If the paper vanished, Warrenville residents would have to look elsewhere for information regarding the important issues affecting the community.
No longer would you have at your fingertips the myriad events that take place at our schools, churches and social organizations. Human interest stories, links with others, photos of activities, friends and strangers—all would escape your attention. The cohesion of the community would dwindle drastically.
Up to this point, we have produced and delivered the Village Chronicles free of charge every week to every residence and business in the community. Volunteers who receive no compensation have provided the content and production of the paper, save for two individuals who receive a very modest salary for the weekly layout and distribution.
Yet despite the frugal production protocol, the paper does not yet earn net income to reinvest in its continued operation. Those of us who started the paper have made substantial advances to maintain its viability, and although, with the ever-growing impact of the website, the future is promising, we find ourselves in need of additional revenue to make it through the short term.
Therefore, we are reaching out to the community for your support. Not only do we need your donations, we also welcome suggestions and ideas on how you would like to see the paper move forward. We ask that you seriously consider a financial contribution to get us through this difficult period.
We also urge you to register on the website, www.Villagechronicles.net, if you have not done so already. That way we know you are involved in the community and our newspaper.
Let’s talk about the website for a moment. We are very much aware of the print newspaper meltdown that has swept across the globe. We also recognize that Warrenville has seen the demise of several predecessor publications.
There are a number of reasons for this phenomenon, not the least of which is the failure of the journalism industry to quickly pick up on modern technology. Another primary reason is the lack of interest in print media by the “under-30” generations.
We do not intend the Village Chronicles to fall victim to these concerns, and it is the website that will ultimately drive our content across all generations and even outside the boundaries of our community to the extent that we have things in common with the rest of the world. Our volunteers believe this and you should as well.
Once the website is enhanced and embraced, it will be a very powerful tool, allowing the paper to disseminate information at a very low production cost, yet derive significantly more advertising revenue through the use of multimedia that appeals to a much broader market than print alone.
For these and other reasons, we have started a Forum on the site, which addresses our concerns. Feel free to post your ideas and suggestions there. You will begin to see how valuable this tool can be and the power that it provides for us to come together as a community.
If you need assistance on connecting to and registering on the Village Chronicles website, contact Tom Sherlock at (630) 730-2740. You can even schedule a time with him to come to your home and assist you in connecting to the website and accessing the information concerning this topic.
Our next issue will be published on Jan. 8. Subsequently, we will be publishing a bi-weekly paper until we develop a solid foundation, based on the funds we receive, the input from the community, and the further development of the website.
Until then, please take full advantage of the website. Ongoing news, events and other information will continued to appear on the site until our next issue comes out, so you can still keep track of what is happening around town.
Meanwhile, should you wish to contribute, you can do so by check payable to the Village Chronicles and mailed to P.O. Box 632, Warrenville, IL 60555-0632, or you can easily and conveniently contribute by credit card. Simply call Tom Sherlock, (630) 730-2740.
The Village Chronicles is still in its infancy. The paper has been the recipient of a lot of extraordinary talent, and its goals and objectives are still in the early stages of development.
With the New Year comes the advent of a number of issues that are extremely important to our residents. Two elections await us this year. Issues abound regarding the forest preserve, the financial viability of existing governmental entities and many others, which, while they affect our society as a whole, also have a major impact close to home.
The paper will always pay homage to the community, but as technology continues to advance, our little world gets bigger every day. Please help us continue to be an integral part of our community and all that the future holds in store for us.
