Welcome to your local newspaper

What you're holding in your hands right now is extremely important.

It's your local newspaper, and I'm not being hyperbolic when I tell you that it's extremely important.

A local newspaper is a singular thing — nowhere else will you be able to find information that is so tailored to your community.

There are dozens of newspapers and websites that will print stories about what President Obama said today, but what about Mayor Jim Ruzicka? The impact of a new health care bill on citizens' wallets is definitely important, but is it any more important than how much your taxes will be going up because of the new school budget?

The Oceanside/Island Park Herald is your gateway to the community. We are hyper-local, focused only on the communities of Oceanside and Island Park. When we cover bigger events, it's about how they affect you.

We are the paper of record for the community. If the Village of Island Park is putting a tax lien on your house, you'll read the legal notice in this paper.

Our Neighbors in the News section shines a light on your achievements. It's where we print wedding and birth announcements, the academic achievements of local students, the honors bestowed on residents and much more.

Our Neighbors page highlights special local events. It is also where you will read stories about residents and prominent community figures.

Every week, you will find the Crime Watch. It helps you keep tabs on what is going on.

Our Sports page features local student athletes and chronicles the wins and losses of our teams.

When class is in session, we have a Schools page every week, highlighting the events in our high-achieving schools. It's where you should look to find out what's new in your child's school.

And there’s the Community Update, which keeps residents in the know about upcoming events at the libraries and around the area.

We also publish obituaries. They are often the last record of a person's life, and we are honored to be the record-keepers.

The Herald is an award-winning paper. We are here to chronicle your community and to keep you informed about what's going on next door and across town. Whether it takes place in a school auditorium, in Village Hall or in the middle of a street, we cover it.

And we love receiving feedback from readers. If there's something you want to send us for the Neighbors in the News, please do. Likewise, we appreciate receiving letters from our readers.

You can reach me, the Oceanside/Island Park Editor, anytime by e-mailing Oceaneditor@liherald.com or by calling (516) 569-4000 ext. 269. You can also mail anything to 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, N.Y. 11530.

For those of you who are regular subscribers, enjoy this special issue of the Oceanside/Island Park Herald. And for new readers, I hope you like what you see. If you like it enough to subscribe, call (516) 569-4000 ext. 7 to start getting the Herald delivered to your door every week.

As you read through the paper, remember one thing: It's greater than the sum of its parts. It's more than just ink on paper — it's your life.