Editorial Policy and Submission Guidelines

The purpose of Local Voices is to improve the quality of life in the Mid-Maine community by providing a vehicle for citizen expression. Local Voices provides a forum for reviewing challenges to the quality of civic life as they arise or are anticipated and to present possible answers. It encourages the community to explore solutions that are consistent with local values, conducive to collaborative efforts, helpful in establishing common ground, and reflective of the best forward-looking interests of the people of Central Maine.

Local Voices strives to publish fairly a full range of public opinion on issues of local concern. All voices are welcome here . . . from people of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances. Unless otherwise indicated, the opinions and points of view expressed in this publication are those of the individual writers, who are identified by name.

As with in newspaper, the most significant stories are published on the front page. Beyond the cover, however, each article is assigned to the REM Priority that it best represents. These eight priorities established by some 250 Waterville area residents at REM's three-day Community Catalyst Forum in January 1996. Not all priorities are represented in each issue. The priorities are:

We invite you to write about what you are doing to make the world a better place in which to live. While we will certainly listen to your complaints and concerns, we are much more interested in your solutions and your willingness to jump in and make things happen.

Please keep your article to 600 words and please submit it by e-mail, if possible. Our address is rem@rem1.org. Please paste your article into the body of the e-mail message, rather than sending it as an attachment. If you have photos or graphics to accompany your piece, please ask before sending them. If you do not have ready access to a computer, you may type your submission and mail it to REM, 93 Main St., Waterville, ME, 04901.

Along with your submission, you must include your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address (if you have one.) Please include a short description of yourself and your relationship to the issue about which you are writing. Please also suggest a title for the piece and indicate the priority under which you feel it should be included.

Our goal is to have you say what you mean. We will do that by asking questions and editing as little as possible. If we do edit your piece, we will send it back to you for your approval prior to publication. A reply should indicate that our changes are acceptable to you. We expect Local Voices to have a diverse style, reflective of our wonderfully diverse community.

If you have any questions, please call the REM office during normal business hours at (207) 873-4444 or write to rem@rem1.org.

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