Independent: Daring to be different

We’ve talked for years about the possibility of changing our corporate name to something other than “Independent Newspapers, Inc.”

We haven’t felt very urgent about it because we feel that our product branding --- the names of our individual products --- is much more important than the corporate name. Promoting the individual products will continue to take priority.

Still, the corporate name no longer fits us very well --- and it is important to our own people and for recruiting new employees.

We’re still independent --- and dedicated to staying independent --- so that part of our name is fitting. But we’re no longer just a publisher of newspapers; our Internet and printing operations are vital parts of what we do and growing more important every year. And the “Inc.” part of our name sounds more bureaucratic and officious than is fitting for the unique company that Independent has become.

So, instead of formally changing our corporate name, we’re thinking of adopting a new style for promoting the company internally and for recruiting purposes: We would keep “Independent”. We would de-emphasize “Newspapers” and “Inc.”. And we would add two new positioning lines. The result:

Independent
Daring to be different
Printing/Publications/Websites

Another variation would be to formally change “Newspapers” to “News”, so that we would become “Independent News”.

Please email me to let me know if you like these possible new ways of presenting ourselves, or if you have suggestions for improvement.

But while you’re thinking about it, allow me to explain how we came up with the “daring to be different” line.

Independent has never been a company that just “follows the crowd”. To illustrate, let us count some of the ways we’ve dared to be different:

1. Ethics & courtesy. We are committed to upholding high ethical standards in all of our dealings. We attempt to treat every individual (inside the company and outside) with courtesy.

2. Mutual success. We achieve success by helping our employees, customers and communities become more successful. For example, to make sure there are no conflicts of interest our sales people are salaried professionals instead of commissioned.

3. Independence. While most publishing companies have sold out to Wall Street investors to get cash out for their owners and are now subject to the pressures of the financial community, 100% of our stock is owned by a non-profit trust that is dedicated to perpetuating our long-term independence.

4. Reinvestment. Since we have no private or public owners, we don’t pay dividends. All after-tax profits are reinvested in the company. We take risks when we feel it’s necessary, but generally manage conservatively to make sure we’re always able to fulfill all of our obligations without fail.

5. Mission. Our mission is to make sure the citizens in our free society can access the information they need to make good decisions, and that everybody has a voice in the public discourse. We take this seriously and actually do this proactively every day; it isn’t just lip service.

6. Neutrality. Our most sacred obligation is to use purposeful neutrality in reporting the news and facilitating public discussions. Unlike most other media, we don’t take sides. We let all viewpoints be heard, and we honor the public’s right to make decisions.

7. No hidden agenda. We believe that the freedoms of speech and the press belong to every citizen, not just to the powerful or to the journalistic elite. We don’t promote our own agenda, but instead see ourselves as humble servants of the people. This means no editorials to promote our own views --- and lots of space for citizens to discuss their views.

8. No favorites. Every citizen’s voice is equally as important to us, regardless of wealth or power. Our smallest customer deserves the same dedication, fair play and courtesy from us as the largest. Employees are judged strictly on their performance, not on extraneous factors like gender, race or creed or family connections.

9. Shared leadership. We strive for leadership, not for supervision. Our senior leaders must make decisions, but they are pledged to consider input from those who will be most affected by the decisions and have proven themselves as dependable producers. Our leaders may challenge and coach their associates, but every individual is held accountable for his or her own self-management and productivity. People who need constant supervision are encouraged to seek employment elsewhere.

10. Embracing change. We maintain our basic values and purposes, but continuously and proactively change everything else to meet changing needs. One example is the way we are embracing the Internet instead of being threatened by it. Another is our continuing battle against bureaucracy and hierarchy, and our constant search for “brilliant simplicity” in all we do.

Please email me at joesmyth@aol.com to let me know if you think we’re on the right track!

(Joe Smyth is the board chair & CEO of Independent Newspapers, Inc. He can be reached at JoeSmyth@aol.com. )

South Lake office making changes

By Jose Jesus Zaragoza
INI florida

With the year winding down here at the South Lake papers in Florida, all efforts now are aimed at providing our readers with the quality content they want and deserve.

Six months ago, the departure of the former editor and a full time reporter in the same month left the little staff struggling, with only two people left in the news department, attempting to cover three counties. Instead of hiring two full time staffers to replace them, we opted for one full time reporter and two part-timers, and are always looking for ways to “raise the bar.”

Our dedicated staff (No that sounds a little too much like a restaurant ad), our fearless staff here do their best in covering all newsworthy events in and around the Lake Okeechobee area, considering the lake is the second-largest inland lake in the country. It is a large, sprawling area.

Nena Bolan, a retired teacher, recently joined our staff with the South Lake group. Nena is a talented writer and an unexpectedly excellent photographer. Covering the Glades County area, including the communities of Moore Haven, Lakeport and Brighton, among others, Nena has already formed strong contacts in the community.

Nena brings to our company a sense of dedication to journalism, which is something she never thought she would be doing. Having always dreamt of being a writer, her stories offer her a unique outlet to reach her goal.

At right, Nena Bolan has developed exceptionally strong contacts throughout the community.

Nena continues to cover the important issues in the area, never discounting the big or the small stories. In her four months here, she has covered everything from a proposed billion-dollar power plant that promises to provide millions in revenue to the small, rural county, to a story about how one boy’s horse is proving a nuisance to his neighbors.

By the time this is read, she will also have judged a Christmas-decorating contest sponsored by Glades County – which just may be her toughest assignment yet.

Naji Tobias, also a former teacher and a sometime sports reporter, has the task of covering the Western Palm Beach County cities of Belle Glade, South Bay and Pahokee – three cities that are constantly in the news for the disproportionately large occurrence of crime and poverty in the area.

Naji is the first to say his love is in sports, and he has done an admirable job of resurrecting our sports section with several well-written articles on the area teams. The teams this year, Glades Central, Glades Day and Pahokee – all located within 10 miles of each other – trailblazed their way to the playoffs, each of them coming home with state titles, Naji was there to cover the results.

Which is not to take away from his general reporting ability.

