Recently the staff of The Selma Times-Journal kicked off production of the largest edition we produce for readers each year, Horizons. Last year’s Horizons’ edition was focused editorially around the theme of tall tales, ghost stories and other alleged paranormal activity in our community. It was a great success with readers and advertisers and we appreciate the positive feedback we received from the community.

This year’s edition, which publishes February 2011, will focus on the people who make our community special. The edition, which we’ve named “Portraits,” will consist of personality portraits of people who toil behind the scenes. We won’t portray people who are typically the newsmakers; instead we’ll seek out the folks who perform good deeds in our community that often go unnoticed. They don’t court notoriety for going above and beyond to help their friends and neighbors; instead they do what they do because they have a big heart and a desire to give back to the community they’re a part of.

Often times these people are hard to find since they do their good deeds behind the scenes. That’s where you come in. If you know someone who fits the mold of what I’ve described above, please share their name with and a little about why you believe they deserve to be profiled in “Portraits.” It could be someone who visits a nursing home each week, or reads books to children at a local school, or is a volunteer at the animal shelter. Or it could be a student who excels in school and contributes civically because they want to, not because they have to.

Selma has so many positive experiences to offer those who live here and those who visit. None will argue that it’s often the history that draws visitors here to look at our historic buildings, museums and architecture, but it’s the people who live here who are truly working in a positive manner that make this community special. So please share the name of someone you believe deserves to be profiled in “Portraits” by emailing their name and contact information to editor@selmatimesjournal.com so we can consider including them in this special edition.