As your local, weekly newspaper, the Connection’s mission is to deliver the local news you need, to try to make sense of what is happening in your community, to gather information about the best things in and near your community, to advocate for community good, to provide a forum for dialogue on local concerns, and to celebrate and record achievements, milestones and events in the community and people’s lives.

Here in our Newcomers and Community Guide, we’ve included an expanded and updated version of our award-winning Insider’s Guide to the Parks, plus details of how to vote in the upcoming elections, information on local government, nonprofits and business organizations, plus tips and tidbits from the community.

We invite newcomers and long-time residents alike to let us know how we're doing and let us know what is going on in your part of the community. If you have questions or ideas, send us an e-mail or call us, contact us on Facebook or send us a tweet. We invite you to send letters to the editor or to send an email with feedback about our coverage.

We want to know if someone in your family or your community published a book, started a business, became an Eagle Scout, raised money for a good cause, accomplished some feat like running a marathon, supporting a cause or having art included in an art show. We publish photos and notes about personal milestones and community events, including births, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, awards and obituaries. We are also interested in events at your church, mosque, synagogue, community center, pool, school, club, etc. Email us a note about the event, being sure to include when and where the photo was taken and the names of all the people who are in a photo. We also publish notes about news and events from local businesses. Notes about openings, new employees and anniversaries are welcome. It is especially important to us to let people know about events ahead of time in our calendar of events. We appreciate getting notice at least two weeks ahead of the event, and we encourage photos.

Your community Connection newspaper is one of 15 papers published by the independent, locally owned Local Media Connection LLC, serving the suburbs of Metropolitan Washington in Northern Virginia and Potomac, Md.

Our flagship paper, the Alexandria Gazette Packet, is one of the oldest continuously publishing papers in the country, beginning publication in 1784.

The Connection Newspapers have won hundreds of press awards in just the past few years, including the Virginia Press Association Award for Journalistic Integrity and Community Service, Best in Show for our Insiders Guide to the Parks, first place for our community guides, plus awards in news, art, business, special projects, sports, entertainment, design, photography and much more.

We have staff and contributors here at the Connection with remarkable talent and experience, far greater than one might expect. We continue to publish 15 distinct papers every week that serve their communities in distinct ways. We welcome contributing writers, with the caveat that our freelance pay is nominal; if you are interested in covering news or events in your community, email editors@connectionnewspapers.com. We offer summer and year-round educational internships with information at www.connectionnewspapers.com/internships.

In addition to our weekly coverage, we have monthly special focus pages on Wellbeing; Education, Learning, Fun, and HomeLifeStyle, plus other seasonal specials including Real Estate, Senior Living, Fall Fun, Food and Entertainment (also Winter, Spring and Summer), a twice a year Pet Connection, and others. If you have story ideas for these, email editors@connectionnewspapers.com; if are interested in marketing, email sales@connectionnewspapers.com.