The Publisher's Desk

LATEST COLUMN: Community, transparency are Register Citizen themes for 2011

2011-01-01T21:27:00.000-05:00

Community, transparency are Register Citizen themes for 2011

If you have yet to visit The Register Citizen’s new offices at 59 Field Street in Torrington, stop by, ask for a quick tour. You’ll understand how much things have changed for Northwest Connecticut’s local newspaper since January 1 of last year. And you’ll catch a glimpse, we hope, of what we mean by a “digital first” and “community first” approach to local news.

A case for Torrington as Connecticut's Christmas capital

2010-12-06T12:37:00.005-05:00

My 3-and-a-half-year-old daughter "gets" Christmas for the first time this year, and the excitement is building.

She decided that Christmas was finally coming last night when she saw the first real snow of the year. She started singing "Jingle Bells," and pointed out every set of storefront Christmas lights on our drive through town.

Then we drove by the famous "Christmas House," and, unplanned, stopped, got a closer look, and went inside. She was blown away, and I was blown away. It was magical, even for an adult, and a stick-with-you-for-a-lifetime experience for a child.

Reading RegisterCitizen.Com later that night, I came to this firm conclusion:

Torrington is the Christmas capital of Connecticut.

Sorry, Bethlehem.

But Torrington has the snow.

Torrington has the Christmas House, which to the unfamiliar, is the home of a private resident who has gone over-the-top nuts decorating the outside and inside of his home with Christmas light displays, Nativity scenes, moving Santa Claus figurines, rooms full of nutcrackers, snow globes, running train sets and more.

Torrington has Christmas Village, which opened for its 63rd year yesterday and features Santa and Mrs. Claus and live reindeer, and has delighted generations of children in Northwest Connecticut.

Torrington has the 1900 Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum, which is decorated in turn-of-the-century Christmas style and offers tours throughout the season.

Torrington has the world-class Nutmeg School of Ballet and its annual production of "The Nutcracker" at the historic and beautiful Warner Theatre.

The Warner Theatre has a bunch of other Christmas programs on the schedule also, including "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" and "A Very Merry Doo Wop Spectacular."

Torrington has the amazing "Christmas Angelicus" concert at Trinity Episcopal Church Dec. 19.

Plus, the downtown and Coe Memorial Park are decked out in lights.

Don't forget ice skating at Major Besse Field, and one of the best sledding hills around.

And shopping.

Torrington has Christmas shopping opportunities galore. There's East Main Street, and every big box store you could need, of course, but there are more small business shopping opportunities this year in our beautiful downtown.

Main Street mainstays such as Libby's Torrington Furniture, one of the best small toy stores in the state, Toy Jam, newcomers such as Barking Dog Guitar Traders and Bender Showrooms, and "shopping experiences" such as Brazen Betties, where you're bound to see something that presents a unique gift opportunity.

Come for Christmas Village and the Christmas House, enjoy the snowy scenery of the Litchfield Hills and check some hard-to-buy-for people off your shopping list.

And tell me if there's another community in Connecticut that has this much to offer for Christmas.

City Views to discuss Register Citizen Newsroom Cafe project

2010-12-06T10:03:00.002-05:00

I will be a guest on Tim Driscoll's and Sam Slaiby's "City Views" cable TV call-in program at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Dec. 7) on local Cablevision Channel 5 to discuss The Register Citizen's Newsroom Cafe project.

We'll see about possibly getting it live-streamed on RegisterCitizen.Com as well, for those of you who do not have cable or live outside Channel 5's coverage area.

Please call in with your questions.

Register Citizen's Newsroom Cafe concept turns heads

2010-12-05T13:06:00.003-05:00

Our announcement on Thursday about The Register Citizen moving its offices to 59 Field Street, with an "Open Newsroom" concept that welcomes the community to be part of the process of local journalism at any step in the process, got lots of attention within the newspaper industry.

Here's a roundup of some of the coverage, in case you missed it:

- From our newspaper, "Register Citizen to move office, open Newsroom Cafe"

- My column, "Come by for a cup of coffee, and a lot more"

- From the tech blog, GigaOm, "For newspapers, the future is now: Digital must be first"

- From Bud Wilkinson's blog, "Two kinds of tips at Newsroom Cafe?"

- From the Republican-American (most of the article is behind a pay wall), "Register Citizen to move headquarters"

- Journal Register Company CEO John Paton's presentation at the Transformation of News Summit, "Channeling Change"

- Our company's press release on the announcement, "Journal Register Company unveils open community newsroom concept at Connecticut site; Register Citizen welcomes audience inside"

- From Hartford Business Journal, "Torrington paper to offer newsroom cafe"

- From Hartford Courant columnist Rick Green, "Cup of Joe with that news story?"

Finally, there's lots more on our Newsroom Cafe and related new office plans at RegisterCitizen.Com/newsroomcafe, and we'll be updating with more details as the date of our move approaches and in the weeks following our opening.

Any questions or ideas, please feel free to call me at 860-489-1877, email me at mderienzo@registercitizen.com or find me on Twitter at Twitter.Com/mattderienzo.

LATEST COLUMN: Come by for coffee, and a lot more

2010-12-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

Come by for coffee, and a lot more

Well, in case you missed our announcement yesterday, The Register Citizen will be moving its offices in a few weeks. We’re not going far, to 59 Field Street, just down the street and around the corner from our longtime headquarters on Water Street. But we’ve come a long way. The Register Citizen has published from its building on Water Street for 110 years. And for 108 years or so, the business model was pretty much the same.

Job openings at The Register Citizen

2010-11-04T10:57:00.003-04:00

Are you or someone you know interested in working for us?

It's a good time to talk to us. We have the following openings (click on each for more information):

SPORTS EDITOR

WEEKLY EDITOR

DIGITAL PROJECTS EDITOR

REPORTERS

LATEST COLUMN: Our approach to correcting mistakes

2010-11-01T09:11:00.000-04:00

Our approach to correcting mistakes

Recently I updated you on the “Fact Check” program that we launched on RegisterCitizen.Com, enabling readers to easily report, at the bottom of every story we publish, factual errrors that they notice.
It’s part of an effort to improve accuracy and transparency about how we handle news reporting in The Register Citizen.
Another step that we recently took is to publish a formal corrections policy on our website, and to print corrections on the site on a special page, in addition to correcting them within the stories themselves and in print.

LATEST COLUMN: Fact Check program about accountability, transparency in local news

2010-10-16T08:19:00.002-04:00

Fact Check program about accountability, transparency in local news reporting
Since launching an easy-to-use online “Fact Check” form in May, readers have made well over 100 reports to us about local news stories that contained incorrect information, lacked context to the point of being misleading, or missed the “real point” of the story altogether.

LATEST COLUMN: I'm buying in, literally, to downtown's potential

2010-10-14T14:48:00.000-04:00

I'm buying in, literally, to downtown's potential

Never before has $200 given me such a feeling of empowerment.
Like most of you, I am tired of driving past empty storefronts and buildings falling into disrepair on Water Street every day.
And like most of you, I felt helpless when the Torrington Twisters were purchased by an out-of-state person two years ago and moved to Massachusetts.

Sound Off to feature live chat

2010-09-16T18:42:00.002-04:00

The Register Citizen's popular Sound Off feature will evolve next week with the start of a weekly "live chat" feature.

The chat will allow readers to discuss and/or debate the issues of the day in real time, and to interact with Register Citizen staff about topics in the news and how the newspaper approaches its coverage and website management.

The chats are free and open to anyone — no registration required.

To participate, log on to the Sound Off between 7 and 8 p.m. on any Wednesday, beginning Sept. 22.

One question still unresolved - and up to you, the readers - is whether we will choose one hot topic a week to discuss, or keep the discussion wide-ranging, similar to the basic Sound Off concept.

CLICK HERE to vote in our survey on which topic our first chat should cover.

Silly stuff on SeeClickFix

2010-09-12T23:18:00.006-04:00

We've been absolutely amazed at the popularity and growth of readers using the "SeeClickFix" tool on RegisterCitizen.Com since it was launched earlier this year.

Our partnership with SeeClickFix.Com, an online map-based program, allows you to report a problem in your neighborhood such as potholes or graffiti, and to see and comment on and join in reports that others have made.

Here and across the country, the program has led to real changes, and has been a great tool for public officials to connect with residents for a quick resolution to issues. It has become a technology-enabled uber-neighborhood watch program.

Another amazing thing, considering the amount of abusive comments we get on RegisterCitizen.Com stories, is that folks have been using this tool exactly in the way it was designed.

Lately, however, we've gotten some complaints about folks using it to post nonsense or offensive faux "problems." See the screenshot of a report that mentions me for an example. (Which made us chuckle.)

To keep this tool relevant to those who've come to rely upon it for important neighborhood issues, we'd urge readers who notice abusive posts to use the function on SeeClickFix that allows you to report inappropriate content. Like the "report abuse" button attached to every website story comment, it works, and offensive posts will be taken down.

Pretty neat: Live stream, live chat during selectmen's meeting

2010-09-02T18:52:00.005-04:00

Want some insight into how the way we report the news is changing?

