Once a year we ask you for financial support.

For nearly sixteen years, The Times has been free to read, eleven printed issues a year. Since our beginning we've produced an electronic version, and in July introduced an interactive online edition. You can find us once a month in your mailbox or at www.sandisfieldtimes.org.

Our archives are online, from April 2010, providing a significant published history of our town, month by month, along with an index of articles. You can, for instance, revisit online our Sestercentennial Celebration in the August 2012 issue and see Dave Lewis' fireworks again, although in black and white.

While The Times is free to read and we're glad we can distribute it to all resident addresses in Town, the fact is it's not free to produce. We pay for design, printing, postage, online space, and a few other things. Our volunteers write and edit each issue because they like to do it, they like rounding up local news for you, they like promoting our loyal advertisers.

We receive donations through the year, for which we are grateful, but most of our funds arrive during our annual financial drive. Donations cover at least two-thirds of our production costs, with the balance coming from advertising. A small amount arrives from paid subscriptions, but providing that service costs about as much as we receive from it.

To put it plainly, your tax-deductible donations are essential to this newspaper's service, quality, and its ultimate survival.

The changing of the guard at Sandisfield's fire and police departments this year was neither smooth nor straight forward. In its more than 260-years as a municipality, Sandisfield has never experienced an upheaval like it. For two years your monthly newspaper has endeavored to bring fair and balanced reporting about these changes. We've tried to neither judge nor add to the confusion and we tried to stay true to our mission of serving the community responsibly.

Unfortunately, it appears that another period of discombobulation is ahead as town leaders, voters, and departments strive to amicably resolve difficult issues in the best interest of the Town.

Now we need another round of financial support from readers. Where else can you find a product or service which is free that benefits community life to this extent? And not just for news; The Times designs and publishes advertisements for local non-profits at no charge.

Thank you for your loyalty and we hope you have the best possible holiday season.

Bill Price
Editor