The Future of the Sanford Springvale News

The Sanford Springvale News is rapidly approaching its second birthday. We hope you have enjoyed keeping up with local news and events as much as we have enjoyed bringing them to you. But we want to take a minute to ask you to think about the future of this publication, and whether you would like to see it continue.

Right now, the SSN is the work of three people:

• Zendelle Bouchard, who is Editor/Publisher/Writer/Bookkeeper/Webmaster/Delivery person and whatever else needs doing
• Dave Rude, who spends hours each week scrolling through more than 200 Facebook pages and websites of local organizations, schools, churches and businesses to keep tabs on what’s happening. He is also the proofreader and subscription coordinator.
• Liz Kilkenny, who manages the advertising that pays for printing and other expenses

Our three-person crew has worked hard to keep the paper coming to you for almost two years, but this setup is not sustainable. If any one of us had a major health issue or family emergency, or just wanted to do something else with our time, the presses would grind to a halt. None of us wants to see that happen, so we are asking for your help.

Since the SSN doesn’t make enough money to actually survive as a business, the best way to ensure it stays around for years to come is for it to become a nonprofit, run by a group of people who each contribute a few hours a week or a month to gather, report and distribute the news and events of our community. Whether you believe that “it takes a village” or “many hands make light work,” the transition to a group effort will enable us to keep publishing if one or another person has to drop out or scale back for whatever reason.

Do you have a few hours to spare? You don’t have to be a great writer (that’s what editors are for!). All you need is an appreciation for local news and a desire to help it continue. There are many ways to contribute, from organizing to newsgathering to taking photos to helping with delivery. Email us at sanfordspringvalenews@outlook.com and we’ll figure it out. Let’s keep this thing going!