One of the most common complaints I hear is when someone can't get an announcement or news release into The Advertiser.

Where should they send it? And when they do, why does it go into a black hole, never to be seen?

An easy way to find out who to send your announcement to is figure out in what section you think it should appear, and then look at the top right-hand corner of that section's first page. There's an editor's name, number and e-mail address. E-mail your release to that contact, who usually is the city editor, business editor, sports editor or features editor. Or telephone the editor.

Most people send releases to someone they know at the newspaper, so I get information sent to me from the publisher, the circulation director, the production manager, the vice president of sales or anyone else who can track me down. That's OK, but it gets sent on, most often, to those people you see at the top of the sections, so start there.

Understand that not everything can get into the newspaper. We have limited space and lots of news each day.

But the good news is that on our Web site, we have unlimited space, and so we have launched three new community Web sites — in Hawai'i Kai, Kailua and Kapolei — and have about 20 more planned. The idea is to feature news of your community that you will help generate.

If you want to let us know about a car wash in Kailua, a fundraiser in Hawai'i Kai, a parade in Kapolei, simply go to www.honoluluadvertiser.com and look for our community sites section. Or to bypass the home page, hit www.myadvertiser.com/kailua, www.myadvertiser.com/hawaiikai or www.myadvertiser.com/kapolei.

Why do all this? Because there is a level of news that is more community-oriented that we probably won't have room for in the daily Advertiser or in any of our weekly publications such as Windward People, West Oahu People, Ka Nupepa People and Leeward People. But our community Web sites can take just about anything you can throw at us, provided it serves as news or information for the community. If it's advertising, we'll take that too, but we'll have to charge you for it.

Here's just a sampling of what we're looking for: fundraisers such as car washes, plant sales or bake sales. Community events such as craft fairs, school plays, youth sports games, holiday events and calendar listings. Community meetings such as school gatherings, public meetings, board meetings, Rotary Club or Lions Club speeches. We want store openings, food drives, beach cleanups, graduation information and stories from high schools. Contact us if you're a nonprofit, a school, a church, a youth group or other organization looking for support or supplies or volunteers.

Want to vent about crime, traffic, development or something else? Want to start a blog? Let us know. Want to show off photos of your kids, your pets, or share your marathon finishing time? Send it to us.

We have even provided simple steps to getting published by just registering and submitting your stories and photos. Writing a story and adding a photo gets you to the top of the site. It's that easy.

The idea is to provide a virtual information community for folks in these three neighborhoods. And on tap for early next year are Waipahu, Mililani/Mililani Mauka, Kane'ohe and 'Ewa/'Ewa Beach.

"The community Web sites are a great way for people to talk to each other about their concerns and joys of living in the same neighborhood," said James Gonser, community news editor for The Advertiser. "It is also a way to increase participation in public events and fundraisers just by letting more people know."

I experienced that feeling of joy out in Kailua on Dec. 1 as the sun was coming up and we were out in the Windward area promoting our local site at Aikahi Shopping Center, Enchanted Lake Center and Kailua Shopping Center. Some were waving signs in front of Castle Medical Center to generate interest.

The promotion was popular. The T-shirts ("Lucky you live Kailua" on the front and our Web site address on the back) were a big hit. Long after we ran out, one woman just had to have one.

"You know," she said. "I am lucky to live here. I love this place." And you could tell she meant it. Her enthusiasm was so sincere that I gave her the shirt I was wearing.

My hope is that this lucky Kailua resident and others like her will use these community sites because they belong to the communities. Gonser compares them to the old-fashioned, small-town newspapers that provided everything from school lunch menus to trash pickup times. I agree and hope you like them, and if you have any questions, please let Gonser (535-2431) or me know.