This month, the Reporter has begun weekly coverage of the 2005 municipal election campaigns. Currently, we are focused in depth on candidates seeking a seat as an at large City Councillor. Following them, we plan profiles on council candidates in districts 4 and 3. After that, we plan to profile the two candidates for Mayor.

The reports will be researched and written by members of this newspaper's staff, and will include material issued by each candidate's campaign, as well as in person interviews with each candidate.

For many years, political candidates have become accustomed to soft coverage in the community press. For a long time, it was a tradition that pols would submit a press release about themselves, accompanied by a paid advertisement, and those releases (they were called "readers" in the old days) would be printed verbatim. Such has never been the policy at the Reporter newspapers.

The purpose of our political coverage this campaign season, as it always has been, is to inform our readers of the activities of the candidates without reference to any paid political ads. Our news staff will ask candidates to explain their positions on certain key issues, and report their views accurately and without political bias.

This is an important municipal election season. Voters will be asked to choose candidates in the September preliminary from among a large number of candidates for the citywide council seats, as well as for the district posts. In the Mayoral election, there are just two candidates, and each is assured to be on the ballot in the November final election.

Our goal is to keep our readers informed about the election, in the hope that an increasing numbers of residents will become engaged in the political process and choose to exercise their right to vote.

There's an old political adage that voters usually don't pay attention to election season until Labor Day; yet, there are signs of political activity everywhere, with some early house signs beginning to show and small fundraisers and campaign gatherings happening at veterans posts and union halls all across the neighborhood.

It is our hope that the political coverage in this newspaper will contribute to the discussion of the campaigns and that more and more people will become involved in the political process.

-Ed Forry

 It's about time that the Savin Hill Red Line T station reaches its completion and opens to serve the public.

The original plans called for the rebuilding to take place in just eight months. But the station was closed down last year in early May, and it has been 15 months of inconvenience and hardship for neighbors who rely on the T to get to and from work.

The good news is the MBTA promises the station will be completed and ready to open next week, on Sunday, July 31. A press event marking the occasion is planned for Monday, August 1. It will be a very welcome occasion, but let's agree, it will be a day that is long overdue.

- E.F.