Naji promoted an AIDS walk with a promo story, has interviewed the departing chief from Pahokee and gotten him to admit the real reason he was leaving, and also continues to formulate his contacts in the community.

At right, Naji Tobias covers three cities and has revitalized the
newspaper's sports coverage.

Naji has a natural feel for what constitutes a story, and how best to reach the center of it. He is not afraid to ask the tough questions or dig deeper to get the job done.

Our staff is rounded out by two more reporters, Ideybis Gonzalez, who was promoted to reporter from a news clerk position. In terms of reporting ability, she has really polished her interviewing skills and has her method down pat. She’s our go-to person whenever a big crime story breaks in the area, and has done work for not only the Clewiston News, but also The Sun and the Glades County Democrat.

College student Nicole Curry, who, fresh out of high school, was our first hire after the former editor resigned. She came in and really helped us begin producing the content our readers were asking for, helping to stabilize our situation at our new offices. Nicole is now focusing on the interesting feature story ideas that every community has lurking somewhere waiting to be found. Nicole has a wonderful knack for research and does a great job with history articles.

At right, college student Nicole Curry is concentrating on feature stories.

Independent's Sun City office keeps old and welcomes new

Festive fun! Division 28 employees had a cheery time celebrating the season at their holiday party. Staff members played morale boosting games and wanted a group photo to remember the festive occasion. Pictured, back row, from left, Jill Goodman, Chris Purcell, Randa Bess, Jim Brandenburg, Alex Feierstein, Zach Colick, Mickey Meyer, Matt Loeschman, Amy Neal, Candace Hoffmann, Joanna Guluszka and Julie Conolly. Front row, from left, Joey Airdo, Charlene Patti Bisson, Debbie Myers, Judy Zocco, Norma Kilpatrick, Duane Clark and Chris Williams.

By Julie Conolly

The Sun City Office has an ideal team for the coming year. With seasoned veterans and fresh faces, the crew comes to work daily with the goal of making a positive impact in the Northwest Valley community.

Managing Editor Charlene Patti Bisson welcomed a new daughter, Isabella, into the world and did not miss a stride commanding an excellent team during her pregnancy and upon returning from leave.

In December, the office bid a fond farewell to Assistant Managing Editor Jill Goodman, who is moving to Austin, Texas, where her husband is receiving a job promotion. Jill was a great asset to the team and will be sorely missed.

“While I’m moving away, I will always have a place in my heart for INI. I’m a big fan of the newspaper’s mission and integrity, and all of you have kind of grown on me, too. Everyone, thanks for everything and I’ll see you around,” Mrs. Goodman said. “A special thank you goes to Charlene Bisson for being an awesome boss and a mentor to me for three years.”

Joey Airdo is the new News Editor for Anthem/Deer Valley and has already received Speak Outs and letters on the hot topics he covers. Joey graduated from Arizona State University and hopes to someday be a famous film critic.

"My goal is to stimulate conversation in my community," Joey said. "And rile a few people up."

Zach Colick joined the team in July as the Sun City News Editor, freshly graduated from the University of Arizona. Within two months, he received the office's Rainmaker Award for writing articles that benefit his community.

"It is great to know I am writing about important topics residents of Sun City want to know about," Zach said.

Amy Neal, the new Arrowhead Ranch News Editor, has a congenial nature that fosters great community relationships. Before coming to the Independent, Amy was a community relations manager with Barnes & Noble.

Amy has already been lauded by Deer Valley Unified School District officials for her excellent school coverage. She attributes her success to living in her coverage area.

"I really enjoy working in the community where I live," Amy said.

Julie Conolly will see her one year anniversary as Peoria's News Editor in January after moving to the Valley from Michigan. A former bookstore manager, Julie loves being out and about covering Peoria. In the past year she has covered school issues from start to finish, hosted a candidate forum and gotten engaged.

Surprise News Editor Matt Loeschman stood out as the veteran news editor. He came in on Sundays to do extra proofing, he covered sports championships for another news editor and he even fixed a dangerous road situation with one of his articles.

Speaking of veterans, Chris Williams and Debbie Myers have a combined 17 years of experience in graphic design for INI.

“I like INI because it is easy-going and flexible,” Debbie said. “I like the people I work with and I love what I do.”

Also going above and beyond the call of duty was Mickey Meyer who after enduring heart surgery returned to work with her usual zest for life. Mickey has sold advertising for special pages in the papers this year, including a church page and a veterans day page.

Duane Clark was promoted to ad services manager for the Northwest Valley Offices.

Norma Kilpatrick joined the circulation desk in the Sun City office, as well as filling in on the phones when Mickey was out.

Randa Bess came to the Independent from Colorado to provide data entry for the ad sales team.

"I really love the people who work in this office," Randa said.

Candace Hoffmann, who works out of the Sun City office, copy edits for the Arizona Division.

Also joining the ad team was Chris Purcell, who in his first few weeks signed up several new contracts.

Topping off the new faces in the Sun City office are Joanna Galuska and Alex Feierstein in the news services area.

Both have done an excellent job outreaching into the community. Alex lives in the East Valley and is trying to acclimate himself to the west.

"My goal this year is to get used to the West Valley," Alex said. "Because it's a strange place compared to the East."

As the Northwest Valley team enters the new year, they are diligently working on their weekly papers, as well as writing, selling ads and designing the upcoming Spring Training Guide.

Changes brings brand new energy to Independent’s Scottsdale office

The Scottsdale crew includes, from left, front row, Emily Soccorsy, Rusty Bradshaw, Michelle Heaukulani; from left, second row, Jennifer Amsler, Chris Mott, Todd Hoover, Sherri Conley, Stacey Lane, Michelle Tennis, Mark Lindsey and Dave Casadei. Diane Runion is not pictured.

By Dave Casadei

Independent Newspapers’ Scottsdale office has had its share of comings and goings in recent months, but the office has taken the changes in stride and continues to move forward to put out the most community-oriented publications possible.

The Scottsdale office said goodbye to seasoned advertising veterans Bill Siewert, Jackie Jacobsen and Dennis Paganelis in 2006, but welcomed in a new crew hungry for success.

