Housekeeping

By Rosanna Trestman

Norfolk Now is a work in progress. What you see on the pages each month is the result of long deliberation and experimentation, be it small tweaks in the layout or the addition of new content. Our growing staff has now lightened the load for the issue editor, who used to be buried in detail. This has resulted in fewer mistakes. We are open to change and strive for consistency.

The purpose of this View is to bring you up to date on what’s new, what’s discarded and some procedural reminders to put us “on the same page.”

One change we have made is in the visual impact and legibility of the printing. For some time now, photos in Norfolk Now have appeared often muddy and lacking in contrast. As of this issue, which comes to you from Kwik Print in Great Barrington, photo reproduction has been vastly enhanced.

Norfolk Now’s digital files are now emailed to Kwik Print and entered directly into a new high tech Ikon Print Center Pro 1050.

The machine not only produces high quality photo finishing, but it also collates, folds and staples all in one pass. An added dividend is that print time is cut in half compared to the old offset printing process, which required four days to produce an issue.

The December fundraiser yielded terrific results. Supporters of the paper gave more generously and in greater numbers than ever before. It’s comforting both to receive affirmation of a loyal readership and to realize a cushion under our strained budget.

The response cards gleaned some story ideas. One card urged reporting on land use, zoning and economic development issues. Another asked for coverage of shopping and restaurants, and a third suggested a seasonal guide to local outdoor activities. (This was an idea we tried several years ago on bicycling and fishing opportunities in the area, but perhaps it could use refreshing). We discuss every story idea at monthly editorial meetings. If you don’t see results of your suggestion, feel free to contact one of the executive editors. We seriously consider every pitched idea.

The card also netted a few more volunteers, whom we hope to put to work before they change their minds. There is one special project for the super industrious volunteer, and that is compiling an index of articles and authors going back to the first issue of Norfolk Now. Phone lines are open.

Finally, some housekeeping details. The Yahoo.com mailbox is closed. In its place are the individual email addresses of key staff members. Story ideas should go to the following month’s issue editor, who is listed in the staff box along with the names, email addresses and phone numbers for inquiries about Advertising and Subscriptions and submissions to Community News and the Calendar.

Your contributions to the paper, be it financial, a tidbit for Briefly, a Letter to the Editor or simply as one of our readership make you a part of the Norfolk Now team. Thank you.