The Facts celebrates history with new location

LAKE JACKSON – A crowd turned out to celebrate The Facts’ new downtown Lake Jackson home and was treated to food from nearby businesses, entertainment and a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.

By KATE CHIA, The Facts

“We’re welcoming you to our new location, which is only the fourth home in the 112 years that the newspaper has been in business,” Facts Editor and Publisher Yvonne Mintz said, the new Facts outdoor mural behind her and a crowd of guests in front.

The first two buildings that housed The Facts were in Freeport and now house the Freeport Historical Museum, and the third was in Clute, where the company operated for almost a half-century. In fact, Mintz said, it was 50 years ago that the newspaper announced it would be relocating to 720 S. Main St. in Clute.

“The Clute location served us so well,” she said. “But it was time for us to have a smaller footprint. We looked around and we felt like downtown Lake Jackson was the best place to be.”

The new Facts office at 109 This Way is among other local businesses and restaurants, part of a convenient economic hub in Lake Jackson’s reinvigorated downtown.

“We wanted to represent the best of a modern news organization in the best location,” Mintz said. “The result is a beautiful mid-modern design which harkens back to the days of Alden Dow mapping out downtown Lake Jackson.” 

She highlighted the efforts of Southern Newspapers Vice President of Operations Waylon Smart, who helped shepherd the transition to the new space; Building Manager Jesse Glatz, who represents the building’s owners; Contractor Aaron Davis of XI construction and Market Design Team co-owner Margarey Valdez, who oversaw the design of the new space, along with Facts staff members for their roles in the construction and transition.

While the location has changed, the importance of The Facts to Southern Brazoria County has not, said retired Facts managing editor Jim Barnett, who attended the open house with his wife, Sandra.

“The Facts has always been at the forefront of promoting the community and it still does,” Barnett said. “A community of this size cannot be without a newspaper.”

Barnett has been to all The Facts locations and worked in various positions at the newspaper.

“I started out as a reporter and moved up to managing editor,” he said. “I was also a page editor and city editor.”

He started working for The Facts when it was located in Freeport, before moving to the Clute building, he said.

“I think this is a smart move,” former Facts Publisher Bill Cornwell said about the new location. “[The Clute building] was an expensive building to operate.” 

Newspapers are important because people need to find out what’s going on in their neighborhoods, he said.

“They wonder what’s going on with school boards, with city councils,” Cornwell said.

Lake Jackson City Manager Modesto Mundo has been in communities that didn’t have a local newspaper and understands their value, he said. Those communities were not as close-knit because people were less informed about what was happening, he said.

“The newspaper keeps the community intact,” Mundo said.

He is happy The Facts chose Lake Jackson for its new office, he said.

“I think this is wonderful,” Mundo said. “It’s in the center of our city.” 

Brazosport Symphony representative and Chamber of Commerce ambassador Marsha Albert said the move marks a new chapter for The Facts.

“This building is very cool, and the location is great,” she said. “This is fun and exciting.”

Albert also appreciates the unifying purpose of a community newspaper.

“It’s so cool to hold the paper in your hands and read what’s happening,” she said. “It brings people together.”

The Facts moved to its new location June 9. The building, which houses multiple businesses, once served as Lake Jackson’s first supermarket, a Piggly Wiggly, which opened in the mid-1940s.

This article was originally published Aug. 2 in The Facts.