Can’t spell community newspaper without ‘you’

There’s a well-worn saying comparing the making of laws to the making of sausages. The point being … you really don’t want to see how either one is made. The word “grizzly” comes to mind.

Now, we wouldn’t say that the making of The Charlotte News is even remotely grizzly, but it’s entirely possible that you’d really rather not know that much about it. You’re perfectly happy to have this free public service arrive in your mailbox every two weeks, without a bunch of fuss.

That said, we’ve done a good bit of housekeeping here at the paper (and on the website) which might be of interest to you, the folks who generally like to be kept abreast of town developments. And since The Charlotte News is something of a pillar of this community (and has been for 64 years), the health of the paper is not only of interest, it’s really rather vital. Plus, we are all about transparency and want you to know that the paper is on firm footing.

First and most importantly, the support of this community remains strong and readily apparent! We continue to receive many terrific contributions in the form of photos and articles. We truly are a community newspaper. And we’ve also received financial contributions sufficient to grow the paper and to hire our first-ever full-time editor. Thank you! We literally could not have done that without your support. Clearly, you do care about the community and value the way The Charlotte News keeps us connected.

The addition of Scooter MacMillan as our editor has proved not only popular but I venture to say … entertaining. His nose for news and sense of humor appear to be a good fit for the town. We’re sorry, Scooter, if we’re making you blush, but you’re a hit.

Behind the scenes, things are every bit as productive. We have a burgeoning board of directors and a strong staff. We remain in awe of the unflappable and super-organized Anna Cyr, our production manager; we are grateful for our advertising manager, Christy Hagios, who continues to thrive at the paper despite the ever-shifting economic climate; and we much appreciate our experienced and reliable bookkeeper, Susan Jones.

Our board has lost some substantial members to term limits and to other commitments, notably Vince Crockenberg and Bob Bloch, but we’re delighted to welcome the talented Bill Regan, and the relatively recent addition of treasurer Margery McCracken has been a homerun. Although Gay Regan’s term expires at the end of the month, she is staying on as a fundraising committee member, and for that we are grateful.

There are many other changes, large and small, that wouldn’t necessarily become immediately apparent. The board has adopted a conflict-of-interest policy, we’ve completed a handbook to guide the board’s work, redesigned the paper and switched to online subscriptions for out-of-towners. Our website is being restyled, and our new strategic plan will be completed by the end of the year.

In other words, our house is in order, our financial situation is in hand and our readers and visitors to the website are telling us they like what they see.

As an independent, nonprofit we will always be in the position of asking for donations, but that’s one of the things that makes the paper answerable to the community. And that’s just the way we like it. Look for our traditional summer fundraising appeal in your mailbox in the next few days. And look for us to make it easier to become a sustaining member, so you will only need to think about making a donation once per year, but the payments can be made automatically, each month.

We hope it goes without saying that this community newspaper is always open to your feedback. You may email us: John Quinney or Claudia Marshall. And of course, we’d be happy to talk with you at any of the many events around town this summer — the library book sale, town party, senior center classes, music at the beach and more.

We’ll see you around town.