Management

Independent’s Arizona News Services Managing Editor Emily Soccorsy has been with the company for more than six years and in her time has been a major part of the office’s content growth.

Emily is a “jack of all trades” in the Scottsdale office and provides leadership and assistance wherever and whenever needed.

Emily is four months into her second pregnancy and will be missed while on maternity leave, but through her teaching, will ensure the office runs smoothly.

Emily constantly helps the spirit and cheer of the office by suggesting fun ideas and events for everyone to participate in, including potlucks, picnics, movie trips, secret Santa’s and more.

Advertising

Mark Lindsey joined the Advertising team in November as the new Ad Manager and has smoothly transitioned himself and his new team to provide the best service possible for INI clients.

Mark came to INI after working more than two years at the Phoenix Business Journal. He has been in the industry for 14 years and has also had stints with the Arizona Republic. However, Mark made the switch to INI because he wanted to work for a more local, family-oriented newspaper that is committed to its communities.

Mark’s goal is to successfully increase revenue for all three of the Scottsdale office’s papers -- North Scottsdale, Northeast Phoenix and Paradise Valley.

Michelle Heaukulani came to the Scottsdale office to help service INI advertising customers in October after spending more than a year with the Sierra Vista Herald.

The Oregon native originally moved to Arizona seven years ago after her husband received a job transfer.

Now as the ad sales representative, Michelle continues to learn about the Northeast Valley community and also looks to increase all three Scottsdale office papers’ revenue by extending more advertising offers into the community as new developments appear.

“I see a lot of exciting opportunities for a young, enthusiastic team,” she said.

Sherri Conley started with INI’s Scottsdale advertising team in October as the new ad coordinator and has been valuable in taking over some of Jackie’s responsibilities, including advertising invoice entries and billing.

The Louisiana-born, Illinois-raised team member spent seven years with the Phoenix Business Journal and during that time became acquaintances with Mark.

Sherri joined INI after realizing she needed a change.

Chris Mott celebrated his one-year anniversary with the company in September and is eager to excel in 2007.

In addition to building and servicing ads, he routinely ensures INI advertising clients are satisfied with what they paid for.

Chris played a big role in creating visually stimulating ads in our most recent At Home in Paradise special section.

Chris hopes to continue successfully building ads for clients as he develops stronger relationships within the community.

Editorial

Paradise Valley News Editor Jennifer Amsler will wrap up her first year with the company in February and has done a great job at getting out in her community. She continues to seek the most community-oriented news topics as possible.

The University of Arizona graduate, who worked on her college’s paper and interned at the Tombstone Epithath, said she became interested in INI because she appreciated the niche market the company appeals to and the in-depth community focus the job requires.

In recent months, Jennifer has organized newsroom visits for three local Boy Scout troops and spoke to Saguaro High School students during Career Day.

Jennifer aims to continue being fair and accurate for readers and to cover important community issues.

North Scottsdale News Editor Rusty Bradshaw jumped ship from the Sun City office to the Scottsdale office in March and has been an office leader since arriving.

Rusty covered news for a rival North Valley publication prior to joining INI and has been pleased with his decision to join a company dedicated to specific communities.

Rusty stresses the importance of getting out into the communities during club, city council and other meetings and he believes news editors should remain patient when building contacts.

He said the contacts will pay off down the road.

Rusty also believes news editors should not be afraid to create and maintain a list of resident contacts.

Northeast Phoenix News Editor Dave Casadei celebrated his two-year anniversary in November and in his time has worked in Scottsdale and Sun City for their news services and editorial departments.

Dave regularly attends school district governing board and local village planning committee meetings and seeks to meet as many community names and faces as possible.

Dave participated in a National Reading Day event at one of his elementary schools where he read a book to a class of second-graders and plans on being a part of a community forum Council District 2 is hosting in 2007.

News Services

News Services Editor Michelle Tennis is one of the more versatile Scottsdale office employees and routinely takes care of any and all office problems that arise. Michelle, an Arizona State University graduate, wants to continue to grow with the company and is proud of the effort her team continually makes.

Michelle and her team took on a fourth paper -- Anthem -- a few months ago and have already increased content for most sections.

The team has also produced more news features and is always searching for new residents to inform them of INI’s mission.

She said her team’s goal is to boost sports news for all papers, with an emphasis on Anthem’s paper.

Stacey Lane is in the middle of her third year with the company and has been a crucial school news contact and gatherer.

Stacey always is looking for new schools and students to get involved with the paper. One of Stacey’s pet projects has been developing and improving a “Write to Report” opportunity, which allows students to submit their articles and get bylines in a reputable publication.

Although Stacey was most successful in the past recruiting high school submitters, she quickly points out more and more middle and elementary school students are getting involved and improving content.

Todd Hoover rounds out the News Services team and is always available wherever help is needed.

Todd, also an ASU graduate, joined the team in August and soon after was handling Friday deadlines.

Todd covered for Michelle twice while she was out of town and completed his tasks on time and without mistakes.

Todd has boosted the News Services team by getting out to numerous community events and is doing great at putting INI’s name out for all to see.

Todd looks to continue learning company policies and aspects and seeks to move up the corporate ladder.

Michael Fenimore

ANNIVERSARY PROFILE

Michael Fenimore

Name: Michael Fenimore

Newspaper: All of them! I originally started working in the pagination department and had the opportunity to work with literally every newspaper we publish.

Position: Presently on the INI TechTeam

Number of years in the newspaper or printing business: 5 years.

Job description: Well, my boss, Sheila Clendaniel, described my position as “company firefighter.” My duties on the tech team are many and varied. But for the most part, whenever there are local network or computer issues, I’m called.

What I like best (about my job): Virtually every aspect. I like the challenges that are presented on a day to day basis. Whether it is software, network or hardware related, each offers up a unique scenario allowing me to resolve and learn the problem(s).

Most memorable moment with INI: The President’s Day blizzard back in 2003. It started snowing on a Sunday morning around 7am, and Sheri Sussman and I were here until late Monday night cranking out as many papers as we could. I didn’t get home until almost 2am Tuesday morning having spent the ‘weekend’ in the office.

