Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 4 · column 2 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
watchful eye help9 keep government honest. We try to provide that eye. Again, our aim is never to humiliate or embarass. If that was our goal, we’d have a field day with the little side remarks and wisecracks that relaxed government officials toss around a meeting table from time to time. We’d print the slips made every now and then when a school board member or water and sewer authority representative brings up a subject properly discussed in executive session.
In feature material, we try to pick topics and people that will interest all the residents of the county and then we try to develop stories from all over Rappahannock — not just Washington or Sperryville but Castleton, Slate Mills, Chester Gap and Woodville as well.
In public service and community announcements, we attempt to give publicity to all organizations, groups and events. If a fire department is holding a fund raiser, we try to spread the word. If the Cancer Society falls short of its fair share goal in the annual crusade, we try to persuade people to give just a little bit more. If a church is having a special Christmas program, we try to tell our readers where, what and when.
It’s true that our front page isn’t always filled with good news. While we do have stories about choral groups, secrets of gardening and canning, funds for Rappahannock’s first county park, resumption of a much needed dental program and the newest member of the county's police force, we also carry front page i stories about wrecks, robberies, probation revocation, welfare fraud, murder and illegal or improper actions by local government.
Maybe our critics are right. Maybe this county would be a better place if we only printed good news in the paper. But we have one question for our good news pushers. How can we ever work to change the bad that exists in Rappahannock County if we don’t know it’s there?
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