Take a look at what happened last night with one of the weekly newspapers under our Foothills Media Group umbrella.

The police chief vacancy in Canton has been a hot topic for months now, and we took some unprecedented (for us) steps for the selectmen's meeting last night when a candidate was finally to be named.

Reporter Kaitlyn Yeager set up a live-stream video of the meeting so readers could watch from home.

It was embedded into a story previewing the meeting, and under the video was a live chat that she moderated.

As the meeting happened, she reported live on what was happening via the chat, readers added their own information and opinions on the subject, and were able to ask Kaitlyn questions about what was happening.

Kaitlyn's story also included a survey asking residents their thoughts on the police chief search, for use in future articles, as well as a timeline graphic walking them through the process that led to last night's meeting.

A pretty radical change from the old method of writing a story - with no input or questions from readers - on newsprint the next day, or next week in the case of a weekly such as The Canton News.

These kinds of changes are possible, in part, due to a new culture of innovation in the company that Foothills Media Group belongs to.

Journal Register Company owns 19 dailies across the country and hundreds of non-daily publications such as The Canton News.

Kaitlyn is one of 15 employees that Journal Register has named to an "IdeaLab" team. Twenty-five percent of her time is freed up to work on new ideas and technology for us. She received an iPhone, an iPad and Netbook (which was used to livestream last night's meeting), is sharing ideas back and forth with fellow IdeaLab members, and is involving the rest of our staff as well.

Online story commenting and registration

2010-09-01T08:22:00.001-04:00

Thought I'd share a comment that was made on Sound Off this morning, and my response, to clear up any questions that folks have about the online story commenting system on our site.

I would welcome any other questions or thoughts, and will listen or respond if you'd like.

Sound off registration. wrote on Sep 1, 2010 8:10 AM:

" I have a close friend who works at the RC (can't mention name) who tells me the RC is "heavily considering" having people register their names and email addresses for sound off posts.
This is a fantastic idea, which will weed out the only 2 people on this board that name call and cry about politics all day.
When forced into the light of day, these "people" will go back to their conspiricy blogs.
When its time to register..whos bot the fortitude to stay and continue to talk trash? its coming soon. "

Report Abuse

Matt DeRienzo wrote on Sep 1, 2010 8:19 AM:

" To "Sound off registration,"

Sorry to disappoint, and don't know where you got the information, but that's not true.

Registration doesn't do anything in terms of requiring commenters to not be anonymous. Just go to Yahoo or any similar email service, set up an account with the name "John Doe" or "Fred Flinstone" and you can see why.

Registration wouldn't even allow us to ban individuals from commenting. All they would have to do is register again and continue with the abuse.

There is a perception that registration helps end abuse because it cuts down on comments overall, and makes it difficult enough to comment that folks who just have something nasty and flip to say don't bother.

The problem is that it also makes it difficult enough for folks who have a legitimate interest and much to contribute on one occasional story that they don't bother.

Although no system is perfect, we feel that the pre-approval of comments we have now, combined with the ability of readers to report abuse for anything that gets through that system that they object to, is a vast improvement over what we used to have, and is preferable to subjecting everyone to the registration process (which doesn't solve the problem of abuse anyway).

Matt DeRienzo
Publisher
The Register Citizen
mderienzo@registercitizen.com
860-489-1877 "

Blogging partners bring more local headlines to RegisterCitizen.Com

2010-08-31T07:10:00.004-04:00

The Register Citizen is showcasing the work of local bloggers and other news sites on RegisterCitizen.Com in a series of partnerships that could eventually include an advertising sales relationship that turns "hobby" citizen journalist sites into money-making small businesses.

The immediate goal for us is to provide a more comprehensive package of local news headlines on RegisterCitizen.Com while driving traffic to local blogs and partner news sites.

A feed of headlines now appears on The Register Citizen home page from "In Touch With the Litchfield Hills," a blog written by Torrington resident Mike Valletta, and "Devil's Advocate," a blog by Terry Cowgill covering local news topics and commentary from the Northwest Corner.

RegisterCitizen.Com is also, as of this week, carrying a feed of the latest local news programs on podcast from WHDD radio, the NPR radio station from Sharon.

Meet our bear ... "Cub Reporter"

2010-08-17T10:35:00.002-04:00

You named it, and here it is ... "Cub Reporter," the bear sculpture that The Register Citizen sponsored as part of the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce's "Bear-live It Or Not" fundraiser/tourism effort.

CLICK HERE to read reporter Jessie Sawyer's story about the program and interview with "Cub Reporter" artist Joan Pavlinsky.

LATEST COLUMN: Register Citizen to partner with local bloggers

2010-07-17T09:23:00.001-04:00

I am pleased to share with you this morning news that the parent company of The Register Citizen is partnering with a company that will enable us to help existing and new community bloggers and citizen journalists get established and make money.

CLICK HERE for the column.

Name our bear!

2010-06-30T15:39:00.007-04:00

The Register Citizen is adopting a bear as part of the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce's "Bear-lieve It Or Not" campaign.

The concept is this:

Local businesses purchase fiberglass bears, local artists decorate them, they are out on display as part of a Northwest Connecticut "bear trail," and then the bears are auctioned to support charity.

We are excited to be participating, but we need a name for our news-themed bear.

Vote for your favorite name below or add your own suggestion in the comments and we'll add it to the poll.

What should The Register Citizen name the bear... » poll maker
Tags : register citizen

Citizen-based reporting project on downtown enters final week

2010-06-28T07:24:00.003-04:00

The Register Citizen's "Ben Franklin Project," an experiment in using open-source technology to produce the newspaper and its Web site, and crowdsourcing concepts to report the news, is entering its final week.

The centerpiece of our "Ben Franklin" issue, this Sunday, July 4, will be a major citizen-based reporting project on downtown revitalization in Torrington.

The key to this project is that the community is framing each aspect of it, and you can still get involved this week by suggesting directions it take, adding your views, completing one of the surveys that our reporters have prepared, or suggesting people who should be interviewed.

Reporter Ron DeRosa is working on issues of crime and safety and how it has impacted growth in the downtown.

Reporter Dan Ivers is working on issues related to housing and low-income, subsidized housing in the downtown.

Reporter Kevin D. Roberts is using crowdsourcing to write about the first crowdsourced baseball franchise is located right here, the Torrington Titans, and is making an impact on downtown revitalization.

Reporter Kaitlyn Yeager is working on issues of parking and traffic in the downtown.

Reporter Jessie Sawyer is tackling the issue of chain stores and what place they have in downtown revitalization efforts.

Reporter Mike Agogliati is working on the place that local merchants have in downtown revitalization. Email him at magogliati@registercitizen.com.

Photographer Mic Nicosia is gathering citizen-taken photos and videos to show the best and worst of downtown Torrington, and a snapshot of its potential.

Reporter Jenny Golfin is putting together a collection of viewpoints on residents' vision of the downtown, past, present and future, in an effort to find some kind of "common vision."

Register Citizen presents Memorial Day donation to FISH

2010-06-22T09:56:00.002-04:00

I'm pleased to be presenting a check for $1,400 to the FISH homeless shelter and food bank in Torrington today.

It is the profit from a special Memorial Day section we produced listing the names and hometowns of every American soldier who has died while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The money will go to benefit FISH's programs and services supporting local veterans in need.

Third annual Diaper Drive launches July 1

2010-06-21T21:34:00.003-04:00

Two years ago, now-retired United Way of Northwest Connecticut Executive Director Bill Egan and I started the Northwest Connecticut Diaper Drive because we were moved by stories of local families having to divert money from budgets for food and medicine to pay the cost of diapering their young children.

(Obligatory photo of my daughter Marley making me wear one of her Dora the Explorer diapers as a hat provided.)

And by a social worker's tales of struggling parents "stretching" their supply by keeping infants and toddlers in soiled diapers, leading to some unhappy little kids at the least, health problems such as severe rash and hepatitis exposure at the worst.

Diapers are expensive. And they're not covered by any kind of food stamp or other government assistance program.

Women show up at places like the Susan B. Anthony Project domestic abuse shelter, or the FISH homeless shelter, with nothing. These organizations scrape for every dollar just to keep the doors open and food on the shelves. And they must divert resources to diapers in situations like that also.

So, modeled after the hugely successful Diaper Bank in New Haven, the Northwest Connecticut Diaper Drive was born as a joint project of The Register Citizen and the United Way of Northwest Connecticut.

We're proud, through the generosity of our readers and local businesses, to have provided more than 100,000 diapers so far.

And now we're gearing up to launch our 3rd annual Diaper Drive.

It will run from July 1 to July 31, accepting both cash donations (used to purchase diapers at a bulk discount and in the sizes most needed by local organizations) or actual diapers at drop-off locations throughout the area.

If you've given in the past, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and from the bottoms of babies across Northwest Connecticut.

If you are new to the project, we ask that you consider giving whatever you can afford. Like our Warm the Children, still going strong after 26 years of providing warm, winter clothing each holiday season, the Diaper Drive has been carried by lots of small donations from readers.