Hobbies/Interests: Hobbies include: graphic arts and 3D rendering, computer rebuilding and web related programming and administration. Interests: music, computers, nature.

Gilbert Independent “rip-roaring”at the annual Gilbert Days events

Independent Newspapers/Richard H. Dyer

The staff of the Gilbert Independent newspaper rode in a buckboard pulled by horses at the Nov. 18 Gilbert Days 2006 parade.Gilbert Days an annual INI project"Yeehaw!" and hat's off to the staff at the Chandler office of Independent Newspapers Inc.

by Richard H. Dyer

Gilbert Days 2006 is only a recent memory but the event was covered from the planning stages to the end of the annual event - from weeks of Tuesday night volunteer committee meetings to a kick-off breakfast, parade, rodeo and carnival.

It was the first rodeo attended by Gilbert Independent news editor Tommy Acosta and the most recent of many for Advertising Manager Ann Deal, but everyone had a rip-roaring time.

Ann and Richard Dyer, news services editor, attended volunteer meetings over the summer and into the fall, snapping photos for the newspaper and keeping track of what needed to be in the official program. The ad services team - including Joe Pegorelli, Mark Steinert and Dan Sepulveda - sold into the 40-page program, which was edited in part by news services member Emily Falkner.

It was printed in the Nov. 15, 2006, issue of the Gilbert Independent and was distributed at the rodeo and associated events.

John Wolfe, VP of news development, joined Tommy, Joe, Dan and others on a parade float while Ann donned INI's mascot "Paige" and waved to parade-goers.

Everyone pitched in to take photos and pics were printed in the Nov. 29, 2006, issue and posted at www.newszap.com.

Asia, Latin American traveler joins Chandler’s news services

Emily Murphy, pictured below, Chandler’s newest news services assistant, graduated from Arizona State University in 2003 with a degree in journalism. She and her husband Ryan have traveled extensively through Asia and Latin America. They also lived in Brisbane, Australia for eight months. Most recently, they visited Argentina, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Peru. While at ASU, Emily was editor of the State Press. Before arriving at INI, she worked as a travel writer for International Living magazine. Emily answered some questions about what she’s been up to and what she’s looking forward to.

Where you grew up: Milwaukee, Wisc.

What brought you to Arizona: I went to ASU.

Favorite place you’ve traveled to: Thailand. The culture is just completely different from here. The people are warm and welcoming. We went on an overnight rock climbing trip and camped on a bamboo raft.

Where you want to visit next: Alaska. There’s a lot of nature and culture in Alaska that’s American, but still foreign to me. It’s intriguing.

Favorite book: “Power of One” by Bryce Courtnay. It’s about a British boy who grows up in Africa during World War II- it’s historical fiction.

Writer you most admire: Jonathan Safran Foer. He’s young and innovative.

Why did you choose journalism: I felt like it was a way I could use writing to educate people on important issues.

Story you most want to investigate: Nationalization of natural resources in Latin America.

Another career you’ve considered: I’ve thought about teaching English as a second language and environmental engineering.

While at INI… I’m looking forward to improving my writing skills and getting better at self-management. I’m also excited about expanding my Photoshop skills.

Joanna joins Sun CityNews Services Team

The Sun City office, 10220 W. Bell Road, welcomes Joanna Galuszka (pictured below) to the News Services Team. Joanna recently moved to Arizona from the colder climates of South Dakota and will be adding her talents to the Peoria and Arrowhead papers.

Joanna is eager to get to know her communities better and has hit the ground running, attending local events, bulking up listings and networking with key community contacts.

She attended Adrian College in Michigan and said she has always loved writing.

When Joanna is not typing away at her keyboard she enjoys hiking, exercising and spending time with people.

She is also a huge cat fanatic.

Lisa Grassie

ANNIVERSARY PROFILE

Lisa Grassie

Name: Lisa Grassie

Newspaper: Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and East Mesa Independent Newspapers

Position: Ad Services Team Leader

Number of years in the newspaper or printing business: 8 years. I started off with another weekly newspaper in the classified department, where I sold ads and paginated the classified pages. After tripling their sales in 8 months I was thrown in the trenches to do outside sales. September 2001 is when I joined the outside sales team at INI.

Job description: As a Team Leader I do my best to carry through with INI’s mission to provide excellent customer satisfaction/ service by working closely with our clients’ on effective advertising campaigns that generate them weekly results. In addition I coordinate specials entry level advertising and supplements, all the while being a mentor for my Ad Services Team.

What I like best (about my job): There are several things that come quickly to mind. 1) Would be the feeling I get when I know I have help make a difference with my clients’ business, knowing that we have help them to become more successful. 2) The exhilaration you get when you make a sell or break old sales records, what a great feeling of accomplishment. And last but not least would be the camaraderie in my office. I really do get to working with the best team INI has ever seen!

Most memorable moment with INI: October 2004 when the Queen Creek Independent Newspapers first hit the readers door steps. It was wonderful to help contribute to the success of Queen Creek paper and here all the positive feed back from the readers and our advertisers.

Hobbies/Interests: As an Arizona Native I really love doing anything outdoors, however not the months from June-mid September, that would be crazy. I particularly like exploring the desert. I like spending the whole day to just to ride my quad. You really get to see lots of interesting places and things that you would never expect in the middle of the desert. My family and I also enjoy fishing, gold panning and camping. I love listening to music, I would have to say my favorite is country music and 70’s and 80’s stuff. When my husband and I are ready to get away from it all we just jump on our Harley and hit the highway.

Fun fact (about myself): I was born in a small farming town in Arizona where I attended elementary school on the Indian Reservation. People laugh when I tell them that I was 31 years old before I attended my first rock concert, what can I say I lived a sheltered life. If you were wondering what concert I attended it was Sammy Hagar at the Mesa Amphitheatre. I won’t tell you what year that was because I would be giving my age away.

Education pages flourish with fresh, local content

By Michelle Tennis
News Services Editor,
Scottsdale Office

While flipping through the pages in the North Scottsdale, Northeast Phoenix and Town of Paradise Valley, you may have seen a steady flow of interesting, fresh and local content on the education pages.

