By Steve Stewart

Community newspaper publishing requires us to thoroughly chronicle Suffolk, warts and all.

On any given day, chances are good in a city this size that someone committed a newsworthy crime, that an elected official cast a vote or a bureaucrat made a decision that upset people or that someone was seriously hurt in an accident. We report the news of Suffolk — good, bad or indifferent. It’s our job.

While there’s plenty of “good” news on these pages every day, it’s true, I think, that a fundamental truth can sometimes get lost in the fog of daily news reporting. That truth is this: We are privileged to serve a fine community, full of people and institutions who daily do good deeds that make Suffolk an even better place to live, work, worship and play.

The chance to step back from the grind of daily publishing and put a spotlight on all the things that are right about Suffolk – the things that are working, instead of what’s broken — is the primary motivation for our annual Strides edition, published every winter for nearly 50 years.

Strides 2014 will publish on Sunday, Feb. 23, with a theme of “25 More Reasons We Love Suffolk.” Strides 2013 featured 25 excellent reasons, but the list of candidates was so long that we’d be remiss not to offer 25 more.

Editor Res Spears and staff have the unenviable task of culling the list to 25. It’s not too late to make a suggestion, and you can do so with an email to news@suffolknewsherald.com or a phone call to 934-9616. The reason you love Suffolk could be anything from a special person to an institution to a place, or even something abstract.

If you own a business in Suffolk, there are several affordable ways to ensure that you are featured in our annual showcase edition, our biggest of the year, which will be read by more than 40,000 people, including current residents of Suffolk and adjacent communities, as well as visitors and prospective newcomers.

Our outstanding team of marketing consultants — Earl Jones, Leanne Hundley, Shelby Palmer and Nathan Richardson — will put together a great-looking ad that spotlights your employees, your service to the community, and the qualities that make your business special. Even if you don’t market your goods and services directly to local people, this edition will remind readers why your business is proud to call Suffolk home. Email us at advertising@suffolknewsherald.com or call 934-9605 and we’ll schedule a custom consultation.

 

STEVE STEWART is publisher of the Suffolk News-Herald. His email address is steve.stewart@suffolknewsherald.com.