An entire community reflected in the pages of the „Homocea Gazette”

31.10.2011

The newspaper is being published at the initiative of mayor Neculai Ionescu, and the RECL manager Adina Grama and tenders expert Eduard Solomon are the two people named to collect information and write articles.

„Our mayor wanted Homocea to have a newspaper which could become an information vehicle for everyone in the commune, presented local initiatives, projects developed locally. I gather the information, edit them, lay them in the pages of the paper and then send them to a newsroom in Focșani where the paper gets printed. For now, I write most of the articles, but we are waiting for more people to get involved in creating a community newspaper”, the RECL manager says.

The publication will become monthly

The newspaper is printed in very good conditions and has 12 pages with a wide array of information: from news regarding current investments in the commune to legal information or ways to get European funds.

The newspaper has a circulation of 1,000 copies and is being freely distributed in the three villages belonging to the commune of Homocea. After the first two issues which appeared in July-August and September – October, the newspaper will be published monthly. The RECL manager says the editorial policy is to make people know more about the commune they live in. „We want them to know more about what happens in their community, the place where they live and work. There’s a lot going one but people have no access to information, so we decided to print the paper in the hope that locals will learn what is going on”, RECL manager Adina Grama says. “Of course we will promoted RECL services, local traditions and values, tourist attractions, local news and events, as well as any kind of useful information”, the RECL manager says.

Suggestions from community members

Local feedback was up to expectations, as people suggested topics which should be taken into account – from interviews about their own project to plans and success stories.

The approval gained by the newspaper can also be seen as representatives of other local institutions want to join in and contribute by editing articles specific to their line of work. “Public notary Stelian Androne wrote about the new laws regarding marital status, marriage, divorce and so on”, Adina Grama says.

The next issue of the paper will present the project to create water distribution and sewerage networks and the building of a water treatment plant, worth 9.6 million Euros, the project to increase quality of life in the poorest area of the commune and details about local medical facilities.

On the list: the administrative agenda and local projects

The third issues of the newspaper is now being prepared. It will feature topics on the administrative agenda and local projects.

“Recently we wrote about how mayor Neculai Ionescu won 2nd prize in the competition for the best mayor in the South-East region. Mayors were evaluated based on projects in their community and our mayor got second prize. We are offering citizens information about papers which are necessary for building permits, the fiscal certificate for natural persons and companies, the new Civil Code and so on. We also have an article about the new children’s club working in the same building as PAPI. It was created with financing from Germany and has a library, computer room, utilities, storage room including a fridge and a kitchen. There will also be a club where children will learn painting and working on a computer. We received packets of foodstuffs from the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium and offered them to 200 children in under-privileged families. We will also set up a new headquarters for PAPI, based on new financing. We are awaiting a decision at the end of the month. We also write about the training started three weeks ago through a partnership between the City Hall, through PAPI, and the Women’s Association”, Adina Grama says, adding: “We have many projects. We do not lack projects in Homocea”.

The gazette also speaks about locals – from the elderly, part of local history, to young people with economic success. “We have a story about our eldest resident, Ion ONofrei, a 100 year old war veteran. Part of the Local Council went to visit him for a small festivity. From our small budget we offered him 500 Lei and an honorary diploma, food from the charity led by our mayor and of course champagne. We have a story about the mayor’s councillor, which is a painter. We will write a feature about a local entrepreneur who opened a business in agri-tourism with PAPI support. We visited the place where he built the boarding homes and where he also has the fishing lake – a truly wonderful place”, the RECL manager says.

Online resources:

Săruleşti Today – a newspaper that became a hit

PAPI Zimnicea, turned into a newsroom