The pages reflect a nice mix of school notes, complete with pictures and features such as the “meet the administrator.”

But how does this come together? Who puts these awesome pages together?

The answer is Stacey Lane (Pictured on right).

Stacey has been a member of the Scottsdale Office’s News Services team for nearly three years. With a background in teaching, she was a natural for networking with parents, teachers and students.

“Stacey came on board full of enthusiasm and fresh, creative ideas,” said Emily Soccorsy, managing editor of News Services.

“What’s unique is that she executes her ideas. She is invaluable to our team,” Emily added.

But, how exactly does she continue to be successful?

“It’s all about making personal connections to people,” Stacey explained. “Once people feel comfortable with you, they regularly submit photos and school news.”

As stated in Independent’s Newsroom Guidelines, “Independent seeks to publicize the achievements and events in ‘every school, every week’ in its areas through a ‘school notes’ column. This regular feature could include categories for each school in the community, along with district-wide news.”

Stacey fulfills this mission by continuously seeking out photos from school events and from students who were recognized for achievements.

As a result, each week’s papers are filled with plenty of names and faces of local residents. In addition, Stacey is out in the community, branding INI’s name and making our presence known in the community.

Because of this, the office has seen a few Scout troops come through for tours.

Realizing there is always room for improvement; Stacey is always on the lookout for new features and ways to get schools involved.

About two years ago, Stacey came up with the Write to Report feature for students to submit stories and photos about what is happening in their schools and neighborhoods.

“I thought it would be exciting for students to be active participants and to see their bylines in the paper,” Stacey said.

“It provides students the opportunity to have an active voice in the community,” Stacey added.

Since its inception, the Write to Report feature has grown to be a popular section with a few submissions almost every week.

Stacey is also a team player. If she hears another team member say we are short on sports photos for the week, she is the first one out the door to take a photo at a game or practice.

In addition, if she discovers a parent resides in one of the coverage areas, she will send out a meet your neighbor feature, a profile that runs regularly in the paper.

Stay tuned to see what’s new with education.

Read all about it!

Pictured, Town of Paradise Valley Independent News Editor Jen Amsler shows Paradise Valley residents Tyler Jones, Justin Dewayne and Sam Lawson how to edit photos.

The Scottsdale office of Independent Newspapers has welcomed several tours by student organizations in the last couple of months, such as Boy Scout Troop 441, Den 9 and two Webelos troops.

The troop is now preparing for the “Write to Report” program for Independent Newspapers, which is an opportunity for students to write for their community paper.

These office tours contribute to our mission of serving the community, not just by our focus on purposeful journalism, but by encouraging the community to engage and interact in what we do on a daily basis.

E-mail builds source list

By Rusty Bradshaw
North Scottsdale Independent

In an effort to reach out to more residents in my coverage area, I began sending out a mass e-mail on a regular basis seeking input for stories thatI am writing.

The e-mails were sent to residents in my coverage area for whom I have been able to gain addresses.The return rate was slow to start and is not overwhelming, but continues to grow.

For a November story, I had a resident refer me to a former Superior Court judge with experience in juvenile crime to comment on a story I worked on regarding five juveniles charged in the same week in connection to two arson cases.

INI’s Members visit Delmarva, printing facility

Photo/Shauna McVey

Left to right, Members Tom Shaw, Mary Lou Fulton, Jerry Oliver, and Bill Bishop take a break outside the Delaware State News offices during weekend meetings and tour of the new press facility.

“Wow.”

That was the overriding expression among the individuals who serve as the Members of Independent Newspapers’ non-profit holding company as they toured the new Dover press facility and saw up close the intricacies of the new three-story KBA Colora press.

As Delaware Printing Co. General Manager Tom Bugbee explained, the new press offers tremendous options in printing, the use of color, product configurations and assembly. It is considered to be within the top 5 percent in terms of quality and efficiency of all the presses in the world.

The success of the press project, which was completed in September, can be directly attributed to a dedicated crew across all segments of the operation, Mr. Bugbee said. It involved a lot of long days and nights for many people, but the immediate results have been nothing short of remarkable.

The Members – outside “stewards” who are charged with making sure the organization is fulfilling its mission to publish purposeful newspapers and community websites as a public trust -- visited Dover Oct. 7-9 for their annual meeting and to get a glimpse of the company’s new office and printing facility on Galaxy Lane.

They heard reports about current operations and newspaper, online and printing strategies for the future and offered insights from their areas of expertise on ways to further Independent’s vision.

The Members elected Jerry Oliver to a five-year term. Mr. Oliver, a resident of Phoenix, currently serves as a policy advisor on regulatory affairs for Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano. A former police chief in several cities, including Richmond, Va. and Detroit, Mr. Oliver provides the “reality check” of a “regular citizen,” said INI chairman and CEO Joe Smyth.

Mr. Oliver joins four other Members: Bill Bishop, an award-winning writer and editor from Austin, Texas; Katherine Fulton, president of the Monitor Institute, an organization that studies ways private resources can be dedicated to address complex social problems; Mary Lou Fulton, vice president of audience development for The Bakersfield Californian; and Tom Shaw, president and CEO of Dixon, Ill.-based Shaw Newspapers.

Mr. Oliver replaces Michael Schudson, a professor of communication and adjunct professor of sociology at the University of California, San Diego, whose five-year term expired at the annual meeting.

Members serve five-year terms and can’t succeed themselves when their terms expire, so a new Member is elected each year.

Due to extenuating circumstances, Mr. Schudson and Katherine Fulton were unable to attend the annual meeting.

The Members are also charged with electing Independent’s board of directors. John S. Wolfe, INI’s director of news development, was elected as the fifth member of the board, joining Mr. Smyth, who serves as chairman; and Independent President Ed Dulin; Director of Corporate Development Tammy Brittingham; and Director of Ad Development Chris Engel.

Mr. Wolfe, a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, joined the Arizona operation of INI in 1996. He previously served on the board of Wolfe Publications in Rochester, N.Y. and is currently first vice president of the Arizona Newspapers Association.