Together, it adds up to a lot.

You can send donations to Northwest Connecticut Diaper Drive, care of The Register Citizen, P.O. Box 58, Torrington, CT 06790, or stay tuned for a full list of drop-off locations, which will always include our offices at 190 Water St. in Torrington and the United Way office on Bird Street, just off East Main.

For more information, email diapers@registercitizen.com or call the United Way at 860-489-4131.

Follow news about the Northwest Connecticut Diaper Drive at its new blog by clicking here.

Live online chat today on downtown revitalization

2010-06-18T09:20:00.001-04:00

We will be holding a live online chat at RegisterCitizen.Com at 1 p.m. today as part of a major citizen-based reporting project that we have launched exploring downtown revitalization efforts in Torrington.

CLICK HERE for more information.

I won't live this one down

2010-06-16T10:19:00.004-04:00

My editor needed a day off, badly.

We are a small community daily newspaper, and don't have a huge staff.

Our managing editor position is vacant. The editor of our weeklies is away for her wedding and honeymoon.

So, having worked as an editor for most of my career prior to becoming publisher of The Register Citizen, and even having the title of "corporate director of news" for our company a few years back, I decided that I would step in for a day and give him a well-deserved breather.

A quick refresher on page layout, and an introduction to our newsroom computer system, and I was in business.

I was pretty proud of myself. Only had to call him once, for a password to the Web site of the service we use for editorial cartoons.

Until I arrive at the office to this front page headline.

And now ... every time I talk to my editors about proofreading mistakes, guess what will be mentioned?

Still time to submit entries in children's art contest

2010-06-14T09:26:00.002-04:00

There's still time to submit entries - and vote for your favorites - in The Register Citizen's Children's Art Calendar Contest.

We'll be publishing a full-color wall calendar for the Torrington school year, and artwork will be chosen through this online contest. Children ages 5-18 are eligible.

CLICK HERE to see the entries so far.

Live Web cam and gallon-counter of BP oil spill

2010-06-04T15:26:00.000-04:00

This is very cool ... on RegisterCitizen.Com we now have a live Web cam and tracker counting how many gallons have been spilled in the BP disaster down in Louisiana.

CLICK HERE to check it out

Register Citizen "Voices" now on Twitter, Facebook

2010-06-02T11:49:00.001-04:00

The Register Citizen's opinion section and online community forum, including letters, editorials, columns and Sound Off, now have their own Twitter and Facebook pages.

CLICK HERE for The Register Citizen Voices Twitter feed.

CLICK HERE for The Register Citizen Voices Facebook page.

Fact check The Register Citizen

2010-06-01T09:06:00.002-04:00

In case you missed it, The Register Citizen unveiled a major, new effort last week urging readers to challenge and report factual errors in its news stories.

CLICK HERE for an explanation of the project.

We have added an easy-to-use form on the home page of RegisterCitizen.Com allowing you to quickly report errors, or facts that lack context, etc.

Contest will choose student artwork for wall calendar

2010-06-01T09:00:00.002-04:00

This is very cool ...

The Register Citizen is sponsoring an online children's artwork contest for the chance to be one of 13 students chosen to be featured on a special, full-color wall calendar that we are producing for the Torrington school year.

Entering is easy ... just scan and upload your artwork at our contest page - CLICK HERE.

Then spread the word to family and friends to visit and vote for your child's work.

The top vote-getter will be featured on the cover of the calendar.

CLICK HERE for more information. CLICK HERE for the contest page.

Live chat explains Ben Franklin Project

2010-05-28T09:43:00.002-04:00

We had a great "live chat" on RegisterCitizen.Com yesterday with staff and readers to explain and discuss our "Ben Franklin Project."

CLICK HERE for an archived version of the live chat.

Register Citizen honored with journalism awards

2010-05-28T09:39:00.002-04:00

The Register Citizen won more than a dozen awards last night in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists annual news reporting contest.

Editor Jordan Fenster took home three awards for his weekly column, including a first place prize for feature column writing.

Reporters Dan Ivers and Ron DeRosa won news reporting honors for their coverage of drug problems in Torrington, "squatters" at a local apartment complex and former Torrington High School Principal John Metallo's lawsuit against the city, among other stories.

CLICK HERE for the full story.

Blumenthal news prompts major live Web coverage

2010-05-18T17:03:00.002-04:00

News about Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal allegedly lying about serving in Vietnam last night pushed our staff to embrace some new (for us) technology to get information to you as quickly and effectively as possible - and involving you the most - over the past 24 hours.
We've created a special page HERE with all of our Blumenthal coverage.

Our Northwest Connecticut Politics Blog has links to commentary and analysis of the situation from all over the country.

We posted an editorial about the situation this morning, and turned it into a LIVING EDITORIAL, updated after Blumenthal's press conference today and to incorporate unfolding reaction from our readers.

And ... we live-streamed video from the press conference, with help from friends at our sister paper, the New Haven Register, and we held a "live chat" session at the same time, so that readers could watch the press conference and talk with each other and with editors and reporters at the same time.

CLICK HERE to check out the archive of that chat session.

It is a tool that we will most certainly be using again, and we'd love to hear your feedback about how you think live chat can help us cover local news and sports.

One week left to vote in Reader's Choice contest

2010-05-04T13:40:00.001-04:00

Have you filled out your ballot yet for The Register Citizen's 2010 Reader's Choice contest?

CLICK HERE to vote online. It's easy.

Voting ends May 12!

Buy tickets to this concert - benefits United Way!

2010-04-16T14:17:00.001-04:00

United Way Second Annual Benefit Concert

Infinity Hall Show To Feature The Cartells on April 28

It’s so easy to support your local United Way and have fun at the same time, by buying a ticket to attend the United Way Night at Infinity Hall in Norfolk on Wednesday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m.

Every ticket purchased will support programs of the United Way of Northwest Connecticut’s 24 partner agencies. Now, more than ever, these dollars are desperately needed, as the United Way has been forced to reduce agency allocations for the second year in a row.

The concert is open to everyone and will feature The Cartells, a popular Connecticut band that plays at concerts, nightclubs, and weddings. Learn more about The Cartells by visiting their website, www.thecartells.com.

Tickets are now on sale for $42.55 per person and $87.75 for the mezzanine level. Go to the Infinity Hall website http://infinityhall.inticketing.com/private/ or call the Infinity Hall box office at 1-800-666-6306 to purchase tickets. The venue also features a bistro restaurant to enjoy before or after the concert.

You will be given a free raffle ticket, which will entitle you to with a chance to receive a free CD of the The Cartells music.

It's time to vote for your favorite local businesses

2010-04-16T09:35:00.003-04:00

Who's your favorite dry cleaner, sandwich shop, Chinese food place?

The Register Citizen's 2010 Readers' Choice contest is underway, and voting is easy.

All you have to do is CLICK HERE and vote online. It takes seconds.

If there's a category where you don't have a favorite, there's no requirement that you vote in every single category.

It's easier than ever to See, Click, Fix

2010-04-14T16:22:00.006-04:00

We were excited earlier this year to bring you SeeClickFix, an interactive mapping program on RegisterCitizen.Com that allows you to report neighborhood problems such as potholes, speeding, graffiti or crime, simply by clicking the location on a map and explaining what's wrong.

The problem gets reported to public officials, and is visible for your neighbors and other interested parties to see.

Well, now we've made it even easier. Now right on the home page of RegisterCitizen.Com is a listing of the most recently reported problems in the area, with an easy button enabling you to "echo" your concern about it, and to follow the progress the community is making in getting it fixed by adding your email address for future alerts.

Current hot button items include complaints about the left-turn signal at a traffic light on Kennedy Drive in Torrington, and a big pothole on Charles Street.

Try it, or just look around. You'll be amazed at how many others have already noticed problems happening in your neighborhood.

Visit us at the Home Show and enter to win an iPad

2010-04-09T19:01:00.002-04:00

As usual, The Register Citizen will have a booth at the annual Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce Home Show this weekend at the Torrington Armory.

This year, our booth will feature a free drawing for the chance to win an iPad, the tablet computer from Apple that has captivated consumers over the past few weeks.

There's no obligation. Just come on down, say hello at our booth, and fill out an entry form.

We'll have the usual stuff for kids and adults, as well, candy, balloons, copies of the newspaper and more.

The show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at 153 South Main St. in Torrington.

I will be there most of the weekend myself, and would love the opportunity to hear your thoughts, concerns and ideas about The Register Citizen.

Sunday in Falls Village

2010-03-28T22:58:00.001-04:00

I had the pleasure of spending the day manning our booth at the Tri-State Chamber of Commerce annual festival in Falls Village today.
We gave out several hundred copies of the Sunday Register Citizen, and I was struck in talking to people by the opportunity that we have on Sundays.
Many in the Northwest Corner, I am guessing, gave up on the Sunday paper a long time ago. Except for the comics and department store inserts and coupons, it had no more - sometimes less - than your average weekday edition.
Over the summer, though, we greatly expanded local news content. We also expanded space for features, opinion and world and nation news.
We added legendary Litchfield County author and journalist Owen Canfield as a featured Sunday columnist.
We reintroduced our weekly "A Life Remembered" feature and added another people feature and local business and history spotlights and even local crosswords and word searches.
And last month, we were pleased to add former Hartford Courant business editor George Gombossy's weekly consumer advocate column.
PLUS ... Every Sunday we run a roundup of news items from every single one of Litchfield County's 26 towns.
If you gave up a while ago on the Sunday Register Citizen, it's worth some reacquaintance.

