They're taking over a small town Alaska newspaper — for $20

It seemed too good to be true — take over a beloved local newspaper in a scenic small town, for free?

Turns out, it wasn't free. It's been sold for $20.

"My accountant said I've got to put some number on the contract," said Larry Persily, the soon-to-be-former owner and publisher of the Skagway News in Skagway, Alaska. 

"So, $20 ... I'll get a pizza out if it."

Persily's been running the paper from Anchorage since he bought it a little over a year ago. In November, he decided to pass the torch — and put word out that he wanted to give the whole operation away, for nothing.

That news went viral. He heard from people all over Alaska and the rest of the U.S., and Canada. He also heard from interested people in Australia, Israel and Europe.

Impressive, considering the paper serves a community of about 1,000 people.

"An amazing number. More than I expected," Persily said.

He quickly ruled out anybody lacking newspaper or journalism experience. But that still left a good pool of plausible candidates, he said.

"It really came down to just kind of a gut feeling," he said.

"I wasn't looking for the Pulitzer Prize-winning greatest journalist in America, I wasn't looking for someone who thought they were going to change the world with investigative reporting, or start doing videos ... I was trying to find someone who I thought was really sincere about wanting to make a life in a small town."

He found them just outside Anchorage, in Chugiak, Alaska.

New owners 'on cloud nine'

"We've kind of been on cloud nine, and we couldn't tell anyone for a while," said Gretchen Wehmhoff, a part-time teacher and journalist who's now set to take over the Skagway News with her friend Melinda Munson.

The two longtime Alaskans were named as the paper's new owners on Friday.

Wehmhoff recalls hearing about the gig last fall.

"Melinda actually was the one that talked me into it," Wehmhoff recalled. "And when she first sent me an e-mail, I was like, 'Oh yeah, you're funny.'"

Munson — also a teacher and part-time journalist — wasn't joking. Soon they were huddled in a together in a classsroom putting an application together.

"Why not? There were more reasons to do, than to not do," Wehmhoff said.   

"My rule has always been that if somebody gives you a free paper, you say yes," laughed Munson. "I live by that rule."

Wehmhoff calls it a dream job.

"We both love journalism, and we both love serving the community. And for me, I would rather do a small paper versus a large paper," she said.

"And I've always wanted to work in journalism where we were our own boss."

"Amen," Munson said.   

'I hope it works'

It's no secret, though — keeping a small-town newspaper afloat these days is tough, and getting tougher.

Just ask Persily, who's had a long career in journalism.

"You're seeing it around the country, where newspapers, admitting the challenging economics, are going to nonprofit models or something different than the traditional one ... because it just doesn't work anymore."

Still, he's got faith in Munson and Wehmhoff — that's why he chose them to take over.

"I wish them well. I hope it works. I actually put in the contract for the $20 that I will be happy to mentor and coach and do everything I can to help, for no charge, for a year — because I care about the town," he said.

"I'm sure we'll have problems along the way, but I expect this will work out well."

Munson and Whenhoff say they're not planning any major changes, at least in the short term. But Whemhoff says they are thinking about the future.

"We've got some great ideas for expanding it digitally, expanding maybe perhaps the involvement with young people there, student journalists, as far as teaching journalism," she said.

They're planning to hold a community meeting when they arrive, to talk to the locals and answer questions.

"We just want the community to feel comfortable," Munson said. 

They're due to arrive in Skagway in early March — just in time to cover a borough assembly meeting.