Uncommon Courtesy

What used to be known as “common courtesy” unfortunately doesn’t seem so common anymore. I guess it’s just another symptom of today’s fast-paced “me-first” society. (“Common sense” seems to be uncommon these days, too, but that’s a topic for another day.)

Regardless, our little company intends to remain a “bastion” for courtesy --- inside the company, in our newspapers, at our websites and in our dealings with others. If we do so, we can have a powerful influence on the level of courtesy in the communities we serve.

It all begins with our people. When we hire people, we let them know that one of our core values is that “we expect each person to treat every other individual with courtesy”. (It’s emphasized in the Company Handbook and reinforced frequently in Press Lines, performance evaluations, etc.)

It’s a simple but heartfelt statement, and we give it “teeth” by enforcing it. Courtesy is a cornerstone of the self-management we ask all of our people to practice. We provide remedial coaching to employees who don’t treat others courteously. If they aren’t willing to change their behavior, we coach them right out of the company.

Courtesy is a cornerstone of our leadership style, as well. We encourage our leaders to avoid the macho “me say, you do” approach practiced by so many top-down companies. While our leaders make direction-changing decisions, they consult first (to the fullest practical extent) with everybody who has shown he or she has something to contribute. Why? Not just because it’s the courteous thing to do: it also makes for better decisions.

Courtesy is a foundation of our business values, too. We insist on the same level of courtesy in dealing with our readers, advertisers, printing customers, suppliers, independent contractors, consultants, competitors and prospective clients --- in short, in all of our relationships outside the company as well as inside.

Courtesy is also a key to our consultive sales style. We don’t “sell refrigerators to Eskimos”, and we don’t believe in deceptive “let the buyer beware” selling techniques. We’d rather lose a sale than take advantage of a client. The only sales we’re interested in are those that truly benefit the client. Our sales people are in the business of helping their clients, not ripping them off.

Courtesy is a cornerstone of our news coverage, too. It’s part of our public trust to cover news honestly, but we try to do it with compassion. In our “pledge to our readers”, we promise to treat people with courtesy, respect and compassion. We use courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. instead of just plain “Jones”). We correct our errors, and we don’t try to "bury" the corrections.

Courtesy is also a foundation of our opinion pages. It’s our readers’ opinions that matter to us, not our own. We go the “extra mile” to allow our communities to engage in vigorous discussions of the issues that are important to them. While people involved in public issues can be passionately criticized on our opinion pages, we grant everybody a “right to reply” in the paper.

We’re also trying --- as best we can, and in our own admittedly small way --- to promote courtesy on the “wild west” called the Internet. While we respect and vigorously defend the right of every citizen to speak out freely in newszap.com’s public issues forums, we’ve posted rules that ask participants to express themselves with civility and within the bounds of fair play. We proactively provide “remedial citizenship coaching” to offenders, to teach them that they can speak out strongly (and more effectively) about the public issues that concern them without resorting to personal attacks, name-calling, profanities or innuendo.

So, can one small company’s commitment to courtesy help change the world? You bet! Most changes occur one individual commitment at a time. Independent has lots of individuals who believe in and are committed to our stance, and they perform countless examples of “uncommon courtesy” in each of our communities, every day. We not only CAN make a difference; we ARE making a difference.

(Joe Smyth is the CEO of Independent Newspapers, Inc. He can be reached at JoeSmyth@newszap.com. This is an updated version of a column by Joe that first appeared in Press Lines in 2001.)

Milford Chronicle

Photo by Gwen Guerke

Logan Anderson, Laura Owens and Cat Porterfield are the primary Milford Chronicle staffers. Sports writer Todd McElwee rounds out the staff from the Dover newsroom.

By Cathianne Werner-Porterfield
News Editor
Milford Chronicle

It’s Friday afternoon at the Milford Chronicle and folks are filing through the front door with news releases and photos just like they have for the last 128 years. The differences, of course, are the faces that greet them, the door they walk into and well, that whole technology thing.

And all the other differences, the houses they live in, the churches they attend, the schools they send their children to, the city leaders they elect and the changing industries of this bustling riverside city have been pretty well documented in the pages of this paper, while nearly a dozen other newspapers have come and gone.

And if you want to talk Chronicle history in the newsroom, well Logan Anderson is certainly the office “history” guy.

He’s also the office utility player, the guy up-front, primary phone getter, classified ad-seller, news services, customer service and …let Logan explain.

“I do everything,” he said. “I do editorial inside copy that comes in the front door and over the fax, I take care of all the columnists, do the daily cash deposits, answer the phone and look pretty.”

Logan landed in the news businesses after being sidelined from a career in law enforcement by a knee injury. He loves it, he said, and it’s not all that unusual to find his byline or photo credit in the paper.

“The workday is diverse,” Logan said. “I’m kind of the face of The Chronicle. My largest responsibility is to bring people back to the paper by providing that good customer service. All they have to do is ask Logan and I can do it.”

These days, Logan has even been working with the Milford Museum to keep a mini museum of historical objects and photos in the office entryway. The display will rotate so guests will be greeted by new objects when they visit.

Admiring the display is a great chance to strike up a conversation with Logan and while talking, he might just share this: The Milford Chronicle was founded in 1878 by the Townsend family where it remained for most if its life.

Chesapeake Publishing bought the paper and maintained ownership until Independent Newspapers Inc. purchased it in 1996.

The charming Walnut Street storefront we call home in delightful and historic downtown Milford is the second or third location for the newspaper.

“I think this is the third office, but I can only confirm two,” Logan said.

He imagines the first building was demolished and knows exactly what happened to the second location. In fact, everyone in Milford knows.

“We had a fire in 1996,” he said.

The archives perished in the fire.

Another historic Milford fire was covered just outside our front door in 2003 when an entire block of downtown Milford caught fire – the cause, an unattended candle in an above-store apartment.

That block has been rebuilt and adds to a downtown that is growing more alive each day.

Milford is one of the fastest growing areas in the fastest growing county in Delaware – Sussex County.

Actually, it straddles two counties, Kent and Sussex.

Milford is the fourth largest city in Delaware and is called home by about 20,000 people who live in Milford and within a 5-mile radius of the city.

