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As this is written I continue to get a small number of donations for helping us continue The Lockport Home Page. We are now just under $3000, or about 25% short of our original goal. We need about $8000 a year to cover all projected expenses. Another fund-raising appeal was planned for July to raise the second half the $8K we need.
Instead, we will continue our operations on a
month-to-month basis until all money runs out. Right now we should be able to hold
on until at least April...probably much longer...maybe years...IF a couple
hundred dollars comes in via the mail weekly.
I have taken some steps to hold down the traffic and data drain on our website...since we
are charged as according to the kilobytes of data is called for. We're cutting the
data demand on this website, at least for several months, by linking some of the pictures
to off-site locations. You probably won't notice much of a difference, except some
pictures may load slower than others. We will continue to ask for donations daily
and weekly. If we ever obtain a $4000 cushion, enough for about a half year of
operation, we'll go back to annual or semi-annual appeals.
We'll continue to spend money as if we had made our fund-raising goal. That means the purchase of one inexpensive digital camera, to replace one broken. I will warn you all should we drop in reserves to less than a month of funding on hand to keep going. Gosh, I dislike having to beg like this every week but we have no other resources except advertising income which, at this time is less than 5% of our needs. We depend on you, our readers: Lockportians, here, there, and everywhere (worldwide in more than 100 countries and all 50 states). Those who have contributed have been VERY generous but the number of contributors has been alarmingly low, well under 100. Our estimated monthly circulation hasn't yet shown a sign of stabilizing, it is still increasing, but now is in the 5000 to 7000 range. That's why the total of less than a hundred contributors is so disappointing.
Of course your suggestions are welcome along with financial contributions. If we're still going in the fall, the plan is to incorporate as a non-profit group and such a move might help us get some "grant money." Please, if you've been waiting to send us a contribution, please do so this week. Make your check payable to me, Robert Rooney, as the Lockport Home Page is not an incorporated business. $52 or more makes your a Home Page "Sponsor." $12 gives the title of "Supporter." Any amount is greatly appreciated. If you don't want your name published in our periodic listings, please say so with your donation. If you include an e-mail address I will reply. Thank you again for your understanding and support!
Editor & Publisher
Lockport Home Page
P.O. Box 676
Lockport, NY 14095-0676
February 6, 2006
I have been publishing the Lockport Home Page since 1996 primarily at my own expense. Only once was an appeal for funds made during that period and over one hundred people from all over the world responded, helping us with about $2000. Advertising support has helped but has covered less than 5% of our costs. We’ll need to change that.
When I resumed publication in October (2005) after a year without updates due to a stroke, I said for normal operations to resume I would need your help with about $8000 a year to cover expenses. Personally, my savings are gone as a result of the last year of payouts for medical and other expenses. I am, in fact, in debt and under pressure to reserve my salary and income to retire that debt and pay living expenses. I no longer can afford money for the Lockport Home Page.
Money is not all I need. I need a combination of more time and more staffing help. But money is probably the biggest and most difficult challenge and I must appeal for that help first. Between now and the end of the year we must reach a goal of $4000. That will cover our operations for about half a year. With that assurance, we’ll then work on the time and staffing problems, advertising revenue, and restoration of important features such as Recent Deaths.
Can you send a contribution at this time? Make checks payable to myself, Robert Rooney, and mail to: The Lockport Home Page, P.O. Box 676, Lockport, NY 14095. I’ll be publishing weekly progress reports. Your donation is not tax deductible. However, if this effort is successful, I plan in late 2006 to turn the Lockport Page into a non-profit corporation so that future funding will be easier with tax breaks.
Please include (neatly PRINT it) an e-mail return address so I can acknowledge your contribution. Feel free to add any comments as to what you like best in the Lockport Page, editorial and other suggestions. Because of time restraints I’ll not be able to comment on your comments, but every letter will be read and considered. After the first of the year when my work demands decrease for several months I may contact you for more information.
Please send what you can and what you think this service has been worth to you in the past. I’d like to suggest $12 ($1 for every month of the year) but I suspect at that rate we’ll not reach our goal. So please consider sending more if you can.
