Cortez Journal readers who purchase a subscription can avoid next week’s newsstand price increase.

Beginning with the Tuesday, Feb. 29, edition, the price at newsracks and retail outlets will increase to 35 cents per copy. Annual subscription rates, which are $38 for area subscribers and $63 for those outside the local trade area, will not go up at this time.

The Journal is also introducing home-delivery service to subscribers within the Cortez city limits. Additional delivery routes will be added in the future.

Over the past year, the Journal has added staff to increase coverage of local news and subscribed to the Associated Press to provide state, national and international news. Pages have been created to include expanded coverage of agriculture and education, and garden and food features have been added as well. The sports and family pages have continued, and the church page has been renamed "Faith" to reflect the diversity of spiritual beliefs in the Four Corners. The opinion page continues to provide a forum for readers to express their views about issues of local interest.

A comics page has been added, with a crossword puzzle, Ann Landers’ advice column, helpful home Hints from Heloise and the popular "Remember When" local historical column.

"When the Montezuma Valley Journal began publication in 1888, the price was a dime," said Suzy Meyer, Journal editor and general manager. "It remained at 10 cents for nearly 90 years, went up to 15 cents in the late 1970s, and then increased to 25 cents in September of 1982.

"We believe we’ve added considerable new material in the past 17 1/2 years, and in the past 11 months we’ve consistently published papers with more pages and expanded content. A quarter doesn’t buy as much as it used to, and the Journal is definitely worth 35 cents."