, and classified ads of all kinds: jobs, housing, sales, and my favorite, missed connections. And, of course, nestled within these classified ads was the crossword puzzle – a nice break for me to have after circling the many available apartment listings. In fact, I told the cashier at Trader Joes that I found my first apartment here thanks to the Reader.

Over the years, with the rise of both the Internet and classified websites like Craigslist, the weekly Reader began to become smaller. Less pages for less classified ads eventually changed the overall appearance of the Reader. What was once this huge publication with a spine like a magazine was now a smaller trim size with no more spine (I’m talking pub specs here). It had less plastic surgery ads, but now included a whole section at the end for cannabis dispensaries and coupons, some even in full color ($$$). Other changes followed over the years, but one to my delight remained: the crossword puzzle.

Last year, when I was trying to get this blog started, I wrote about the Reader’s crossword puzzle being my favorite thing of the week. I also mentioned how bummed I would be if it became no more. Sure enough, it happened. The final issue and my beloved crossword puzzle was printed and distributed around the city one last time. An announcement from the Editor was made, marking a new, online-only version of the Reader – which I had clearly missed. Again, I ask myself, how could I have missed this news??

Anyways, my lack of observation aside, I’d like to thank the San Diego Reader editorial and production staff for their many years, actually decades, of bringing local news, stories, events, and the crossword puzzle around America’s Finest City. Your weekly paper, especially the crossword puzzle, will definitely be missed.