Roberta was promoted to Editor at Manville.Today on January 2nd 2026, following the election of Founder and Editor Chris Basista to the Manville Borough Council.

Having served as Assistant Editor since Manville.Today's launch, Roberta brings a strong understanding of the news‑gathering process and a commitment to clear, unbiased communication. She will continue delivering the reliable, community‑focused coverage that residents have come to trust over the past two years.

Roberta's dedication to Manville runs deep. In 2012, at a time when many were leaving, she chose to return and re-establish her roots in the town where she grew up. Her lifelong activism and passion for civic engagement naturally led her into local politics, where she recognized the need for greater transparency between the Mayor, Council, and residents.

Her service to the community extends beyond journalism. Roberta has served on several Borough committees, including Recreation and OEM. During Hurricane Ida, she managed the animal shelter at the High School, and she played a key role in bringing the Food Pantry back to town, where she continues to volunteer monthly. Many residents also know Roberta and her beloved therapy dog, Bella, from their years of service at the Library and local schools.

As Manville continues to grow and evolve, Roberta and the Manville.Today team remain committed to expanding their coverage to include the issues and stories that matter most to the community.

Chris is the founder of Manville.Today. Chris is a lifelong Manville resident, who pays attention to what is happening in Borough Government. For far too long, residents do not receive the full picture of what happens during Council Meetings. Most do not have the time to attend meetings after work, and there was no media outlet covering Manville adequately.

Listening to residents concerns, many did not realize all of the actions taking place downtown.

Chris is a strong believer in transparency, and wants to make sure residents stay informed about everything that is happening.

His first step into digital media was back in the year 2000, working in digital marketing. The industry was still in its infancy at the time, and smartphones were not available. Dial-up Internet was still popular.

In 2008, he launched an online radio station, which quickly grew in popularity worldwide. He was not an "industry insider", which caused many traditional industry outlets to question the success of his radio station. He simply wanted to create an outlet where people could access the genre of music they desired, and do it in a way that was different and appealing.

Digital media was still a relatively new method of media consumption at that time, and he was an early adopter to this new media landscape. Smartphones were slowly becoming the norm, and most people still relied on computers to access information.

Fast forward to 2024, Chris decided it was time to branch into providing Manville residents with an independently-operated local news source that they can rely on, and most importantly, trust. A core belief at Manville.Today is to only report on the facts. No speculations. All reporting can be backed up by documents obtained via OPRA (Open Public Records Act) requests, and audio recordings of meetings, for example. This way, residents can trust the information they are being provided.

Since Manville.Today's inception in 2024, which was simply a website featuring articles, has become known in Manville as one of the go-to places to learn the latest news and information.

In early 2025, smartphone & tablet apps were developed, and reporting now goes beyond the Mayor & Council. Manville.Today has expanded to report on things happening in the community, as well as topics of interest to residents.

In 2025, Chris ran for a seat on Borough Council, and won. In 2026, Chris will be moving to reporting on community topics outside of Borough Council, to protect the integrity of Manville.Today's reporting. Chris promoted Roberta Walters to Editor on January 2nd, 2026.