Connecticut remains the wealthiest state in the nation

2010-03-25T16:37:00.003-04:00

The bad news?
Connecticut's per capita personal income dropped by 3.3 percent from 2008 to 2009. That was among the worst 10 declines state-by-state, and exceeded the national average drop of 2.6 percent.
The reality that we pass over in dwelling on Connecticut's problems?
We are still the wealthiest state in the nation, by a significant margin, $54,397 per capita, compared to #2 New Jersey's $50,313, and a whole-different-world margin above poorest-state Mississippi's $30,103.
CLICK HERE to see a state-by-state breakdown compiled by the Wall Street Journal.

Connecticut's 8.2 percent unemployment rate was better than the national average of 9.3 percent, and far better than Michigan, which was hammered by auto industry woes and came in at 13.6 percent.

This blog has moved

2010-03-23T15:20:00.001-04:00

This blog is now located at http://publishersdesk.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://publishersdesk.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

We need your ideas for LitchfieldCountyMom.Com

2010-03-23T09:41:00.003-04:00

We are planning a major redesign and improvement of our Web site, www.LitchfieldCountyMom.Com, to coincide in May with the conversion of our quarterly Litchfield County Mom magazine to an all-color, all-glossy format.

What kind of information and interactive tools would you like to see on this site?

Please send your thoughts to Jenny Golfin at jgolfin@registercitizen.com, or call her at 860-489-3121, ext. 357.

LATEST COLUMN: How do you say thanks for a lifetime of community service?

2010-03-23T09:39:00.000-04:00

How do you say thanks for a lifetime of community service?

Many people were kind and helpful to me when I returned to Torrington two years ago to become interim — and then “permanent” — publisher of The Register Citizen. But two people stood out in a “went-out-of-their-way-to-be-helpful” kind of way.

Bill Egan's impact

2010-03-15T14:42:00.003-04:00

I will have more about this in my column on Wednesday, but in case you missed it, longtime Northwest Connecticut United Way Executive Director Bill Egan is retiring next month.

Bill was one of the most welcoming people to me when I returned to Torrington two years ago, and has been a wonderful partner with The Register Citizen in projects such as Warm the Children and the Northwest Connecticut Diaper Drive.

He has done so much for so many people in need over the past two decades in Northwest Connecticut. He will be missed.

A familiar face rejoins The Register Citizen

2010-03-15T14:28:00.002-04:00

I am pleased to announce that Rob Pazdziorko has rejoined The Register Citizen and Foothills Media Group as advertising director.

I worked with Rob briefly while I was briefly editor of The Register Citizen back at the start of 2004. He moved on to become general manager of the Step Saver in Southington, but never left Torrington, where had been involved in Rotary and with the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce.

He brings an incredible amount of knowledge about marketing and advertising to our growing operation, and an optimistic, positive attitude that is refreshing.

LATEST COLUMN: Readers aren't afraid of strong opinions on the op-ed page

2010-03-11T07:58:00.001-05:00

Readers aren't afraid of strong opinions on the op-ed page

Any manager of a local business will tell you that when a customer feels strongly enough about your product or service that they take time out of their day to call you and offer an opinion about it, you should take it seriously. And if you get multiple customers going out of their way and saying the same thing, it means that many others probably feel the same way.

LATEST COLUMN: Readers jump in to shape the news

2010-03-11T07:57:00.001-05:00

Readers jump in to shape the news

I’ve always been a “thinking out loud” kind of guy. So the light bulb turns on most often when I am talking to a reader, advertiser, community leader or member of my staff. There were several moments like that as I had the pleasure last night of appearing on “City Views,” the local access call-in program on Cablevision’s Channel 5 that Tim Driscoll has been hosting for 22 years now.

Calls running in support of Michelle Malkin column

2010-03-08T15:11:00.003-05:00

I've been getting phone calls and emails all day from readers about THIS COLUMN asking whether we should shake up our lineup of op-ed columnists.

Causing a particular stir is the suggestion by some readers that we dump Michelle Malkin.

Well, so far today the feedback has run about 11 for keeping Malkin and 3 for replacing her with a "more reasonable" conservative columnist.

Let us know what you think!

Call in to Channel 5 tomorrow to talk about The Register Citizen

2010-03-08T11:36:00.002-05:00

I will be a guest on the "City Views" call-in program on Cablevision Channel 5 tomorrow evening.

Hosted by former Torrington mayoral candidates Tim Driscoll and Sam Slaiby, the show will be on the air from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The call-in number is 860-361-9985.

Anything goes in terms of the discussion, as far as I know, so it should be fun.

I'm sure the issue of "Sound Off" and Web site comments will come up. I'm eager to see what else does!

Breaking news in a small town

2010-03-06T17:20:00.004-05:00

Some poked fun of us a bit today for this story about Torrington Mayor Ryan Bingham asking his girlfriend to marry him.

No longer orbiting around the print edition of The Register Citizen, we report news when we get it, across multiple digital platforms, including our Web site, and via email alerts (sign up on the registercitizen.com home page), Twitter, Facebook, etc.

The Bingham story showed up as "Breaking News" on our home page, just as a fatal car accident in Barkhamsted did earlier this morning and former Torrington High School standout Jordan Williams winning an ACC championship with Maryland in his first year of college basketball did a few hours after the Bingham story.

For those who think we should be this aloof arbiter of what is "important" enough to be breaking news, I've got to say, there have been more comments from readers on our Web site, on Facebook and Twitter congratulating Ryan and commenting on his wedding plans than anything else we've done today.

Why can't community journalism be personal? Shouldn't it be?

Would you dump Michelle Malkin?

2010-03-06T17:15:00.005-05:00

Today we are asking readers what they think about our lineup of opinion page columnists.

CLICK HERE to read some of the comments and offer yours.

The conversation was sparked in part by some readers' call for us to replace Michelle Malkin with a conservative columnist who is "more reasonable."

LATEST COLUMN: The value of transparency

2010-03-03T07:35:00.001-05:00

The value of transparency, from public schools to the news business
Transparency.
It sure is refreshing to see Torrington’s new school superintendent, Christopher Leone, use this principle to guide him as he aims to transform an institution mired in recent years by exclusion, isolation, finger-pointing and missteps.

Signs that the economy is turning around in Northwest Connecticut

2010-03-03T01:12:00.002-05:00

At lunch today with several folks who have a pretty good pulse on the business community in Northwest Connecticut, the consensus was that there are definite signs of a pickup in the local economy.
Job creation will have to precede any significant rebound in real estate and other areas, they said, and several local manufacturers have started hiring again.
One sign of an impending or in-progress recovery is that local temp agencies have started to get busy again. That could mean that employers are easing back into job creation, with the next step being addition of permanent staff jobs.
At The Register Citizen, we have seen an encouraging uptick in help wanted advertising.
You can follow the latest job openings in Northwest Connecticut at http://jobs.registercitizen.com or follow them as they are posted on Twitter at www.twitter.com/northwestCTjobs.

LATEST COLUMN: How newspaper ads protect the public's right to know

2010-03-02T21:28:00.001-05:00

How newspaper ads protect the public's right to know

All kinds of local government decisions can affect your quality of life and your pocketbook. If a cell tower is built between your back porch and the rural scenery on the horizon, the value of your property can go down. And that, literally, could mean that you have less money to live on in retirement. ... State law requires that you get a heads up about decisions like this before they are made, so that you have the opportunity to influence them. That comes in the form of paid legal advertisements in a “newspaper of general circulation in the community.”

Move Your Money movement celebrates community banks

2010-02-17T15:31:00.002-05:00

Residents and small business owners in Northwest Connecticut have known for a long time the value of our local community banks.

Now there is a nationwide movement urging people to support community banks by switching their deposits from mega-banks such as Bank of America, Citibank and Wells Fargo.

"...since April, JP Morgan/Chase, Citibank, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo -- all of which took billions in taxpayer money -- have cut lending to businesses by $100 billion," Arianna Huffington and Rob Johnson said in a column announcing the Web site www.moveyourmoney.info, which helps consumers search for community banking options.

No searching necessary here ... If you're down with this concept, consider supporting Torrington Savings Bank, Northwest Community Bank, Litchfield Bancorp or First National Bank of Litchfield, and in the Farmington Valley, Collinsville Savings Society, Simsbury Bank and Farmington Savings Bank.

And don't forget the credit union option - a very good one - including Northwest Hills Credit Union, Torrington Municipal Teachers and Federal Credit Union and Hartford Federal Credit Union.

With each of these local financial institutions, you can have confidence that money stays local and is reinvested in the community.

