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 Why would anyone want to create a website for features and news for a community who had less than 5% of homes online? Why even attempt the task, knowing dial-up was the only means to connect, and the homepage took 4 minutes to load? Consider the lunacy of the premise it would be advertiser-based from businesses who owned their own websites. The only problem was, the community did not have any websites from local businesses!
I am guilty of all charges. The year was 1998, and I had just purchased the URL (www.thecity1.com) for the primary reason to own an internet presence for my Reinforcing Steel company, The City Rebar Detailing, Inc. However, within days of purchasing the site name, I decided to start a community magazine in order to create a more effective method of instant communication, within the Morrison community. The site would provide a community calendar, which had long been advocated at town hall meetings, and also provide a controlled and creative way to use the Internet in a business-like manner.
Remember, these "old days" were the time of rampant, uncontrolled, unscrupulous websites, and they dominated the entire Internet. So, with the assistance of a Morrison Institute of Technology intern, we created and published a single page of current Morrison information in that summer of 1998. I think we might have had all of 3 online visitors over the next couple of months.
During those early years we changed thecity1.com more times than a newborn child. We gained new viewers only by handing out flyers and, in some cases, going into their homes and typing in the URL for them. We unashamedly created banners with our URL, placed them on the sides of my car, and rode in a parade like we were a Rose Bowl float! We once had a contest to encourage high school students to use our site by offering a free scooter if they used a special homework site with their teacher. Those were fun times, and we utilized many Morrison High School students and MIT interns.
Then we realized we were becoming more relevant with our viewers. People wanted information faster, and they wanted news from both national and local areas. We recognized our responsibility and brought on board Dawn Zuidema, who instantly provided us with a full time features editor with an ability to capture the moment with her camera. Our site became a pallet of her images; many an event was captured with her wonderful photography skills.
We soon learned we had extended friends in other parts of the country and world. They were viewing our site, and we heard from them regularly. When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, we had Morrison firefighters and volunteer nurses go to help. Thecity1.com provided an electronic tablet for them to give our viewers daily reports of their experiences. We learned to adapt as we moved forward, but always with a sense of responsibility to our viewers.
Thecity1.com is changing again, this time with new ownership. Effective February 1, 2010, Stephanie Vavra will assume responsibility as owner and publisher of thecity1.com. She has been an informal contributor since 2001, publicizing her non-profit groups on thecity1.com. In 2002, we began a 2 ½-year partnership as co-chairs of Morrison Sesquicentennial. She contributed terrific articles and public information materials during that time. I took advantage of that expertise and hired her as a correspondent in 2006. I made her our Advertising Manager in 2009. Stephanie has been an eager participant in helping local businesses gain a web presence on thecity1.com.
There are new challenges to be met. The Internet is no longer a slow, cumbersome place, but rather a fast-evolving storm of technology that will need a new cast of ownership on the website to keep pace. Twelve years ago newspapers had no web presence. Now, most newspapers have websites attracting more viewers than those who buy their paper. Twelve years ago the cell phone was not invented. Now, we carry hand-held devices that have 100's of applications. People are reinventing how they receive their information. Thecity1.com is evolving to provide that service. Stephanie will lead the way as the new owner, and she will make us all proud.
You can find my fingerprints on thecity1.com, from time to time, on the Op/Ed page. I will write articles regarding Morrison business activities and items of interest regarding business-related topics. Our downtown business district has seen its own share of changes and upheaval in the past few years, and now we see an opportunity to make a positive difference. Follow my journey through my Op/Ed pages when you find the time.
I sincerely appreciate all of the viewers who have clicked into our pages. A special thank you goes to all of the advertisers who have trusted us for so many years. They have learned that the web is a great place to advertise, and it has become the primary source of information for buyers of products and services.
Thank you, Morrison, for a fun ride. May this new year of 2010 start your best decade ever.
Bob Vaughn, Owner & Publisher
thecity1.com, Morrison Online
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