Community letters are your chance to connect and engage

Starting Sunday, we are renaming our Letters to the Editor section as Community Letters.

It's a small shift, but we feel one that is in better alignment with our 2016 editorial focus on how to make our communities the best possible places to live (see p. 1C).

Our guidelines will remain the same: We will continue to seek letters that contain original thoughts and ideas, letters that contain facts that can be confirmed. As always, we will not publish letters that are libelous or contain profanity.

In addition, this year we will especially be looking for letters that build an ongoing dialogue on how to make our communities strong and help them flourish. We are seeking letters that are addressed to the community. Letters that call for action and letters of persuasion. Let's make these conversations all inclusive.

Our goal is to foster a community conversation. We want our readers and residents to talk to each other. We want to help you be proactive, engaged, enlightened and connected with your neighbors, your friends and your community.

Please use this opportunity to share what makes your community a great place, and your ideas about how to make it even greater. Share your concerns about the obstacles you see and your ideas for their resolution. Call on each other to get involved. Use this opportunity for civil, meaningful dialogue.

As always, we welcome and encourage our readers to respond to letters they see published in The Gazette. Let's continue the open and honest conversation on these pages, which are reserved for the voice of the people.

Remember, our guidelines specify no more than 250 words. So, keep your letters concise and to the point. Letters space is limited, so it is my goal to select letters that are well written, thoughtful, proactive and engaging. Letters will continue to be edited for length, redundancy, clarity, civility and accuracy. If a letter requires a lengthy edit, I will do my best to engage with the writer before the letter is published. Keep in mind that even though we can't publish every letter we receive, every letter will be acknowledged. We are grateful for your time, your thoughts and your ideas, and we thank you. After all, this section of the newspaper does not exist without you.

Let us work together to make this place - our place, your place, my place - great.

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to connect with me.

' Comments: (319) 398-8472; editorial@thegazette.com