And if you have a problem, you can know that the top decision makers are accessible. They are your neighbors. They are involved in community organizations and serve on local boards.

The whole concept of "Move Your Money" is at the very least an opportunity to be grateful for what we have in this region in terms of solid community banks.

Follow local job postings on Twitter

2010-02-15T12:53:00.002-05:00

I'm excited to tell you that we've made it a lot easier to keep up with local job openings.

Our partnership with Yahoo! Hot Jobs provides local employers with the best local presence in Northwest Connecticut as well as extended reach through Yahoo's national network.

Now every local job that we put on our RegisterCitizen.Com and Yahoo! partnered Web site will be "tweeted" on Twitter at www.twitter.com/northwestCTjobs.

If you are using Twitter, this is a natural for you ... become a follower today.

If you are not on Twitter, you can still go to our direct Twitter page at any time and keep up with the latest postings.

And, of course, you can still go to http://jobs.registercitizen.com at any time and enjoy all the benfits there, such as searching for the type of job, the region and the pay range you are seeking.

And don't forget. You can upload your resume at our page by CLICKING HERE. Potential employers in Northwest Connecticut and the Farmington Valley are searching those resumes to recruit their future employees.

What I learned from readers yesterday

2010-02-09T09:01:00.006-05:00

I had an interesting and informative exchange with readers yesterday on RegisterCitizen.Com. CLICK HERE to see the whole thing.

We received many good story ideas, and thoughts on aspects of the news, in general, on which our reporters and editors should focus.

But we also got some great questions and feedback about the operation of RegisterCitizen.Com and The Register Citizen.

Reporting suggestions included:

* More specifics about what the Winsted police focus on, from drivers using cell phones to speeding in particular neighborhoods.

* Go beyond the statistics for unemployment and provide an in-depth analysis of what it is like to be looking for a job in Northwest Connecticut and the impact that is having on some families.

* Provide a more in-depth analysis and continue to follow the issue of sex offenders living in particular neighborhoods and near schoolchildren.

* Further examine the heroin problem in Torrington and how it has led to crime and overdoses.

* Stay on top of and examine the unfolding changes in the Winsted school system, as parents are very concerned about what is happening.

Feedback about our news gathering and policies included:

* Loud and clear, spelling and grammar mistakes were the #1 thing mentioned as a problem.

* The second biggest concern was how to clean up some of the nasty and/or abusive comments that make it into Sound Off and story comments online. Some suggested requiring that readers go through a registration process before being allowed to comment.

* Others said they'd like to see less emphasis/space devoted to national news.

* A reader questioned why we get beat sometimes by the competing daily newspaper out of Waterbury. The choice of a new assistant school superintendent in Torrington was cited.

* Support was expressed for our new emphasis on reporting every news story on RegisterCitizen.Com first, as soon as we've confirmed it. And in this new environment, impatience was expressed over being an hour later than other news sources yesterday morning, for example, to report that a Goshen man had died from injuries in a car accident the night before.

* Concern was expressed over the price of paid obituaries.

* Concern was expressed over the perception of bias in some of our crime reporting, where the accused is treated in stories as though they are guilty. Concern was also expressed

* Support was expressed for our weekly newspaper, "Good News About Torrington," and for reporting more positive news and human interest stories in The Register Citizen.

* Concern was expressed that sexual abuse stories include too many details, which are harmful to victims and families and not appropriate for young readers.

* Concern was expressed over how Web site moderators decide which comments to remove and which comments to leave up on the site.

* The suggestion was made to open the pages of The Register Citizen and space on RegisterCitizen.Com to more "citizen journalism."

* A question was raised about whether police blotter items should remain online indefinitely when in some cases the original charges end up being dropped.

* A reader suggested having an online listing of local movie theater times.

See the original article for some of my responses. Stay tuned for follow-up on many of these other great suggestions and ideas.

Podcast of my interview for course at Northwestern Connecticut Community College on changes in local media

2010-02-08T15:00:00.002-05:00

I had the opportunity recently to record a Podcast interview with Dr. Steven Minkler for his class on mass media at Northwestern Connecticut Community College.

We discussed the role of local media and how it is changing, particularly how a traditional newspaper business such as The Register Citizen is transforming into a multimedia company.

Click below to listen.

Unit_04_DeRienzo.mp3

A Twitter feed for every need

2010-01-28T12:15:00.004-05:00

If you are on Twitter, or have been thinking about it, we have you covered in terms of local news and information.

Foothills Media Group, including The Register Citizen, Foothills Trader and weekly newspapers, quarterly magazines and Web sites, has the following feeds running on Twitter. Click on the links below to start following them for links to breaking news stories as well as exclusive updates on local news and information that aren't available anywhere else.

The Register Citizen

www.twitter.com/registercitizen

Register Citizen Sports

www.twitter.com/nwctsports

Foothills Trader

www.twitter.com/shopfoothills

Litchfield County Mom

www.twitter.com/litchfieldmom

The Litchfield News

www.twitter.com/litchfieldweb

The Avon News

www.twitter.com/theavonnews

The Canton News

www.twitter.com/thecantonnews

The Granby News

www.twitter.com/thegranbynews

The Simsbury News

www.twitter.com/thesimsburynews

A Note To Readers

2010-01-04T11:11:00.001-05:00

Jan. 1, 2010

To Our Readers:

On behalf of our entire team here at The Register Citizen, we hope that you have had a happy holiday season and we wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

We are happy to be producing a newspaper for you at the start of 2010 that is much improved compared to the start of 2009, and we hope you’ll agree that is the case.

At the same time, we see many areas, every day, where we can and will do a better job. We share your frustration with spelling, grammar and proofreading errors. And we’ve seen far too many missed opportunities to go deeper into a local news story and leave fewer questions unanswered.

Over the past year, we have again expanded local news and local sports content, particularly in our Sunday paper, and added new features such as locally themed crossword puzzles and word searches every day.

No longer are we presenting the news only once a day, and only on newsprint. You can get breaking news at all hours at www.registercitizen.com. You can even sign up to receive daily headlines and breaking local news alerts by email.

And readers of The Register Citizen have turned to the story commenting function of our Web site in droves, 24/7, to participate in “Sound Off” and debate the issues of the day with each other.

In 2010, expect to see our online presence continue to grow, with an expansion of local breaking news alerts and the launch of local news videos.

Our commitment to improving the print edition of The Register Citizen is stronger than ever, and we are eager to hear from you about what is wrong, what is right, what is missing. Our editor, Jordan Fenster, can be reached at jfenster@registercitizen.com or 860-489-3121, ext. 333. Our managing editor, Liz Strillacci, can be reached at estrillacci@registercitizen.com, or 860-489-3121, ext. 334.

We also recognize that none of this is of use to you if you are not getting your copy of the newspaper on time, and where you want it. Or if dealing with your bill or requesting a vacation stop is so aggravating that you don’t want to pick up the phone. If you ever have trouble resolving a problem with your delivery or your bill, please don’t hesitate to contact our circulation director, Timothy Lee, directly at 860-489-3121, ext. 370.

And as always, please feel free to contact me directly with any question, problem or suggestion relating to your newspaper and how we can do a better job serving you.

Matt DeRienzo

Publisher, The Register Citizen

mderienzo@registercitizen.com

860-489-3121, ext. 350

Interactive calendars offer self-service publicity for community events

2009-12-21T19:06:00.003-05:00

Do you or your organization, church or club have a community event that needs publicity?

Our recent expansion of the online presence for our weekly newspapers, Good News About Torrington, the Thomaston Express, The Granby News, The Avon News, The Canton News and The Simsbury News, makes it easier than ever to spread the word, and to a wider audience in Northwest Connecticut and the Farmington Valley.

Our new Web sites have an interactive, self-service community events calendar. All you have to do is CLICK HERE and enter all of the information for your event, including time, date, contact number and any details you want to provide. You can even upload a photo to go with it.

The service is completely free, and in the process of adding your event to our online calendar, the editors of The Register Citizen and our weekly newspapers will be notified automatically so they can include your event in upcoming print editions of our newspapers as well.

And if you are a fan of The Foothills Trader, you should know that it has a new Web site, too, and its own interactive calendar. CLICK HERE to submit events to the Foothills online calendar for an audience that extends from Salisbury to Watertown and from Sharon to Simsbury.

New name reflects evolution of local media

2009-11-30T08:13:00.002-05:00

The front page of this morning’s Register Citizen includes the announcement of a new name for the local organization – of which I serve as publisher – that publishes this newspaper and others in Northwest Connecticut and the Farmington Valley. (CLICK HERE for story.)

What does this mean for the average reader of The Register Citizen? In terms of changes to how the paper is run or what it contains, nothing, really. We continue to look for ways all the time to expand the amount and quality of local news and local sports content that we provide to readers seven mornings a week in print and 24/7 online.

The christening of “Foothills Media Group” is, however, a reflection of how we’ve adapted to changes in technology, changes in readers’ habits and lifestyles, and the changes our advertisers have had to make to adjust to both of those things.

