First out of the closet is the editor. My wife wanted me to hasten and add that this is not the same closet from which Rosie emerged. You will see the editor's mug at the beginning of each editorial. If you click on the name beneath the image, you can learn a little more about him.

Over the next week or so you will see more mug shots and bios accompanying our regular contributors. It is our hope that this will add a more personal touch to the site and make the writers more accountable to our readers.

The biographical sketches will also help the reader to better understand the background of the writer and how it might color his perspective on various issues. However, we never want the writer to be the focus of the article. We continue to seek to put the emphasis on the issues and not personalities.

The only exception will be the authors of Capitol Watch. The Capitol Watch feature is not limited to any single writer. It exists to allow selected contacts in Columbia to share information with Common Voice readers without compromising their connections in the city.

Next month is the one year anniversary of Upstate Common Voice. What began as the Greenville Common Voice has expanded to go beyond the city of Greenville and the Upstate. Perhaps we will need to have yet another upgrade to the Palmetto Common Voice or South Carolina Common Voice.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the participation of our readers. We want to offer a sincere thank you from all of us to all of you.

Jonathan Pait
Editor, Upstate Common Voice