Goodbye, For Now

by | Apr 19, 2015

https://www.etsy.com/listing/127986154/gone-fishing-sign-black-distressed?ref=market

Credit: WoodnDoodads, etsy.com

Today is the last day East Greenwich News will be updated – I am putting the website on hiatus.

Why?

After a year of more-than-full-time work on this website, I find I am not able to do everything needed to make EG News a financial success. I began this adventure hoping to find someone to help run the business side of things. That person hasn’t surfaced.

Now, after some soul searching, I’ve come to realize I can’t fix this while continuing to run the website.

I believe in local news websites. I believe in a website’s ability to provide timely, relevant, engaging news and information about a community. I just haven’t been able to crack the code to make it doable. It’s crackable. Just not be me, right now.

What happens next? The website will remain live but will not be updated. If someone else or a group wants to give it a try, I would love to help that effort.

There are some people I’d like to thank:

First and foremost, my unbelievably supportive and patient husband, Neal McNamara, who has put up with a whole lot this past year and done it with grace.

Alan Clarke, who has been a sounding board and cheerleader and the person who I’ve turned to build ads for the site. Alan, it’s been a pleasure having you on my team.

Bil Herron was a huge help during the first several months, doing much of the the backend tech stuff and guiding me through some dangerous technological shoals.

Bob Plain, a true believer in the power of local journalism. Bob, without your inspiration and advice, I wouldn’t be a reporter and EG News never would have happened.

Deb Acheson, my friend and talented graphic designer, who created the EG News logo. It will live on!

Regular contributors – Patti DePriest, Bob Houghtaling and Bruce Mastracchio in particular – but also student bloggers and others. The town was lucky to have you writing for the website and I hope the town doesn’t have to go without your voices for long.

All those who contributed to EG News, from the man who would shove a $20 bill into my hand when he saw me on Main Street (you know who you are), to the four people who signed up to be “subscribers” at $5 a month, and to everyone in between (I think any future EG News would do well to focus more on a strong voluntary subscriber base). To all of the supporters, your belief in the website meant a great deal.

Thanks, too, to those town and school employees and public officials who fielded my questions in the six years I’ve been reporting here in East Greenwich. Your willingness to speak to me, to help me in my work, speaks volumes of your commitment to the people of this town.

EG News advertisers,  I’m very grateful to all of you who bought advertising on the website and the newsletter. Here’s to your continued success.

I thank you all for reading. See you around town.

 

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Captain Carl
Captain Carl
April 20, 2015 5:45 am

Elizabeth

You did a great job and will be missed by many. of that I’m certain.

Good luck in your future endeavors !!!

Carl I. Hoyer.

Patti DePriest
Patti DePriest
April 20, 2015 6:04 am

You, your dedication to writing about our great town, and this informative source of local news will be missed by all of your readers, e. Thanks for all you’ve done over the years and best of luck on wherever life takes you next!

Jessica
Jessica
April 20, 2015 6:14 am

Elizabeth – you were a great contributor to our town and will be missed. We will miss our updated daily news. Look forward to seeing you again soon.

Tammy EGAPL
Tammy EGAPL
April 20, 2015 6:15 am

Thank you Elizabeth, for all your great work and true compassion. Sad to see you go!

Bill Stone
Bill Stone
April 20, 2015 6:37 am

This is sad news for East Greenwich, but hopefully just a short hiatus. THANK YOU, Elizabeth, for putting journalism first and believing in the value of an informed citizenry. Your dedication and energy were more than admirable. You covered so much local news with so little help for a long time; I was convinced you had a secret twin.

See you around town.

Bill

Deacon Ricky
Deacon Ricky
April 20, 2015 6:47 am

As other news media offerings have shortened and been seriously affected by political and financial over-reach, the place for accurate, timely local and nearby news was found right here. Despite easy accessibility through Facebook and other media,bfast is not always useful – yours has given us a local view of what is really important for us and a place for further learning. Glad that you, and John Walsh down the street, have become part of our lives. Carry on – somewhere..

Joyce
Joyce
April 20, 2015 7:04 am

I was born and raised in East Greenwich, but have spent the majority of my life in the south. Your daily news has kept me apprised of the happenings in that great little town and I hope the best for you and in whatever you endeavor to do.

Alan Clarke
April 20, 2015 7:24 am

This is sad but perhaps a chance for a new start, with more help. The need is here. It’s slow in coming but the interest is here. When I was at the Pendulum, we had a staff of at least a dozen… and it was a weekly! No one person can do it all. Good for you, Liz, for trying. Let’s hope it is a short recess. Count me in for a regroup.

Carolyn Mark
Carolyn Mark
April 20, 2015 7:27 am

Say it isn’t so! You have been such an asset to this community. Perhaps this is what it will take to get the community to support you. I agree – let’s hope it’s a short recess. C’mon EG!!!

DanB
DanB
April 20, 2015 7:30 am

Today I join that group of people in remorse that we didn’t respond to the gentle invitation to pitch in if we appreciate the local news service.

Rick Gans
Rick Gans
April 20, 2015 8:22 am

Elizabeth, you have done a magnificent job with this endeavor. I wish we were still around to help as the content you’ve created has been terrific – I log on every day to keep up with our former home town. I’m going to think about who I might still know in Rhode Island who might be able to handle the business side, but it’s been a few too many years since we made the full-time move to northern Michigan. We miss you guys and wish you all the best.

Melissa
Melissa
April 20, 2015 8:22 am

Elizabeth-you’ve devoted yourself to making this a very fine publication. You will be missed.

Marilyn Kiesel
Marilyn Kiesel
April 20, 2015 8:26 am

Elizabeth, thanks so much for your bringing stories about the special aspects of our Town for the past year. You have done a terrific job & East Greenwich News will be greatly missed. Hopefully things will turn & allow your coverage to continue again in the future.

