Keeping up with the times is sometimes a difficult proposition. Like many of you, I enjoy reading the newspaper in print form. Seven days a week my routine includes a mug of hot, strong coffee in bed with the newspaper I just picked up from my lawn. The news columns are mostly one day old, but I get more out of the column than the TV newscaster was able to tell me.

The beauty of the weekly paper, like SNJ Today, is that you get it in the mail or at your local grocery store. Generally, it has lots of good news and happenings from the Millville–Vineland area.

Additionally, many of us get our information from online news headlines and social media. Headlines are written to grab your attention and social media posts use engaging photographs to bring you in. If the headline leads to a “newsy” story and it sounds too good or too horrible to be true, check it out for verification.

How do you do that? Go to a reliable news source or more than one. Check with the AP (Associated Press) independent news journalists or CNN. Keep in mind that headlines are just that, one small piece of the story. You may have a different opinion or feeling if you read the entire story.

Why should you rely on social media—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a few others? I certainly don’t use them as my source of news. However, I use them all to keep abreast of what is happening in our community.

For more than 10 years, non-profit agencies and organizations have been using all types of social media to communicate the happenings in their entities and for the people of your town, county, state, and region. For instance, if you love going to live concerts, “Like” all the places you will travel to for a show. It may be local like the Levoy Theatre or Landis Theater, or the BB&T Pavilion in Camden. Live theater and concerts have restarted in some areas and should be in most venues by summer.

In our towns and counties make sure to “Like” local non-profits such as our own Millville Glasstown Arts District, MAAFM – Millville Army Airfield Museum, WheatonArts, Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Landis Theater, Clay College at RCSJ, and CU Maurice River. If there are others that you want to keep posted about, just search on your page for a match.

This information may seem very elementary to you, but I am continually surprised by people who say: “I didn’t know that!” For instance, when someone calls about gallery hours here in Millville, I give that person the general information and that everything is open late each Third Friday. I explain that there will be new art exhibits opening and artists’ receptions. Inevitably, some people will ask, “When is Third Friday?” Answer: “The Third Friday on the calendar of every month.”

Even though we have been doing this for 20 years, there our newcomers to our area who just don’t know until they come out for the experience.

With this newspaper column, I will endeavor to keep you informed about events coming up in the near future. I encourage you to “Like” all the pages of organizations you may enjoy knowing more about and follow their events.

We all have a lot in store for you during the coming months of good weather. Please follow us to keep in touch!