Your Community News Source Since 1969!
VOICE of the Valley has been serving the areas of Maple Valley, Black Diamond, Ravensdale, Hobart and more since 1969. We pride ourselves on being Maple Valley’s only news source that puts community first for the last 50 years.
We advocate for shopping locally, keeping the community updated on events and activities in the area, as well as spotlighting community members who deserve recognition for their service.
The paper is delivered to areas in Maple Valley, Black Diamond, Ravensdale, Hobart and Covington.
The History of the VOICE
Many people think the VOICE of the Valley was the first paper in Maple Valley, when actually there were two other papers. The MapleValley Messenger (Maple Valley was spelled as one word in those days) was founded by Chester Gibbon from 1921 to 1923 in cooperation with the Cedar Grange. The Messenger’s slogan read, ‘Smallest in size, but not in pep, punch and personality’.
In 1964, the Maple Valley Lions Club subsidized the Maple Valley NEWS, which lasted about a year and supported many worthwhile community activities.
Then on August 21, 1969, William (Bill) and Ruby Ziegner put out their first edition of the VOICE of the Valley. They both were school teachers for the Tahoma School District. Bill and Ruby did the paper out of their home on the lower Dorre Don.
In their first issue they asked for community and merchant support to keep the paper going. ‘Keeping the VOICE alive and vibrant will demand the wholehearted support of our merchants and readers’ was what Bill wrote in that issue.
Merchants were contacted for advertising to help support the paper and residents were urged to put classified ads in the paper to keep the paper going as well. Subscriptions were available for anyone wanting to support the paper and of course donations were always welcome to help with the printing and mailing costs.
As the paper grew employees came and went along the way. In July 1982, Bill hired Sandy Hipple as the bookkeeper because Ruby’s health was failing. Ruby passed shortly afterwards and Bill began to show Sandy how to do the layout of the paper. After Ruby passed Bill began traveling with a few of his friends on a very regular basis. Sandy would take over and do the paper while he was gone. He was so impressed with her dedication to the paper that they became partners in 1985.
Sadly on June 19, 2008, Sandy passed away. Donna has kept the family tradition by hiring her family members as her employees to keep the paper a ‘family owned paper’. Currently, her sister in-law Traci works as the Office Manager.
Along with her family she also has other employees who she considers family who have been working for her for many years. Sherrie Acker is the Circulation Manager since 1988 and Kathleen Kear is the main reporter and has been since 2000.
VOICE of the Valley Staff
Traci Hipple
Office Manager/Advertising Associate
Sherrie Acker
Circulation Manager
Steve has been working for the VOICE since 2008. He helps with the tech support to keep the paper up to date.
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Paper Subscribers (Hard copy of Newspaper)
1st Class Mail
The VOICE offers Church Services, Medical/Dental Services, Display/Classified advertising as well as inserts.
We also offer Obituaries, Birth, Engagement and Wedding Announcements.
Just contact advertising@voiceofthevalley.com for more information.
The VOICE likes to get stories from its community members and they can be emailed to news@voiceofthevalley.com.
You can follow us on twitter @voicenewsmv or on facebook at facebook.com/voiceofthevalley.com
