The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Maybe you have noticed. After the first of the year, I had a good look at the direction the Mountaineer was taking and realized I needed to do more. It still felt like we were struggling to stay connected, to feel a part of a rural community. It felt like we still separated due to COVID-19 and political rhetoric. I wondered what the Mountaineer’s role was to make sure we were a tool to help heal the division. I decided to create Project Connect. The idea was to make sure I do everything possible to help the small business, including an article that would support them if they wanted, even if they didn’t buy an ad from me. It would also include a way for them to support local causes. You may see in some of the ads the cause they have chosen to support. I hope that this will help create a community that will be more connected.

I’ve just started this, and it’s taken longer to complete than I thought it would. Please at least tell the business thank you for their support. Acknowledging the advertisers will let them know you appreciate their support for our community.

I’d also like to create a local business database, including home-based businesses. Please email me, zoeclowes@yahoo.com, the information about your business, including the business’s name, what you have for sale, and contact information. After I gather the data, I’d like to run an informational page in the paper every once in a while and sponsors a Facebook page for local businesses to give everyone and chance to let everyone know what’s happening in your business. Yes, I need your advertisement, but it’s essential to me that I support you first.

Another thing I feel the Mountaineer needs is maybe a little controversy. It is not the kind that goes after individuals, but perhaps those subjects that would make for a good debate. An op-ed is “short for ‘opposite the editorial page’ or as a backronym the ‘opinions and editorials page,’ is a written prose piece typically published by a newspaper or magazine which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication’s editorial board.” I don’t have an editorial board, nor will I. Neither will I deliberately take one side of the issue over another because it is too dangerous to upset people here in Big Sandy; however, I believe we need healthy, kind to each other, discussing issues. Is that possible? To quote Jim Reddig, “I wonder?”