Here’s an example of how quickly we have changed to adapt to these trends. Barely two years ago, we needed no local corporate “name.” We were The Register Citizen and the Foothills Trader. That’s it.

We saw a need and opportunity to help advertisers reach every home in Torrington – and a void in “positive” community news – and so we launched the weekly Good News About Torrington.

Then we took over management of the Thomaston Express, a weekly newspaper with decades of history in providing local news coverage for that town. It was a great fit for us, on the edge of The Register Citizen’s coverage area and also complementing the reach of the Foothills Trader.

As the Hartford Courant cut back significantly on local news coverage, and we noticed how well the weekly newspaper model was serving both readers and advertisers, we stepped up to launch The Granby News, which is mailed to every home in Granby and East Granby and ended up filling a huge void in local coverage in those communities.

In the meantime, RegisterCitizen.Com was re-launched, exploded in popularity and extended the daily newspaper’s household penetration in Northwest Connecticut far beyond the daily print edition and in a more dynamic, targeted format.

We partnered with the #1-trafficked Web site in the country, Yahoo!, for employment advertising and for the sale of Yahoo! home page advertising targeted directly to local Web site visitors and their viewing and spending habits.

We expanded into glossy-cover magazines, such as the twice-a-year events guide “Every Town Has a Green,” that offer readers and advertisers more shelf life than the daily newspaper.

We started offering advertisers full-color commercial printing and zip code-targeted delivery of glossy advertising fliers, at a fraction of the cost they would otherwise pay for postage alone.

And we found unique ways – such as LitchfieldCountyMom.Com and the quarterly magazine that accompanies it – to serve key demographics within our community with targeted formats that were unprecedented in this area.

Today we are announcing the launch of three new weekly newspapers – in the growing, under-served Farmington Valley towns of Canton, Avon and Simsbury. CLICK HERE for story.

In the coming weeks, we will be unveiling a dynamic online presence for these new weeklies and our existing ones. And we’ll be launching FoothillsTrader.Com, extending our popular regional shopper brand onto the Web.

That’s why, in a nutshell, that “The Register Citizen and the Foothills Trader” doesn’t come close anymore to describing everything we do here to blanket Northwest Connecticut and the Farmington Valley with local news, information and a range of option for advertisers.

Welcome to “Foothills Media Group.”

Matt DeRienzo is publisher of The Register Citizen. He can be reached at 860-489-3121, ext. 350, or by email at mderienzo@registercitizen.com. For more, read his blog at www.registercitizen.com/blogs.

Register Citizen welcomes new department heads

2009-11-12T13:05:00.002-05:00

We've made some important changes and additions to the leadership team at The Register Citizen and its sister publications.

CLICK HERE to read more.

LATEST COLUMN: How are we doing? Well, thanks for asking

2009-11-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

How are we doing? Well, thanks for asking
If I had a dollar for every casual conversation these days that starts with or turns to the woes of the newspaper industry, I’d have enough money to, well, buy a few dozen friends a subscription, at least.

Offspring

2009-08-26T19:59:00.004-04:00

On a personal note, I am pleased to announce an addition to my family.

Cash Reto DeRienzo was born at 11:49 a.m. yesterday, in the car on the way to New Milford Hospital!

He weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces, and was 19.25 inches long. He joins a very excited sister, Marley, age 2 1/2.

I will be taking a few days off from my duties as publisher to enjoy my new son.

LATEST COLUMN: Give Your Employees a Chance to Give This Fall

2009-08-24T09:39:00.000-04:00

Give Your Employees A Chance To Give This Fall

As co-chairmen of the United Way of Northwest Connecticut campaign this year, Litchfield Bancorp Executive Vice President Tom Villanova and I are feeling the pressure. Demand for services at the 24 local agencies and nonprofit organizations the United Way supports has grown tremendously over the past year due to the significant downturn in the economy.

LATEST COLUMN: Newspaper adjusts to changing reader habits, technology

2009-08-17T10:06:00.000-04:00

Newspaper adjusts to changing reader habits, technology

About a year ago, The Register Citizen dropped its Sunday TV listings book. It was a move that had been made by numerous other daily newspapers across the country. Since then, many more have followed suit.

New features planned in Sunday Register Citizen

2009-08-06T17:03:00.001-04:00

The Register Citizen will unveil a number of improvements to its Sunday paper, including a major expansion in the space and number of pages devoted to local news coverage, effective with this week’s edition on Aug. 9.

“We are committed to continual improvement,” said Register Citizen Publisher Matt DeRienzo, “and after a year in which we significantly expanded local news coverage in the daily paper, we felt that adding more to the Sunday edition was long overdue. The Sunday paper should stand out from the rest of the week, as readers have time to enjoy more extensive and in-depth articles and features.”

Changes include an expansion of the number of pages devoted to local news coverage, and the launch of a new, second local news section of the paper called “Northwest Connecticut.” It will contain local news articles, a new weekly human interest story on remarkable people from Northwest Connecticut, and the popular “Notebook” feature and local crossword and word search puzzles that were launched earlier this year.

One of the most significant additions to the Sunday paper will be a feature of the “Northwest Connecticut” section that will include news items every week for every one of the 26 towns in Litchfield County.

The paper will reintroduce the popular “A Life Remembered” feature each Sunday on the life of a local resident who has recently passed away.

A new feature called “It’s My Job,” detailing the workplace experiences of local people, will anchor the Sunday business page.

Space will be added to provide a more comprehensive roundup of news from across the nation and world, and a new section will feature advice, lifestyle and feature articles.

The Sunday sports section will also see improvements this week, with the addition of a “Coach’s Corner” feature sharing the wisdom and techniques of local coaches, a “Where are they now?” feature on how local high school athletes are faring in college athletic programs and beyond, a weekly notebook feature on UConn sports, and the introduction of three new opinion columns on local, state and national sports, respectively.

Also with this Sunday’s newspaper, The Register Citizen will re-launch a weekly TV listings book. The 24-page tabloid will be far more extensive than the one discontinued by the paper last year, published with color throughout, seven days’ of listings and articles, features, editors’ picks, celebrity news and puzzles. It will be included free in the Sunday Register Citizens of Aug. 9 and Aug. 16, and then offered for an additional 50 cents a week to any home delivery subscriber who would like to continue getting it.

“We think these new features, combined with continuing Sunday favorites such as our Owen Canfield, Mike Driscoll and the Garden Goddess columns, color comics, coupons, department store fliers, Parade magazine, local history features and more, will make the Sunday paper an even better bargain for our readers throughout Northwest Connecticut,” DeRienzo said.

For more information about these changes, contact Publisher Matt DeRienzo at mderienzo@registercitizen.com or 860-489-1877, or Editor Jordan Fenster at jfenster@registercitizen.com or 860-489-3121, ext. 333.

Litchfield County Mom magazine out Friday

2009-08-05T15:30:00.002-04:00

LitchfieldCountyMom.Com the magazine will be included in copies of The Register Citizen this Friday, Aug. 7.

The format for the quarterly print edition is switching from a tabloid newsprint product to a glossy-cover magazine-style format.

This Summer 2009 issue will include a cover story on dozens of things moms can do in Litchfield County when they get a rare moment of "me time."

Look for it in The Register Citizen on newsstands this Friday.

Register Citizen to re-launch TV book

2009-08-03T16:22:00.000-04:00

Bucking a nationwide trend and its own decision to eliminate it last year, The Register Citizen will be re-launching a weekly TV listings book starting this Sunday, Aug. 9.

The new 24-page tabloid will go far beyond what used to be offered in The Register Citizen’s Sunday TV book. It will include seven days’ worth of TV listings, printed entirely in color, and will also have articles, editor’s picks, TV and celebrity gossip news, puzzles and more.

The Register Citizen eliminated its Sunday TV book last year as interest among subscribers declined in favor of the interactive TV guide functions that come with new cable TV boxes. But a core group of readers remain interested in having a printed TV book, and so the newspaper is re-launching the book on a subscription basis.

Subscribers who wish to receive it can have the new TV book included in their Sunday paper for an additional 50 cents a week. To sign up, all you have to do is call 860-489-1450 and ask for the TV book to be added to your subscription, or make the request by email at circulation@registercitizen.com and include your account information.

The new TV book will be included free of charge in all copies of the Sunday Register Citizen this Sunday, Aug. 9, and the following Sunday, Aug. 16, so that readers can sample it.

Try The Register Citizen for free

2009-07-29T15:03:00.002-04:00

In celebration of a number of improvements that have been made to The Register Citizen over the past year, we are offering free trial home delivery subscriptions.

If it's been a while since you read The Register Citizen on a regular basis, why not give it a try? When the two weeks is up, you will not receive a bill, and there will be no further obligation.

All you have to do to sign up is call 860-489-1450 and ask for our two-week free offer, or email your name, address, delivery instructions and a daytime phone number to circulation@registercitizen.com.

LATEST COLUMN: When the thread of a community unravels

2009-07-20T13:43:00.001-04:00

When the thread of a community unravels
It felt like a death in the family. Word came last week that the Eagle Times, a daily newspaper straddling the Connecticut River Valley in the area of Claremont, N.H., and Springfield, Vt., would shut down, effective the next day. Editors, reporters, ad salespeople, graphic artists, delivery drivers — everyone — would be out of a job.

