VILLAGE JOURNAL Editorial
VJ EditorialI’d like to start off with a special welcome to The New Hinterlanders Haven. The old Greenfrog Café / Rosebank Shop has reopened with the new owners Inge and Greg at the helm. I’ve just come back from an enjoyable Sunday afternoon sitting on the verandah listing to some jazzy sounds while sipping from a cool glass. They have great big plans for the shop – already having completely outfitted the place. The Haven has a really nice energy so go and while away some time at this wonderful Rosebank location. This month we’ve seen some dramatic storms whip through our area. I hope that everyone survived intact. There is definately change in the air and in regards to the VJ, that means a change of Editorship. Thank you Llyr, you’ve done a terrific job and we’ll miss you very much. I’ve just counted and you’ve lead the way for 22 VJ issues. A big job which you fit into your busy life with ease. The VJ doesn’t have magical elves, but somehow, at nights and on the weekends, Llyr always managed to get it done and dusted. She has a fantastic community spirit, and I know that she took great pleasure in receiving all your submissions and creating each VJ issue. It’s exciting to me to be Acting Editor for this issue 270. It’s something to think of though, The Village Journal has been going for over 24 years. It goes to show how solid and concrete the VJ name is in the community. I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that apart from this column, The VJ is what YOU make it. We try to fit in every article that we get, giving preference to local news. If its newsworthy, if it’s from you, if we have room, we’ll print it! I hope that after the last VJ you’ve all run off and done your homework of spreading the good word about the VJ. It’s a fantastic community communications tool and it’s not too hard to keep going. As a notforprofit, all we need is to break even, which we usually do… The truth is that we’ve got quite a few unpaid invoices from old advertisers out there. These economic times make it hard for our local small businesses to keep going. It breaks my heart each time I hear an advertiser have to pull out of advertising because they have gotten a ‘normal job’ and given up on trying to make their business work. About the Editors position. I don’t know if you know, I layout the Village Journal every month, I sort the VJ accounts and also put the VJ up on the web. Julian designs the ads, Sarah is our advertising/distributing agent for Lismore / Bangalow and Naya is our distributing agent for Mullumbimby. A great team. We’re very sad about Llyr’s resignation and wouldn’t have accepted it except that we weren’t given any other choice. So now, we’re looking for a new Editor. Someone computer savvy, someone who can spell, someone who doesn’t take life too seriously! If you think you’re that person, please see the positions vacant notice in this edition and send your expression of interest to the VJ team on editor@villagejournal.org.au Last – but definitely not least, Please sign up to our new email list. Visit www.villagejournal.org.au and register for the new VJ mailing list (top right corner). Sometimes we get in last minute events / fundraisers / thingadybobits that would be of interest to locals if only you could be told. Also, as we have your attention, we’ve also added some optional survey questions. Of course, you can unsubscribe to this email list at any time. So, enjoy November. It’s a lovely Spring month full of gardening time and dinners on the deck. VJ - THE INSIDE SCOOPVJ SOLD TO MURDOCH GROUP! Only joking! The Village journal is a voice for the community whom we serve. A not-for-profit enterprise, we are not about making money, but performing an important role. The role of a community communications tool. Informing people about what’s going on locally. About 5 years ago, Julian & I answered the Editors plea to create a website for The Village Journal. We’d moved to this area and created a home business (Websmiths). When we saw that The Village Journal needed a website, we saw it would be a brilliant opportunity to get to know and to become known in the local community. Julian ended up making a fantastic website (http://www.villagejournal.org.au) and I upload all the html files each month. Chris resigned from Layout and Accounts so I took on the layout, and dragged Alicia into doing the accounts. Alicia resigned from the accounts after almost year and so I ended up taking over the Accounts for her. Garth & Lydia resigned from being Editor about 2 years ago and the wonderful Llyr took on the role. Now, with Llyr’s resignation, which I was very reluctant to accept, I am now Acting Editor for this issue. So now, I do Website, Layout, Accounts and Acting Editorship. So, that brings you up to today… I swear I never intended it to be this way. It’s funny, as my name is Vanessa Joan and I do the VJ! Also, my husband’s name is Julian. Another VJism. Nethertheless, this is not the way the VJ should be run. It’s a community rag, and will achieve it’s best with community energy, not one person doing the majority of it. The thing is that I love the VJ. I believe in the valuable job that it does in our community. I think it could be so much better, even more wonderful than it is today. The VJ needs new excitement and new blood in order to live to its full potential. So I’m putting out the call, manifesting a new team. I’m not sure what my future is within the VJ. I love it. I’m not giving notice, but if there are some people out there that would like to do any of the roles, I’d love to hear from you. We definately need a new Editor, all other roles I’ll be interested in hearing from other people who want to become involved. Please see these job descriptions. Maybe one of them fits you? If so, then please do write in and let us know your interest and qualifications. All positions attract a small remuneration, but it’s not really about the money, is it? Fresh Blood RequiredAre you community minded? Passionate about our local area and slightly educated? The VJ needs you! I’m putting out a call for more energy and blood into the VJ team. Below is an overview of all the VJ production roles. We chiefly need an new Editor, all the other roles are filled, but any expressions of interest for assistance in the VJ production will be appreciated.
VJ Editor Computer Savvy. Slightly mad. VJ Layout / Design Design, typeset and produce the VJ ready for printing. VJ Accounts Manage the financial affairs of the VJ. VJ Webmaster To create all html files and upload them onto the VJ website. VJ Advertising Agent Base rate plus commission of new ads VJ Lismore/Bangalow Distribution To pick up VJ’s from printer and distribute around Lismore & Bangalow. If you are interested in any of these posibtions ple`ase email an expression of interest to editor@villagejournal.org.au Other articles in this series:
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