It is with deep regret that we must report that Flagstaff Tea Party is unable to continue publishing a newspaper due to ongoing revenue shortfalls. During our recent pledge drive, which ended Sept. 10, we raised only $6,741 — much less than the $50,000 in pledges and donations that we felt we needed if FTP was going to be economically viable during the coming year.

Though FTP will not be publishing a newspaper, donations made during the pledge drive are nonetheless tax-deductible. Those who made pledges during the pledge drive will NOT be expected to honor those pledges. However, for the moment, FTP remains a nonprofit organization and, for at least the next few weeks, donations will be tax-deductible. Donations made during this period will be used to pay down existing debt.

The future of FTP is unclear and will depend in part on a future ruling by the IRS. However, we hope to continue operating FTP as a nonprofit organization actively marketing the book “Growing Food in the Southwest Mountains.” FTP also hopes to continue promoting the use of Flagstaff Neighborly Notes. Alternatively, it may be necessary to give up FTP’s current nonprofit status, perhaps transferring the Neighborly Notes project to another organization such as the Flagstaff Activist Network. The FTP Web site will remain online indefinitely.

We wish to thank all of our donors, volunteers, board members and advertisers for their support during the last two years. Though some will say that Flagstaff Tea Party was an unsuccessful experiment, we believe it was much more than that. We believe that everyone involved — from the board of directors to the many faithful readers — learned something of value in the course of this experiment. In its own small way, FTP has changed Flagstaff for the better. With luck, Flagstaff will never be the same.