It’s time for a shout-out to all the good people in Belmont.
Two years ago, a number of you committed to supporting the idea of a new newspaper in town. A group of us worked to make that a reality. And finally, on Jan. 26, 2024, we delivered the first issue of the Belmont Voice.
When the dust cleared, we took a deep breath and thought, “Wait a minute … we need to do this again next week??”
Somehow, we managed through week two, and the paper you hold in your hands today is our 100th edition.
All the while, you, our readers, have supported us.
In our startup phase, you opened your wallets to the tune of $500,000 in seed money. And, on an ongoing basis, you are donating over $300,000 annually to sustain us. This money, along with advertising dollars, allows us to staff a newsroom with three full-time journalists, a summer intern, and student reporters and freelancers.
Last year, over 49 weekly issues, we published more than 500 original stories, attracted 12,500 average monthly visitors to belmontvoice.org, and hosted our first speaker event in front of 180 attendees.
We covered local elections, town zoning issues and ongoing contract negotiations at Belmont schools. We complemented this coverage with expanded sports, real estate transaction data, and engaging profiles of folks across town.
When we started this paper, we took faith in these words from Steven Waldman, co-founder of Report for America: “Obituaries, high school sports, school board meetings, the new economic development plan, the amateur theater production, a couple’s 50th wedding anniversary — these types of stories teach neighbors about each other, provide basic information on community problems and create a shared sense of interest.”
We hope that this shared sense of interest will serve to strengthen the connection we have with each other and our town. Community members often give us encouraging feedback. As one reader recently said, “We feel more informed and connected to our town than we have in over 30 years.”
Now that we have made it to 100 weekly issues, it doesn’t mean we are taking anything for granted. We are committed to earning your support each and every week, on the way to our 200th issue and beyond.
The Belmont Voice Board of Directors: Chair Sarah Caputo, President Bob Rifkin, Lucia Arno-Bernsen, Patty Hurley, Will Jason, Maria Olagunju, Chad Onufrechuk, Kevin Sullivan, Mariya Treisman, Pierre Valette.
Thank you, Belmont!