As your local, weekly newspaper, the Connection’s mission is to bring the local news you need, 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 milestones and events in the community and people’s lives.

Here in our Newcomers and Community Guide, we’ve included an expanded and updated insider’s look at 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 e-mail 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, and 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. While the last few years have brought many challenges to the newspaper business everywhere, affecting us as well, we continue to publish 15 distinct papers every week that serve their communities in distinct ways.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Email to editors@connectionnewspapers.com or submit online at http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/contact/letter/.

CONTACT:

Alexandria Gazette Packet and the Mount Vernon Gazette: gazette@connectionnewspapers.com

Arlington Connection: arlington@connectionnewspapers.com

Burke Connection: burke@connectionnewspapers.com

Centre View: centreview@connectionnewspapers.com

Fairfax Connection: fairfax@connectionnewspapers.com

Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton: fairfaxstation@connectionnewspapers.com

Great Falls Connection: greatfalls@connectionnewspapers.com

McLean Connection: mclean@connectionnewspapers.com

Herndon Connection: herndon@connectionnewspapers.com

Potomac Almanac: almanac@connectionnewspapers.com

Reston Connection: reston@connectionnewspapers.com

Springfield Connection: springfield@connectionnewspapers.com

Vienna Connection: vienna@connectionnewspapers.com

For advertising information, email sales@connectionnewspapers.com or call 703-778-9431.

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/ConnectionNewspapers

Follow Us on Twitter—

General: @FollowFairfax

Alexandria Gazette Packet @AlexGazette

Arlington Connection @ArlConnection

Burke Connection @BurkeConnection

Centre View @CentreView

Fairfax Connection @FFXConnection

Fairfax Station, Clifton and Lorton Connection @LFSCConnection

Great Falls Connection @GFConnection

McLean Connection @McLeanConnect

Mount Vernon Gazette @MtVernonGazette

Oak Hill/Herndon @HerndonConnect

Potomac Almanac @PotomacAlmanac

Reston Connection @RestonConnect

Springfield Connection @SprConnect

Vienna and Oakton Connection @ViennaConnect

Read It Before It Even Hits the Press

Be the first to read your hometown news, and go green. Sign up to get the Connection delivered to your email box every week. The electronic version of the paper will arrive in your email box before the paper even hits the press, literally.

Sign up at www.ConnectionNewspapers.com/subscribe, or email your name, your snail-mail address, email address and the paper or papers you would like to receive to GoingGreen@connectionnewspapers.com. (We will not share your personal information.)

—Mary Kimm, mkimm@connectionnewspapers.com, @marykimm