We say that we want to be your Voice for the Valley. You might ask, “What, exactly, does that mean?”

First, we want to offer a voice for those who might not otherwise be heard. Government officials and big corporations can often find ways to get their messages out to the public, but how often can “the public” get its messages out?

You can write a letter to the editor to be published at NewRiverVoice.com. We so cleverly call this Voicemail. Get it? Voice mail? Anyway, that e-mail address is voicemail@newrivervoice.com. Please include a name, city, and contact information so we can verify the letter is really from you.

You can also offer comments in the box marked “Leave a comment” at the end of each story on this website. We ask, though, that you play nice and not make personal attacks or use crude language. We leave the crude language to our columnists.

You can also make comments on our Facebook page. Again, play nice! But it’s a great way to get your message out to fellow Voice readers all across the NRV.

And now I want to talk to you about another way to let your voice be heard. The New River Voice is looking for volunteer community bloggers to keep the entire NRV apprised of what is happening in their communities.

We realize that the bigger communities get the bulk of our coverage. It’s just a matter of numbers, unfortunately. But with community bloggers, we hope to keep our finger on the pulse of every community in the NRV. We want a blogger in Dublin and Draper, Eggleton and Elliston, Pilot and Pembroke, Snowville and Shawsville, Riner and Rich Creek, you get the point, right?

You don’t have to write something every day. You don’t have to write long, journalistic pieces. Occasional photos would be good. We just want to know what’s happening in your community.

Maybe there is an event at the local school or community center that we should all know about. Maybe there was some storm damage in your community or a house fire and you can provide some photos. Maybe a new business has come into the community, and you can tell us about it. Maybe at Halloween you can let us know the best places to go trick-or-treating or where the best decorations might be at Christmas. Where’s the best fishing spot or swimming hole?

The possibilities are many and varied. Blog entries can range from serious to fun, long to short, formal to informal. We want to give your community a voice. We want to let folks know what is happening in Alleghany Springs, Ironto, Newbern, and Willis; Allisonia, Parrot, Prices Fork, and Ripplemead. But we have to have your help.

This is all part of our revamping of the Voice and our move to nonprofit journalism. We are your community news organization!

If you want to be a proud blogger for your community, let us know. Send an e-mail to editorial@newrivervoice.com with the subject line “blogger.” We’ll be back in touch with you with more information and blogging guidelines.

We look forward to having you as part of the New River Voice team.

Tim W. Jackson is the editor of the New River Voice and a firm believer that an informed citizenry is important to a free and democratic society.