Shipbuilding was once the primary industry, but over the years that’s changed to chicken processing, chemical and rubber products, and construction. Farming continues to be one of the largest local industries.

The Milford Chronicle's distribution area includes free home delivery inside Milford city limits and also serves the neighboring communities of Ellendale, Greenwood, Lincoln, Milton and South Bowers and Slaughter beaches.

Laura Owens, a Sussex County native, is on top of all this growth and keeps busy by servicing the newspaper’s advertising clients as Milford’s ad service specialist.

Laura has been in advertising since she graduated from West Chester University in 1996 with a bachelor’s in communication studies.

“I always knew I’d be in marketing and I love working in advertising,” Laura said.

In addition to her regular duties, Laura also serves as the Chronicle’s representative at Downtown Milford Inc. meetings and stays on top of Chamber of Commerce activities. One exciting project in the works is a program that will have downtown businesses giving temporary residence to lady bug sculptures individually painted by local artisans.

And if that doesn’t seem instantly exciting, then you likely haven’t seen how much Milford loves its lady bugs. It is the official home of the First State’s favorite bug.

Laura said one of her favorite things about being in advertising plays into one of her favorite things to do.

“I get to know the businesses and it makes shopping a lot easier,” she said.

Laura lives in Milford with her husband Glenn and their 10-month-old son Wiley, “not like the coyote,” she chimed.

When she isn’t busy with her job, Laura likes to spend time with her little boy, swim, entertain friends, read crime novels and indulge in a little Latin American magical realism courtesy of author Isabel Allende.

But if Latin American magical realism is a must read for Laura, the lady getting ready to walk in the front door is a must-read for anyone in Downstate Delaware.

Gwen Guerke of “Tell Gwen” celebrity status is stopping by to check her in box and is greeted by a birthday cake instead of a meeting notice.

Gwen reminds us that the office we are in now was once a clothing store.

She grew up in and still calls Milford her home. She became editor of the paper in 1978 and left to work for the Delaware State News in 1989. She came back to edit the Chronicle in 1996 when Independent Newspapers purchased it.

Most recently she is filling in at the Sussex Post until a new editor is hired after which she will happily go back to her Delaware State News role as senior reporter working on features and large-project stories.

After indulging in a little cheesecake covered chocolate cake and talk about relaxation yoga, marathon running and healthy birthday cake alternatives, Gwen is off again.

And in walks Gary King, the Chronicle’s long-time sports columnist.

Gary adds a nice local, personal touch to our sports pages sharing snippets each week of all the Milford sports happenings whether its football, baseball, golf, horseshoe pitching, or racing.

He helps round out the paper’s sports team with relative newcomer Todd McElwee, a member of the regional sports team serving as the official Chronicle sports guy.

Todd, who works out of the Dover office is described by Delaware State News Chief Copy Editor Gene Bryson as “enthusiastic.”

“He really seems to enjoy getting out and meeting a lot of people in the sports community in Little League and at the high school,” Gene said. “He really seems to enjoy getting out and meeting them and covering their sports.”

This is Todd’s first full-time sports writing gig. He wrote part time for a paper in Pennsylvania.

Originally from Hagerstown, Md. Todd is a recent graduate of Salisbury University on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

And then there’s me, Cat Porterfield, the most recent addition to the Milford staff.

I’ve played a couple different roles in the Milford office off and on for the last few years popping up in Milford every now and then. Now, it’s my job to pop up in Milford whenever I can.

As the paper’s news editor, I cover the city, schools, crime, and growth issues – pretty much everything but sports. If it’s happening, happened or could happen I try and make sure the story reaches the pages of the Chronicle so our readers can make the best informed decisions about what to do next as well as what do on a Saturday afternoon.

Like Todd, I’m still pretty new to Milford and having a great time meeting community members in all walks of life from city leaders, to school teachers and from police officers to farmers and retirees.

It’s never a dull moment whether I’m writing about a daytime shooting that stunned a quiet neighborhood or alerting residents to a proposed major subdivision looking to crop up in a similar quiet neighborhood.

Its afternoon and delivery time for Milford’s other paper -- The Milford Beacon – a newcomer.

The staff looks over the Beacon’s offerings, takes a second to boast a little about stories, announcements and ads that we have and they don’t and it’s right back to work so we can do it all again next Friday afternoon.

And if history repeats itself these Friday afternoons will be endless, just ask our official historian.

“It’s the longest running newspaper in Milford,” Logan said. “There have been others, but they’re gone.”

Newszap.com

Director of News Development John Wolfe and Webmaster Linda Snyderredesigned the community webpages at newszap.com for greater local news and information gathering and interactivity.

Newszap.com has a new look!

The site’s community webpages numbering 98 cities and towns have been redesigned through the collaboration of the Director of News Development John Wolfe and Webmaster Linda Snyder.

The community portals are now more than ever a place where everyone can participate and have a voice, just as the First Amendment intended. The pages are formatted with the ambiance of a friendly local coffee shop – where postings on a bulletin board direct visitors to interesting activities and local resources. Each website has the local community’s name emblazoned over a local photo representative of the area. Local citizens are invited to post their own news and photos from their lives, and share an opinion, if they are so inclined.

Newszap.com is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and no visitor is constrained by deadlines, space limitations or someone else’s editing. Turnkey systems keep the site useful, updated, and always fresh.

Featured on the pages are sections headed:

• Community links. These are completely unique to each community website. Indexed are local websites of civic groups, schools, teams, places of worship and columnists & blogger.

• Business directory. Hometown businesses with a local presence are offered a free Local Business Website link.

• Post your news releases. A visitor can post or read press releases on any topic, fully unedited!

• Post your public event. There are two calendar links: a local community calendar and another for state/regional events. Local organizers can easily post announcements of upcoming events up to a year in advance!

• Post your photos. These exciting pages have been created for the local citizens who take photos at local events and are willing to share them with the community. Photos are often of high school sports contests, school activities, service club meetings, community festivals, and more.

• Post your opinions. There is a lively, around-the-clock forum of community residents talking to one another. Users create their own topics, and local issues are often debated vigorously.

