""You're a hard lady to get a hold of," the caller said. "I've been trying to find out why you let your Rocky Mountain News subscription expire."

I stared at the receiver. Um, it seems that the future of the News might be a little uncertain, I said.

"Oh, it's just being sold. The subscription would continue."

"Some of the writers over at the Rocky have started a site, I Want My Rocky, dedicated to saving their newspaper.

Good luck with that. I doubt that those participating believe that they're doing anything other than sharing memories, more or less resigned to the demise of their beloved paper. A letter-writing campaign may have given us one more miserable half-season of Star Trek, but owners are more savvy now. "

"I love the Rocky Mountain News. Like many in the community, I am saddened that the selling block seems more like the chopping block.

Can the paper be saved?

Probably not, if we take the "paper" bit literally. But I do think that the Rocky could be saved with modest funds (I mean, "modest" for the various rich people who could swing the project), if the publication were converted to an internet-only source of news and political commentary."

"It's the sort of headline most media observers in this area have been anticipating for quite some time, but it's still a shock to see it in print: "Rocky Mountain News For Sale."