We say hello ...

To expand a bit on the story on the front page of this week’s INDEX, we’d like to say hello, and introduce you to the VIEW Newspapers and its commitment to strong, local community journalism. We think the INDEX and VIEW Newspapers will be a very good fit.
A little history: Lapeer native Rick Burrough launched a new and exciting publication in his “hometown” of Lapeer County — the Lapeer Area VIEW — in 2003 with a vibrant look and a dedication to produce a strong, local, community newspaper with quality coverage of local government, schools, businesses, civic groups and sports. It was a big task to cover two cities, seven villages, five school districts and 18 townships, but we’ve continued to do it well every week.
The Lapeer Area VIEW, now in its fifth year, covers all of Lapeer County and is delivered to its more than 34,000 homes. Doing the job right is an important part of the View Newspapers’ mission. In its first year of eligibility the Lapeer Area VIEW won six awards for its editorial content from the Michigan Press Association in 2006, and followed it up with an impressive 14 MPA awards in both editorial and advertising in 2007.
Using that commitment to quality, local community journalism, the VIEW opened its second all-new publication in 2005, the Grand Blanc VIEW, offering the same commitment to exclusively local news of the more than 25,000 homes in the Grand Blanc, Goodrich, Atlas community and the Grand Blanc and Goodrich schools.
Our Grand Blanc paper has also won awards in its early years, earning a total of six Community Papers of Michigan awards in 2006 and 2007, including special honors for its 40-page 2007 Buick Open special section. It will be eligible to compete for the first time this year in the MPA competition, and we’re confident it will earn more honors.
In March of last year, our third publication was launched right next door in Burton as part of the VIEW Newspapers family. The Burton VIEW provides exclusively local news and sports to the more than 13,000 homes in the City of Burton and in the Bendle, Bentley and Atherton schools.
And this week we add the Davison INDEX and its proud, nearly 120-year legacy of serving the Davison community to our family.
Each of our newspapers exists to serve its own community, and we’re mindful of our mission to provide unique, strong local coverage in all of our communities. We aren’t looking to homogenize; we want the Davison INDEX to continue to reflect the news and views of the more than 12,500 homes in the Davison-Richfield community that we mail to each week.
And that’s where you, our readers, play a most important role. Perhaps to oversimplify: We’re providing the paper and ink (and a crew of a dozen View and Index writers and some interesting photos) and you provide us with the stories that will grace the pages of your newspaper. We can’t do it without you.
We truly value your input and hope all of you will let us know how we can best represent this vibrant community.
Feel free to contact us at 810-653-3511, email me at marnholt@viewnewspapers.net or stop by the office, 220 N. Main Street, Davison 48423.