• Newspaper links. Visitors can find local and regional headline news and sport stories updated on the local Independent newspaper’s publishing cycle. At any time, there are more than a dozen stories displayed for ease of scanning by headline and first paragraph that’s linked to the full article, many with photographs.

A site map provides one click access to the hundreds of pages throughout newszap.com. For instance, a classifieds link leads to hundreds of local ads fully searchable by subject and key words, able to be saved or emailed, and organized by categories and subcategories. An archives link allows visitors to research news dating back several years. An obituaries link leads to death notices from the local area. A grocery coupons link offers money saving coupons redeemable at local grocery stores.

There also are links for world and national news, health & medical advice, stocks & travel guides, movies & entertainment information, horoscopes & lottery results, and more.Newszap.com is an incredible wealth of local information that stays as fresh as a few seconds ago by combining community-based news-gathering with the Internet's unique storage, sort, search, and interactive capabilities.

It is a truly amazing community resource being bookmarked right now and referred to daily by local citizens throughout the neighborhoods and towns served by Independent’s newspapers.

Pictured at right is the Dover Community homepage. This is one of 98 town portals at the “new look” newszap.com. You can visit the page at www.newszap.com/Dover

'Meet the team' profiles well received by community

By Emily Soccorsy

News services team work hard to network within the communities we cover and to compile quality information that is then presented in a consistent and clear format.

Our goal is to engage and reflect the community with names and faces, useful and relevant information and to provide “refrigerator news.” We work quite a bit with our citizen journalists seeking out submissions.

One useful tool to get those pieces is our Meet the Team Q & A profile, which is sent to a team representative to fill out and return, with a photo.

Emily Falkner and Lindsey Yentes of the Southeast Valley news services team recently solicited a Meet the Team profile from a local team of cheerleaders.

The team filled out the Q & A and returned it with a photo.

Emily and Lindsey made sure it was well-edited and ran in the paper in a timely and attractive manner.

The team was so excited with their moment in the sun, they mounted their “refrigerator news” on a poster board, signed their names and wrote heartfelt "thank you" notes to the Independent team.

Independent Newspapers/Richard H. Dyer

News Services Team members Emily Falkner and Lindsey Yentes hold a poster board and handwritten notes of thanks presented to them by the Young Champions of America Elite Cheer team members who were featured in the Gilbert Independent under "Meet the Team: Elite Cheerleading." The news services team members work on the Chandler, Gilbert and Queen Creek Independent newspapers and recently assisted with the production of a Queen Creek Community Guide.

Todd Hoover joinsthe News Services team

by Emily Soccorsy

The Scottsdale office recently welcomed Todd Hoover to its News Services Team. Todd joins the team with a background in journalism and a degree from Arizona State University.

Todd Hoover

During his first month, he attended several community events, wrote stories and took photos.

He wrote his first story about Anthem’s Sheriff Posse and their search for new members. This was part of Todd's introduction to Independent’s mission of “attempting to publish purposeful newspapers that encourage and support meaningful community involvement, and that provide citizens with the knowledge and participation they need to make rational decisions about public issues.”

Todd continues to do a fantastic job and the News Services Team is very grateful to have him.

Luncheon recognizes Delmarva award winners

by Heather Cregar

The Delmarva Advertising team recently celebrated their success in the 2005 Maryland Delaware DC Press Association Advertising Contest with a lunch at Grotto Pizza in Seaford, Delaware.

Danielle Musser, INI Billing & Collections Manager, was also recognized at the lunch for her contribution to this team’s success in her former position as the Advertising Services Director.

The winners were:

• Nancy Niblett, Jenny Keim, Sandi Stokes, Jeff Carney and Angi Hicks won 1^st Place and “Best in Show” for their contributions to the 2005 Sussex County Profile magazine.

Jeff Carney, Angi Hicks, Jenny Keim, Sandi Stokes,and Nancy Niblett

• Linda Mister, Marty Gillard and Dianne Baur were awarded 1^st Place for work on the Crisfield Times Crab Derby Program Book.

Linda Mister, Marty Gillard and Dianne Baur

• Nancy Broeg, Jaclyn Fuller, Jeff Carney, Angi Hicks and Cyndy Paquette took home 1^st Place for putting together the Delaware State News’ weekly Dining Out Guide.

Nancy Broeg and Jaclyn Fuller

Cyndy Paquette, Angi Hicks, and Jeff Carney

• Jeff Carney picked up 2^nd Place for the creation of Ronny’s Garden World Ad.

Jeff Carney

News editor enjoys covering hometown

By Charlene Patti Bisson

The Anthem/Deer Valley Independent has a new news editor who is having a blast covering an area he grew up in.

New River resident and Arizona native Joey Airdo began his INI career in August after graduating summa cum lade from Arizona State University's honor college. He earned a journalism degree with an emphasis on media analysis and criticism.

Joey Airdo enjoys getting out into his community and recently attended a Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Fire Department pep rally at Las Brisas Elementary School in Deer Valley. Mr. Airdo puts on a plastic firefighter hat after returning from the photo assignment.

During his college career, he has worked for several newspapers, including Canyon Country News and Panorama Hills Monthly.

Mr. Airdo said he believes in the importance of hard work and taking his skills, ethics and fervor to become a strong journalist.

So far, his efforts are paying off. Mr. Airdo's community journalism story choices have created a buzz on the opinions page with Speak Out and letters about the articles he prints.

Mr. Airdo also enjoys attending community events such as school pep assemblies and tributes.

His hobbies include raising guinea fowl and aspiring to be a big-time movie critic.

"I see nearly every single movie that comes out. I used to write movie reviews for several community newspapers," Mr. Airdo said. "My ultimate goal in life is to write movie reviews for a major metropolitan newspaper."

Joe Pegorelli joins the Ad Services team

Joe Pegorelli

Joe Pegorelli has recently joined the Chandler Independent Ad Services Team where he will help the team carry out our mission of excellent customer satisfaction, provide effective advertising campaigns and coordinate special sections and supplements.

Joe is originally from Cerritos California. He moved to East Mesa in 2005. When Joe is not working you can find him spending time doing the things he is passionate about: photography, music and all kind of extreme sports.