The names of those who contribute will be published but names will withheld from publication if you so request. Borrowing a tool used by other fund-raisers a couple categories for giving have been established:
Lockport Page Supporter: $12 ($1/month)
Lockport Page Sponsor: $ 52 or more ($1/week)
Please continue to tell your friends, other Lockportians, and correspondents that the Lockport Home Page is back being updated…and…in need of help.
Thank you all so very much!
Lockport Home Page
Webmaster & Publisher
10/26/05
When I composed a brief sign-off of the Lockport Home Page after my July 2004 stroke, I promised The Page updates would resume and that I would give you all a report on how I got into such trouble. Here is that report.
I was traveling in upstate New York on a July afternoon following a job in Syracuse, en route to Ithaca. I noticed that I had to keep my eyes constantly on the road, otherwise the vehicle would drift quickly to one side. I had lost an ability to do multi-tasking while driving, a skill most of us take for granted. Back in Lockport I complained via telephone to Lockport Pager Peter Buckholtz that I had lost my ability to type. An excellent typist since high school, now my error rate on the computer was something like 95%! Dr. Buckholtz knew what was going on. Hundreds of miles away at the time, he called his sister in Lockport who was at my door within ten minutes.
Mary Case insisted that she take me to Lockport Memorial Hospital immediately. Mary has a nursing background and also knew what was going on. She escorted me to the Emergency Room, declared all the medical buzz words that get instant response, and I was laying down, being examined within a couple minutes. Tests and interim treatments began at once and continued through the day. Yes, I indeed had a stroke. Mary, God bless her, stayed with me most the day and was my "Patient Advocate." I was in the hospital about five days. Dr. Buckholtz drove in from up north in Canada, suspending his business there to be here the day after I was hospitalized and to consult with Mary and medical people as to a course of action. The word was that I indeed had waited too long for treatment but that there could still be as much as 90% restoration after about a year. Now, a bit over a year later, that is pretty much the case. I still have a slight stagger at times, and speech slurring at times, which most folks don't recognize. My keyboarding ability is back about 75% and is adequate. Other skills appear normal.
Peter and Mary are responsible for saving a good part of my life. It was my luck both were available to me at the time. I can attest that the medical staff and treatment at our Lockport Memorial Hospital was excellent. Of course, when you have an informed "Patient Advocate" it helps...Big Time! Prior to the stroke I had not been to a medical doctor since my discharge from the military. I was overweight and eating much of the wrong kind of food. Today, I see an excellent doctor every three months, am on medication to control blood pressure, have slowly dropped over 30 pounds, and seem to be in better health than I have been for several years. A series of other tests over time have given me some assurance that I am OK as far as other health threats. I am working to reduce and control stress.
I have been back to work for a year. My boss and employer have been excellent---understanding, supportive, and that company health insurance made a huge difference for me. Still, I have taken a financial beating over the past year...savings are gone and debt is up. This means it will be necessary for the Lockport Home Page to fully pay its own way. I no longer have the neighborhood of $8K/year to supplement the donations and ad revenue to keep this service going. And, since there has been no revenue at all since last July, I have some catching up to do. None of our advertisers have been charged in over a year. It amazes me that traffic on the website, which I must pay for monthly, has only gone down about 40%! We will be offering several new advertising options in the near future and will make an appeal for donations from readers worldwide. The response over the next three months will decide the fate of the Lockport Home Page.
In regard to stress, I intend to avoid it here at the Lockport Home Page as well as elsewhere, as best I can. Some features will not return. I am still stressed when I think of the two "goons" supporting a local official, who was subject of Lockport Home Page editorial monitoring. The two, both on the public payroll, appeared at my front door to intimidate me about four years ago during an election. I'm going to try to avoid that kind of danger in the future.
As the website is updated over the next few months, please be patient. I will be letting you know how those of you who wish to help, can help. It will be a slow re-start but we are at the beginning of this and I hope you will pass the word to friends and Lockportians everywhere that this publication, online since 1996, is not yet willing to retire.
Bob Rooney
Editor & Webmaster
October 4, 2005