Thanks to Bill White and all the readers of NOC

Today Bill White wrote an extremely complimentary column (read it here - or the extensive excerpts I'm going to copy below;-) about NewsOverCoffee and I can only say thank you.

Thanks to Bill for recognizing the work of the members of our community and to all the people who have read posts, made comments, sent emails, and told their friends. I don't think this site would work everywhere, but I knew it would work in Nazareth.

After nine months (some big local issues) and despite a week+ vacation at the end of December to enjoy the holidays, I'm pleased to report that over 5,000 unique visitors took a sip of NewsOverCoffee in December. This support has been tremendous and the people I've met in person and via email as a result have been wonderful.

I see NewsOverCoffee as a tool for the community to use to keep everyone informed. We each have our own interests, talents, and skills. By learning what others need, we can most effectively help one another to improve the overall community.

I look forward to 2007 and hope as more read, some more will be willing to share what they learn at meetings and events with the rest of us. Many groups meet - historical societies, civic organizations, the library board, Chamber of Commerce, the list goes on and on. Our government bodies have workshops and meetings as well as committee meetings. I'd love to have even short one paragraph reports on what they are all doing to share with everyone else.

Additionally, the Activities site has not taken off, but this is a place where youth league results are welcome. Middle School scores, Freshman, JV, and Varsity for all sports, especially those that don't receive significant coverage in the press. I'd also love to see reviews on theater productions, choral concerts, and all the other student activities that take place. You can send an email with your impression along with photos if you have them. Posts can be credited or anonymous. Once posted, you can share them with friends and family everywhere.

In closing thanks again to everyone who made this site such a success, and to Bill for recognizing the efforts of our communities' residents. Happy New Year!

From Bill's Column "Nazareth Residents Stepped Up":

I wrote last time about some of the area's worst-performing governmental bodies in 2006.

However, I ended on a positive note regarding the way residents of some communities have responded by getting more involved. I wanted to elaborate on that today...[copy regarding Upper Macungie was removed from the original].

I've also been encouraged by what has happened in Nazareth, where vocal residents helped persuade their leaders to scale back a secretly hatched plan for new municipal facilities in favor of something more reasonable. They even persuaded borough officials to emerge — kicking and screaming, in some cases — to begin complying with the state Sunshine Act.

One of the big factors in this public pressure has been the blog NewsOverCoffee (nocnews.blogspot.com), which has been meticulously chronicling community life in Nazareth since last April. Although it often includes links to stories in the local newspapers, it offers much more detail than space or time permit in the daily press.

Originator Ross Nunamaker says the site has been averaging about 150 unique visits a day. The municipal building controversy and the threat of a teachers' strike in the Nazareth Area School District guaranteed that there were hot issues in the first year to attract readers.

Here's how Nunamaker introduces the blog on its home page: [copy from article is removed as it is the same as the Welcome on the left sidebar].

Unlike some of the blogs originating in other communities, NewsOverCoffee focuses more on straightforward information than on wisecracks and commentary. That makes it somewhat less entertaining to nonresidents, but more credible, I suspect, to those who haven't made their minds up. Nunamaker said his readers help police the comments portion of the site for anonymous personal attacks, keeping things constructive.

Still, when editorial comment is needed, Nunamaker isn't afraid to provide it. I suspect his strong voice played a big part in the positive changes that have taken place over the past several months.

His biggest need, he said, is more people to help him cover meetings, both in Nazareth and in other parts of the school district. If you're willing to help, let him know.

I've praised other local bloggers for bringing important issues to light in an entertaining way. But I can't think of anyone who has done a better job of putting the Internet to work in the service of his or her community.

We need more NewsOverCoffees. And we need more residents who are willing to speak up and force positive change when their leaders are out of line.

bill.white@mcall.com

610-861-3632

Thanks again to Bill and all the readers!