Write now, candidates

Opinion

March 5, 2010

W. Terry Smith The Daily Southerner Fri Mar 05, 2010, 11:04 AM EST

Candidates, begin writing.

Since this worked well last year, let's try it again.

We are inviting the candidates in the May 4 Primary Election to take advantage of their newspaper.

The most important thing you can do is tell voters what you stand for, what you believe in, what you will do if you are elected and what sets you apart from your opponent(s).

(Like it or not, you are running against someone.)

There are many ways to get your message out: advertisements in this paper, yard signs, brochures and old-fashioned shoe leather as you walk the streets in your neighborhood, knocking on doors, shaking hands and listening to concerns.

We can help. Now that you have filed, write a column telling readers (the voters) why you are running for office, what you see as key issues, your positions of those issues and what you will do if elected.

Keep it between a page and a page and a half.

You can mail it or e-mail it to me (e-mail preferred to: tsmith@dailysoutherner.com), and I will use it on this page in the coming weeks.

Mail or attach a digital photo (a jpg, please) of yourself, and I will use that, too. If you do not have a photo, give us a call, and we will take one here in the newspaper office. No charge.

Do not wait. It is best to get your name, face and thoughts out there early. We plan to call for another round of columns in the fall when the races heat up for the General Election on Nov. 2.

We are planning coverage of the races, including candidate profiles, on our news pages.

Your supporters are welcome to send endorsement letters, also. Make sure they follow the rules, 250 words or less, written by the person that signs them and not an organized campaign using prewritten copy, please. See the letters policy on this page.

We will try to treat each candidate fairly. I am most interested in publishing accurate stories and treating each person fairly.

Go ahead and write now because the deadline is April 9. We will not accept any more essays after Friday, April 9. No exceptions. None.

Good luck.

Cleaning out a reporter’s notebook ...

When Dr. Peter Temple had to call off the annual Coon Cook on Feb. 13 due to the snow and ice, it was the first cancelation in 21 years.

Circle Thursday night, April 15. That’s the night of the Friends of the Library’s 10th annual Spelling Bee and second annual Chili Cookout. Form your team now. The entry fee is $100 per four-person team. Call Ann Adams at the library for more information.

WRAL-TV’s Scott “Tar Heel Traveler” Mason tells Ken Lautzenhauser he is planning “a fitting tribute to the Veterans Museum and the effort of local veterans.” Look for that report closer to Memorial Day.

Ken and Loretta, by the way, are back from Egypt.

Finally, I thought by now someone would have demanded the Town of Tarboro, Edgecombe County and county Public Schools remove elective abortions from their insurance coverages paid with taxpayers’ money.

Elective abortions are covered – as is Viagra.

W. Terry Smith is editor of The Daily Southerner.

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