A note about Web comments

2009-06-25T10:46:00.000-04:00

Thought I'd weigh in this morning on the back-and-forth about Web comments on Sound Off and other stories.We have set this up as a COMMUNITY forum. Comments from the public, just like letters to the editor, or opinion columns that we publish on the editorial page, do not speak for, or necessarily represent, the views of the newspaper or its staff.
Contrary to what one poster has said this morning, requiring email registration of some kind does nothing to confirm anyone's identity. Anyone can register an email address under a false name. There is, in fact, NO WAY AT ALL to confirm identity of comments on the Web. That being said, an IP address is attached to every comment, and if someone acted criminally with a comment, a judge could order that an Internet provider identify that person. The standard to get a judge to take that kind of step is pretty high.
We choose not to require registration because all it does is slow commenting down to an absolute halt. It would kill the existence of this forum. So would a delay in posting comments for the purposes of prescreening.
BUT ... I strongly agree that comments, especially in the past few days, have been way over the line in attacking people personally, and we will not tolerate it. Please use the "Report Abuse" button next to every comment to report stuff like this when you see it, and we will take it down ASAP. We will also be banning the IP addresses of users who have crossed the line in recent days, and will continue to use that option to protect this forum for the vast majority of readers and commenters who do not abuse it.

LATEST COLUMN: From Torrington to the world, micro-lending makes an impact

2009-06-22T11:50:00.001-04:00

From Torrington to the world, micro-lending makes an impact
I’ve never been to Paraguay. And it would take me a few minutes to pick it out on a globe. South America, right? And I’ve never even balanced my checkbook, but am a successful small business lender. I helped finance a group of 18 women in the community of Asunción, Paraguay, who needed startup money to sell milk, flour, cheese, eggs and other food items and clothing to support their families.

Graduation photos

2009-06-19T15:47:00.002-04:00

If you've noticed the amazing shots that Register Citizen staff photographers Sonja Zinke and Mic Nicosia have taken at recent high school graduations in Northwest Connecticut, you should know that many other great photos from these events don't make the print edition of the newspaper.
But the shots in the paper and dozens more that don't make it ARE available online to be purchased as glossy reprints in various sizes.
And you can even get these photos placed on a coffee mug, mouse pad or T-shirt.
CLICK HERE to check them out.

More features at LitchfieldCountyMom.Com

2009-06-18T11:37:00.001-04:00

Check out some of our latest updates at LitchfieldCountyMom.Com ...

Local teens, drinking and drunken driving: It's a problem that could be getting worse in Litchfield County and throughout Connecticiut.
CLICK HERE for the story.
Local school officials are defending their refusal to allow virtually any celebration or mention of major holidays in the classroom.
CLICK HERE for the story.

Community Advisory Board planned

2009-06-17T10:46:00.000-04:00

We are planning to create a Community Advisory Board to help us steer the content and functionality of the Web site and print edition of LitchfieldCountyMom.Com.
The commitment would be meeting with other local moms about four times a year to brainstorm and offer your critiques and suggestions for LitchfieldCountyMom.Com.
Interested in serving? Contact me at 860-489-1877 or by email at mderienzo@journalregister.com.

Readers' Choice winners to be announced

2009-06-12T10:44:00.002-04:00

Winners of the 2009 Register Citizen Readers' Choice awards will be announced in a special section in the Tuesday, June 23, edition of The Register Citizen.
Each year, the newspaper's readers vote with print ballots and online for their favorite local businesses in various categories, such as Best Dry Cleaner, Best Takeout Restaurant, etc.

Why we put everything online

2009-06-11T11:05:00.001-04:00

Thought I'd share this exchange from the comments section of "Sound Off" today ...

Id like to know wrote on Jun 11, 2009 10:28 AM:
" ...why the entire Register Citizen is available online? Isn't that an unwise move on their part? I used yo buy the print edition but since my husband discovered he could read everything online, he dropped the subscription. Do other papers do this? "

Matt DeRienzo wrote on Jun 11, 2009 10:48 AM:
" Hi folks,
Thought I'd respond to the question posed by "I'd like to know" at 10:28 a.m.
The Register Citizen puts most of its content up online because it has adapted to a significant portion of the population's changing reading habits. We benefit whether you are reading the print edition of The Register Citizen or reading registercitizen.com because we can sell advertising designed to get your attention in either place.
The print edition of The Register Citizen is selling nearly 1,000 copies more than it did this time last year, which is an extremely rare feat in today's newspaper industry.
Meanwhile, registercitizen.com is attracting DOUBLE the readers and page views that it was getting one year ago.
Many people still prefer the print edition because of the format and because there is a significant amount of content there (comics, puzzles, advertising circulars, etc.) that is not online.
And many people are reading both ... because the online edition offers breaking news throughout the day, and as you know from reading Sound Off, a robust, interactive debate by readers in the comment sections of stories.
Matt DeRienzo
Publisher
The Register Citizen
860-489-1877
mderienzo@registercitizen.com "

Graduation photos to be published

2009-06-10T16:51:00.003-04:00

Once again this year, The Register Citizen will be publishing the senior photos of high school graduates from throughout Northwest Connecticut.
The photos - from Torrington High School, The Gilbert School, Litchfield High School, Wamogo, Northwestern, Oliver Wolcott Tech, Housatonic and Torrington Christian Academy - will appear in a special edition within the Saturday, June 20, issue of The Register Citizen.
For more information about advertising, contact Natalie McIntosh at 860-489-3121, ext. 312.

LitchfieldCountyMom.Com magazine switching to glossy-cover format

2009-06-08T14:21:00.002-04:00

We are pleased to announce that the quarterly print magazine version of LitchfieldCountyMom.Com will be switching to a true magazine format with the Summer 2009 edition, and will be published with a glossy full-color cover in an 8.5-by-11-inch size.
The first edition of the magazine, printed on heavy white tabloid-format newsprint, was so well-received that we decided to make the jump.
Circulation of the magazine will also be expanded to 23,000 copies so that we can do a better job blanketing all 26 towns in Litchfield County.
The Summer 2009 issue is due out at the end of June, and will be distributed in The Register Citizen, Litchfield County Times, Housatonic Times and Thomaston Express, as well as at single copy locations such as libraries, doctor's offices and coffee shops, throughout Litchfield County.
For more information about advertising, call Tilda Renza Jones at 860-489-3121, ext. 314, or email her at tcrossman@registercitizen.com.

Is your husband suffering from Man-O-Pause?

2009-06-03T16:15:00.002-04:00

Once again, The Register Citizen will be printing a special Father's Day section celebrating the male mid-life crisis and the gifts and toys that could help fathers and husbands get through it.
How to decorate your Man Cave, etc.
It will run on June 16. Contact Natalie McIntosh at 860-489-3121, ext. 312, or adassist@registercitizen.com for information about advertising.

Litchfield County is still Red Sox country

2009-06-02T15:24:00.002-04:00

We catch some flak at The Register Citizen from Yankees fans, including from some within the building, about Red Sox coverage being given stronger play in the newspaper than the American League's team from New York.
I think it's intensified because the publisher is very openly a Red Sox fan and Yankee hater.
Our argument has always been that a majority of people in Northwest Connecticut are Red Sox fans, with Yankees fans admittedly being a close second, and Mets fans being somewhere in the 10 percent range.
Well ... now we have official confirmation.
A Quinnipiac University poll released yesterday made headlines because it showed that statewide, the Yankees were favored slightly over the Red Sox, a switch from one year ago when the Sox were still riding high from their second World Series win of the decade.
But when you break the poll down by region within Connecticut, 41 percent of Litchfield County residents are Red Sox fans, compared to 32 percent pledging allegiance to the Yankees.
The poll showed 11 percent supporting the Mets, but also showed 9 percent as Chicago Cubs fans, so try to figure that one out. (The Cubs registered at 2 percent in New London County and not at all in the rest of the state.)
In fact, if you remove Fairfield County (which is basically a borough of New York City anyway) and New Haven County (just because), Connecticut is firmly a member of Red Sox Nation.
Hartford County favors the Red Sox, 53 to 37 percent, and New London County, 59 to 28 percent.

LATEST COLUMN: When it comes to community news, the answer is 'Yes'

2009-06-01T08:50:00.000-04:00

When it comes to community news, the answer is 'Yes'

I’ve photocopied it literally hundreds of times over the years and handed it out to the reporters and editors in the various newsrooms I’ve led or spoken to as a consultant with The Register Citizen’s parent company.

It’s an advice column from a trade publication from about 10 years ago entitled, “How to be a ‘Yes’ Editor.” The brief, simple message is that local newspapers are here to provide in-depth community coverage, and if a community member or reader thinks it is news, it is.

Coupons galore this weekend

2009-05-29T10:07:00.003-04:00

The print edition of tomorrow's Register Citizen will have a different front page than your used to seeing.
Wrapped around the paper will be 10 coupons featuring great discounts from a number of local merchants.
And as always, pick up Sunday's paper for our regular package of manufacturers' coupons.
Your 50 cents tomorrow will more than pay for itself!