Mark Curtis
April 20, 2015 8:42 am

Elizabeth: Thank you for always publicizing my submissions promoting the plays put on by the Cole Middle School Drama Club and the happenings of Boy Scouts Troop 1. I also enjoyed helping you moderate the political debates. We need local journalism and you have provided a great public service for years! God bless you my friend!

Stan Reuter
Stan Reuter
April 20, 2015 9:00 am

Elizabeth,
Thank you for all your efforts, I am sure E.G. NEWS has a future.

Barbara
Barbara
April 20, 2015 9:38 am

I guess I didn’t understand clearly enough that ongoing contributions were needed, and am sorry I only made one. I certainly enjoyed checking the site daily for the latest local goings on. I know the jounalism business is a tough one to survive in(particularly print), and appreciate your efforts.

Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson
April 20, 2015 10:12 am

Elizabeth: Dang. Come to count on your coverage for EG goings-on. But it’s easy to see that the ol’ journalism business model, even if updated for the web, still needs some tweaking to make it viable. Thanks for making the effort and setting a standard for those who will follow in your inksteps.

ML
ML
April 20, 2015 11:03 am

I have to blurt out the truth albeit mushy: I will miss you and your voice as part of my day and our community very much! It’s not uncommon for my family to talk about something over dinner that you’ve written about that day.

Thank you for your good work and I do look forward to whatever the next take may be.

e, very best wishes to you.

Jenny Gruslin
April 20, 2015 12:43 pm

This is the saddest post ever. Is there some way that we could all help? A kickstarter or even a Giveforward page? Your voice will be missed for sure.

RR
RR
April 20, 2015 6:31 pm
Reply to  Jenny Gruslin

Elizabeth,

would you be interested in continuing if a kick-starter provided financial backing?

Theresa
Theresa
April 20, 2015 3:42 pm

Elizabeth – your writings will be missed, and I share them often with my neighborhood association. You should be able to see my email address, can you please PM me? I’d love to help you as much as I can. Take care!

Carmen
Carmen
April 20, 2015 5:09 pm

Elizabeth, you have done a fabulous job and I have looked forward to your post and read it every day. I am very sorry that I did not step up to the plate financially, more laziness than anything else. I hope that this will come back somehow maybe with a subscription instead of “free” as it has been. I would definitely sign up. Thanks for all that you have done.

Renu
Renu
April 20, 2015 5:52 pm

Elizabeth – Add me to the long list of people who should have contributed to this news site and sadly did not do so. Hopefully this is just a short intermission.

Sally
Sally
April 20, 2015 6:24 pm

Elizabeth, like Phoenix, you will rise from the ashes (probably cooking stuff on grill). Next time you venture out, PLEASE consider me as volunteer help. I could have done some of the things you needed. And you could take a vacation. Sometimes a “free” hand comes along. Please do not pass it up.
Sally Rigg

R
R
April 20, 2015 6:25 pm

I read this to stay in touch with my hometown while at school. I hope someone, perhaps someone in college interested in journalism, continues to write!

Steve T.
Steve T.
April 20, 2015 8:41 pm

I moved to EG about four months ago, but I’ve been reading since I became interested in living in the area. I happened to meet you at Aim High Academy a few weeks ago — I told you how much I appreciated your efforts then, but I feel like I should add my voice to the public chorus now. It’s too bad that my new hometown won’t have this professionally written, regularly updated news source any longer — I suppose it was nice while it lasted.

Leah
April 20, 2015 8:50 pm

You’ve been the pulse of EG and on top of all things 02818 and EG News will be missed … hopefully not for long. Thank you for the great service you’ve provided for years and good for you for making what had to be a difficult decision. See you around town!

Marie Hennedy
Marie Hennedy
April 20, 2015 9:06 pm

If and when, please consider me one of your first subscribers, Elizabeth. At, say, $10/month? WE NEED YOU, the heart of EG NEWS!

Jean
Jean
April 20, 2015 9:15 pm

I am so sorry to hear this Elizabeth, you have worked so hard and done such a great job. Your news has been so useful and important to our family- I hope you will be back.

Sean Todd
April 21, 2015 8:49 am

Liz-
Your newsletter was part of my morning read every day, and you will be missed! I hope your break is short, and u get back to work wherever your next step is supposed to be. We need the important topics covered and you did just that for years here, and I just wanted to say thanks. 🙂

Michael Isaacs
Michael Isaacs
April 21, 2015 1:18 pm

Thanks for your efforts and diligence in providing daily local East Greenwich news coverage, not an easy task. You enhanced awareness of local issues and matters of concern and contributed to a more informed electorate. I will miss your newsletter as part of my morning reading. Best wishes.

I live in East Greenwich
I live in East Greenwich
April 21, 2015 1:33 pm

Appreciate all your hard work. I hope some East Greenwich business people can help to come up a sustainable business model, and we can see you back soon. Please don’t be hesitated to let us know what we can help.

Lisa
Lisa
April 23, 2015 3:40 pm

Elizabeth- I’ll miss seeing you around town with your faithful camera and energy but mainly your daily updates. Best of luck with the hiatus, but not for long please!!!
Best regards

Joe Zenga
Joe Zenga
August 26, 2015 9:13 am

Elizabeth, You have done a great job over the past one and 1/2 years.The boy scouts, girl scouts, little league, the political views,Thursday night walks, the parades etc.I really have not had a lot of time to always read your column, but think it is important in this small town.East greenwich has been the attraction Of many high caliber people from all over Rhode Island.I would like to start this off as somewhat of a fund raiser to keep this going in our town by pledging $1000.and ask my many friends in E.G. to step up to the plate with me. Joe and Ursula Zenga

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