We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby!

By Connie Garber

We are happy to announce that the Sanford Springvale News will add a print version beginning Friday, March 15, 2024. Look for it at local grocery stores, libraries, senior housing sites and more. The list of locations where the paper will be available is on our website here: https://sanfordspringvalenews.com/the-print-edition/. Yet another milestone in the resurrection of the Sanford Springvale News.

Ever since reading that the Sanford Springvale News was publishing its last edition in March 2023, a dedicated group of community members has been hard at work. Our shared goal: To continue to produce the Sanford Springvale News with community support and volunteer efforts.

The Sanford Springvale News fills a critical void in our community, which has been without a local print newspaper since the demise of the Sanford News (published from 1980 to 2017), and then the Journal Tribune (published from 1884 until 2019).

There was a lot to learn for those of us with no background in reporting, but we have been guided by the ongoing efforts of the founding editor and publisher, Zendelle Bouchard.

The benefit of the diverse backgrounds of the assembled volunteers is reflected in what we have been able to accomplish in one year:

• A few short weeks after we initially met, we sent out our first weekly E-News, now emailed to 1346 subscribers.
  
• The website has been updated, with 5000 visitors a month.
  
• There are multiple weekly posts on Facebook, with 4000 people following our page.
  
• Volunteers are writing weekly columns, including a Community Calendar, News Notes, Parks & Recreation, “Out in the Woods” (nature), Passages (obituaries), Fire & Police, Sports and Real Estate. Other volunteers are writing feature articles, reporting on the City Council and School Committee. Volunteers are also editing, proofreading and taking local photographs.

We are proud to have enlisted the writing skills of students from the University of New England, as well as The New School (Kennebunk) and St. Thomas School.

Along with the much-valued donations received from our readers, we have business sponsors and local advertising, all supporting our efforts.

One short year, but we’ve come a long way, baby!