Mom site on Channel 3

2009-05-28T11:50:00.002-04:00

LitchfieldCountyMom.Com got some great attention recently on Channel 3, the CBS affiliate in Hartford.
CLICK HERE for the video.

Online moms' business directory launched

2009-05-27T14:15:00.002-04:00

A new feature has been launched at www.litchfieldcountymom.com ... a directory of resources for local moms including classes, camps, daycare centers and more.
CLICK HERE to check it out.
Listings are available at an extremely affordable low monthly rate, and you can upload the text and graphics for your listing yourself online.

LitchfieldCountyMom.Com magazine on the way

2009-05-26T15:21:00.002-04:00

The second issue of LitchfieldCountyMom.Com, the magazine, is due to come out on Friday, June 26, with more than 23,000 copies distributed via The Register Citizen, Litchfield County Times, Housatonic (New Milford area) Times and the Thomaston Express, as well as at local newsstands.
To advertise, call Natalie at 860-489-3121, ext. 312.
In the meantime, check out www.litchfieldcountymom.com for DAILY links to local news, features and calendar items of interest to Litchfield County moms.

Honoring Fallen Soldiers

2009-05-24T13:30:00.002-04:00

A limited number of extra copies are available of the special Memorial Day section that appeared in today's Sunday Register Citizen, which listed the names of the nearly 5,000 American soldiers who have died while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can pick up extra copies at The Register Citizen office at 190 Water St. in Torrington, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Free summer events magazine available

2009-05-23T13:32:00.001-04:00

If you missed yesterdays’ Register Citizen and the free 68-page glossy-covered local summer events guide magazine, “Every Town Has a Green,” you can pick up a copy for free at The Register Citizen office at 190 Water St. in Torrington between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Register Citizen honored for reporting on police scandal, Wilber resignation

2009-05-22T05:08:00.003-04:00

I couldn't be more proud of our newsroom for picking up 13 awards last night at the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists annual editorial contest banquet.
Receiving particular recognition was the newspaper's reporting on a sex scandal that rocked the Torrington Police Department, and on revelations the newspaper brought to light about former state Rep. George Wilber paying a woman $100,000 to keep sex abuse allegations quiet.
CLICK HERE to read The Register Citizen's story about the awards (and find some links to the stories that won), and here's a list:
* First Place, Best Investigative Reporting, David Hutter, Torrington police sex scandal.
* First Place, Best Feature Series, Tracy Kennedy, domestic violence series.
* First Place, Best Feature Photo, Mic Nicosia, young golfer.
* First Place, Best Opinion Column, Jordan Fenster, FOI requests.
* Second Place, Best General Reporting Series, David Hutter and Ronald DeRosa, Torrington police sex scandal.
* Second Place, Best Spot News Reporting, Jordan Fenster, state rep sex abuse settlement.
* Second Place, Best Feature Photo, Sonja Zinke, Nutmeg dancers.
* Second Place, Best News Photo, Sonja Zinke, storm damage.
* Second Place, Best General Reporting, Walt Gogolya, mice downs plane.
* Second Place, Best Editorial, Torrington police sex scandal.
* Honorable Mention, Best General Reporting Series, Ronald DeRosa, Walt Gogolya and Jordan Fenster, state rep sex abuse settlement.
* Honorable Mention, Best Spot News Reporting, Tracy Kennedy, man sentenced for killing wife.
* Honorable Mention, Best News Photo, Sonja Zinke, Bush's visit.

And CLICK HERE for the full list of awards.

List of fallen soldiers to be published

2009-05-21T11:57:00.002-04:00

The Register Citizen once again this year will publish the full list of American soldiers who have died while serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
A special 20-page section, with the 4,982 names and articles and photos about Memorial Day, will appear in Sunday's Register Citizen.
Proceeds from the section will be donated to a local nonprofit organization that supports veterans.

Sound Off even helps with ants

2009-05-19T09:19:00.002-04:00

OK, critics, Sound Off is good for SOMETHING.
A question in today's Sound Off in the print edition of the newspaper asks if anyone out there knows of a non-toxic solution to an ant problem.
There are lots of good ideas offered so far this morning on the Web comments of Sound Off at registercitizen.com, from vinegar to corn meal to cucumber peels.
CLICK HERE to check it out.

Owen Canfield times two

2009-05-18T08:42:00.002-04:00

One of the best additions as The Register Citizen has improved itself over the past year has been legendary Litchfield County journalist and author Owen Canfield's front-page Sunday column.
We're pleased to point out - if you hadn't already noticed - that Owen is writing a second column for us now, a notebook-style roundup of local sports observations and news that you don't hear anywhere else.
The column is running on Mondays in The Register Citizen. CLICK HERE to check out today's installment.

LATEST COLUMN: Extraordinary need requires broad-based response

2009-05-18T07:26:00.000-04:00

Extraordinary need requires broad-based response

We knew it would be a tough year. We just didn’t expect it to be this bad. As co-chairmen of the United Way of Northwest Connecticut’s annual fundraising campaign, Litchfield Bancorp Executive Vice President and COO Tom Villanova and I are faced with one of the most difficult years in recent memory for raising the approximately $1 million that provides crucial support to 24 local social service agencies and nonprofit organizations.

Two weeks left for Readers' Choice voting

2009-05-15T11:43:00.001-04:00

Have you voted yet for your favorite local businesses in The Register Citizen's annual Readers' Choice contest. There's two weeks left.
CLICK HERE to cast your votes.

LATEST COLUMN: Web-only legal ads would leave public in the dark

2009-05-15T11:41:00.001-04:00

Web-only legal ads would leave public in the dark

Did you visit your town’s Web site this morning to make sure that local officials weren’t allowing a giant cell phone tower to be built next door to your house? Increasing the property tax rate? Switching to every-other-week trash pickup? Accepting bids on a major municipal project that your small business might have a shot at? Under a proposal before the Legislature, you and everyone else in town will have to do that, unless you have ESP and can anticipate when town officials might be up to something that could affect your neighborhood or be of interest to you as a taxpayer.

68-page magazine coming in May 23 issue

2009-05-15T11:35:00.002-04:00

Readers who purchase the May 23 issue of The Register Citizen (still only 50 cents!) will get a free 68-page glossy-covered magazine, the 2009 edition of "Every Town Has a Green."
It's a guide to summertime events associated with our communities' historic town greens and beyond, and is organized by town.
Mark your calendar and be sure to pick up a copy of the paper on the newsstand if you are not already a home delivery subscriber.

Campership fund needs help

2009-05-15T11:05:00.001-04:00

An urgent request for donations - of any amount - is being made to support the Glenn Winn Campership Fund, which has struggled to meet its fundraising goal this spring. The money is used to send needy and deserving kids from Northwest Connecticut to camp this summer.
CLICK HERE for more information.

The great plastic bag protest of 2009?

2009-05-04T13:06:00.002-04:00

Terry Cowgill has a great suggestion on his Northwest Corner blog today on how to protest the Legislature's proposed 5 cent deposit on plastic grocery store bags.

Still Only 50 Cents

2009-05-01T16:38:00.004-04:00

Over the past year, we are pleased to have had the opportunity to expand what The Register Citizen offers to its readers, doubling the amount of space devoted to local news, doubling the space devoted to local opinion, adding local history features, more community news, and feature columnists including Litchfield County journalism legend Owen Canfield and the "Garden Goddess," Gwenythe Harvey of Litchfield.
Over the coming year, we plan to continue that expansion, and in fact, will be adding a LOCAL crossword puzzle and a LOCAL word search 7 days a week, starting this Sunday.
At the same time, and while other daily newspapers in this area are cutting back on sections, columns and local news coverage, we remain the only daily newspaper in Northwest Connecticut still charging only 50 cents at the newsstand. And our home delivery price is less expensive as well.
If it's been a while since you've been a regular reader of the print edition of The Register Citizen, why not give it another shot? CLICK HERE for a list of stores and vending machines that sell The Register Citizen, or CLICK HERE for information on becoming a home delivery subscriber.

Introducing local puzzles, 7 days a week

2009-05-01T16:32:00.004-04:00

We are pleased this coming Sunday to be launching two new puzzles - both with local themes - in The Register Citizen.
In addition to the Los Angeles Times crossword, sudoku and Jumble that we run every day on our TV/Comics pages, readers will now get a LOCAL crossword puzzle and a LOCAL word search, every day, 365 days a year.
The new puzzles will appear each day on the Advice Page next to the Horoscopes and Dear Abby.
Check them out starting this Sunday and please let us know what you think.

Every Town Has A Green

2009-04-27T14:28:00.002-04:00

For the second year, The Register Citizen is publishing a glossy-cover magazine just before Memorial Day called "Every Town Has A Green."
It will focus on the history of and many summertime activities and events associated with Northwest Connecticut's historic town greens.
For more information about having your event included, contact Editor Jordan Fenster at jfenster@registercitizen.com or call him at 860-489-3121, ext. 333.