In the past few years that I have been a part of this community, I have learned something very simple: people here care. They care about their schools, their lake, their parks, their neighbors, and the moments that make this place feel like home.
What many may not know is that something just as important is now at risk.
For more than 30 years, Rosemary Otzman has been the constant presence behind the Belleville-Area Independent. Week after week, she has attended public meetings, reported on decisions, and captured everyday moments that might otherwise be lost. Not for praise, but because she believes this community deserves to know what is happening. This paper brings together our three communities and gives them a shared identity.
Before social media and the internet, this was how communities stayed connected. The paper kept track of our lives, births, losses, milestones, new businesses, and local decisions. It still does. And that kind of record cannot be replaced.
If the paper disappeared, we would lose more than just a publication. We would lose decades of history, a way to hold people accountable, and a shared understanding of what is happening around us.
The reality is simple: a paper like this cannot continue without support. It has been free for a long time, but the work of this value comes at a cost. The path forward, transitioning to a nonprofit, depends on whether the community is willing to step in and help carry it.
There are communities across the country that have done exactly that. They recognized what they stood to lose, and they showed up.
Now, we have the same opportunity.
A community meeting will be held this Thursday, May 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Belleville Area District Library (Cozadd Room). This is an opportunity for you to listen, ask questions, and be part of the conversation about what comes next.
Showing up and supporting the paper matters. Because this has never been just about a newspaper. It’s about preserving the stories, the record, and the voice of three communities that care.
And now is the moment to prove it.
— Elena Manalp
Weather