Times Argus open house set for October 11

To show off its new finished office space, The Times Argus is welcoming local dignitaries and the public to attend an open house on Tuesday, October 11, from 1 to 6 pm at its plant at 540 North Main Street in Barre.
The daily newspaper has published every day since floodwaters May 26-27 knocked out the newsroom, business office and press. Over the last four and half months, the newspaper's staff has been working in temporary offices, as well as from the Vermont Press Bureau in Montpelier, while renovations were completed.
Last month, operations were moved back, and the building was re-opened to the public.
"We are opening our doors to welcome the community back into their local newspaper," said Editor Steven Pappas. "We've had people stopping by for weeks now, telling us how grateful they are that we continued showing up on their doorstep every day. We've been checking on central Vermont all summer and fall. Now, we want people to come by and check us out."
While the award-winning newspaper had been printed at the Burlington Free Press following the May flood, a new arrangement recently was made with Upper Valley Press in North Haverhill, NH, to print The Times Argus. The new printer allows the newspaper to extend its deadlines and provide even more breaking and local news, including late local sports.
"We pack the paper with local content that people need to make educated decisions about their day and their community," Pappas said. "This later deadline gives us the edge to do even more of that."
The newspaper's staff has generated national attention and industry-wide praise for its resilience in not missing an edition through both the flood in May and Tropical Storm Irene, which devastated much of Vermont last month.
"This is what we do every day," said Pappas. "Local news is what the people of Vermont depend on, and it is what we have always done best."
The afternoon-long open house will feature light refreshments, presentations about our online edition, short tours and a chance to talk with staff and the paper's management and publisher, R. John Mitchell. In addition, the recently published Vermont Recovery, a resource guide of post-Irene goods and services, also will be available.
During the open house, and in the weeks following, we are asking the central Vermont community to support those families who might be in need following Irene by donating new gloves, mittens and hats that will be distributed to those in need. Donations will be accepted at The Times Argus.
Times Argus. 10.5.2011