The Islands’ Weekly wants to understand how our community does business as we partner with local merchants and other advertisers to foster a strong local economy.

Share your views with us, and you will be entered for a $1,000 cash drawing and a $100 gift certificate for Lopez Village Market.

“Obtaining input from our readers is essential for keeping our paper and Web site relevant to the community,” said publisher Elyse Van den Bosch.

Partnering with us in our market research is Pulse Research of Portland, Ore., an independent firm that works with media and retailers nationwide.

The survey is on our Web site at www.islandsweekly.com, and will provide valuable feedback to the Islands’ Weekly staff: What you enjoy about your newspaper? What would you like to see changed? How can we better serve the community? It will also help your local businesses better market their goods and services.

Questions include reader preferences for local news and other media; consumer preferences for local and regional shopping; household purchasing plans for goods and services; your family choices for entertainment and travel; and basic household demographic information.

We ask you to log-on to our Web site to take the survey. All responses will be kept confidential.