THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT ALL SHOULD READ. Please!

[Teresa]

This is going to be a maybe lengthy..  not politically correct or socially correct in the wording..but for sure I will get my point across in whatever redneck fashion that I am well known for.
 First off...   I apologize to everyone because I have not been an active participant nor even an active moderator in the last few years. Therefore, I have not been inside the walls of this domain site in pretty much that time.
 Without going into a long boring diatribe of my life activities, its sufficient to say that I have been up to my ears in projects work related and personal. I have been training and taking all kinds of tactical and personal defense classes in all areas of self defense and firearm handling. I'm proud to say that I'm now a firearms instructor and hopefully by this spring will be opening up my business to teach Women's Basic Pistol and Self Defense classes and CC Classes. I have also been competing in several areas of the shooting sports and helping Marshal on occasion with his productions for the Outdoor Channel. That and Grandchildren and family and normal life activities pretty much takes up my time. BUT~~~~~ that is still no excuse for not stepping in here and doing what needed to be done a long time ago. For that I once again say.. "I'm sorry"..
Marshal has been raised to producer level in several areas within the Channel .. plus still is doing Consulting work and marketing and video work.. plus still has all his other projects that he has been obligated to uphold, which means lots more work and travel time plus he's also competing in the shooting sports and helping me get my new business venture off the ground. so we are coming and going at a fast pace and meeting each other in the middle most of the days.

Marshal and I have provided a forum for the citizens of Elk County since 2004. We did this so people would have a place to come locally and catch up on news { friendly gossip} and so on. Well~ It started out great but gradually has turned into a back biting negative place and I for one am not pleased..


Over the last 11 years, the internet as a communication platform has changed dramatically and has become very  scattered and fragmented with sections of all kinds going in all directions. We all know that you can find out anything under the sun in a matter of how long it takes to say.. " Ok Google"....
Social Media has changed they way we communicate and the forum is no longer a main resource for information. In fact we can talk to anyone in the whole world by a click of a keyboard by talking into a voice activated computer or phone via the internet.

Because of the constant changes and advancement of the cyber world... people go to many places to 'reach out and touch someone'....aka Facebook.. Linkedin..Twitter... just to name a few. Part of that, of course, is the reason that forum activity has been reduced to 1/10 of what it was when it peaked in 2009. The other downward spiral is because I believe that the forum is not a fun  friendly place to visit or come to anymore.
The complaints about the forum we receive online or offline are increasing and it all comes down to politics. Don't get me wrong.. I'm just as passionate as the rest of any American about what's happening to our city's and our small community townships..But Good lord folks.. enough is enough.. When the political posts and rantings start invading all the other sections, and take on such a slanderous nature..
 then it becomes an annoyance and an aggravation to those who either have been in the political section and read it already..and definitely to those that don't give a fat frogs patoote about it in the first place and then having it spread all through the coffee shop!

We have a choice looking us in the eye.
We can try to keep the forum open and going and see if the negativity and the over zealous political cat scratching among forum members eases up and it gets back to being a local place to chat and have fun a few minutes out of your busy days... or we can either shut it down all together... ( and I will be straight up honest with you... that was my suggestion to Marshal } ........because I am the one that catches most of the complaints and problems that are going on internally and externally within the forum from the humans.. He catches all robot and computer tech problems.. lol

 I am not saying that the complaints are not rightly valid. I do believe they are. What I am saying is it takes a whole lot of time to deal with this dissension and I simply don't have the time.. nor do I really want to. ...And ~based on the reduction in activity, and the way the forum is viewed... this isn't really the kind of place I want our local town to be known for.. Because seriously people... our little town is a friendly great place to live and be. We have so much going for us here.. we have a medical clinic..post office.. court house.. grocery store, pharmacy, hardware store gun store, gas stations, eating places, library..a school.. And yet we fuss and complain and gouge peoples eyes out while sitting behind a keyboard!   I mean ...seriously? I have wanted to go in an "clean up" a whole bunch of crap in here and Marshal..bless his heart.. still holds to the fact that its an open forum and will not stifle peoples 1st amendment rights. and I DO agree with him... but I've had it!!

So.... we will keep this forum open and give it 2 more months to the end of the year.. and if it still has this dark energy hanging on it.. we will close it for good..
We really don't want to do this because we DO still believe that we need a place to go to find out what's going on and who died and so on on a local level.... and I believe that politics also is a huge part of our lives..locally and country wide.  Government issues can not and should not be kept quiet about .. but my god!!! Ease up on it .. PLEASE... and if you just HAVE to hammer at it.. PLEASE keep it in the politics section so those that care can read it and those that don't won't have to look at it!
Because if I get a note from anyone saying its leached into the other sections I WILL delete it.

So~~~~~~ we will see what the next 2 months bring..
Until then.. remember..our time on this earth is short....Don't allow silly drama to stress you out. Breathe and let it go..for it won't make any difference in an hour or a day anyway.

Thanks for listening to me...

Teresa

[proelkco]

Well said and thank you both

[frawin]

Well said Teresa, I don't think anyone has ever doubted your word, we  all need to heed what you say. I am guilty as the next guy and it won't  happen again. I look forward to seein post by the many positive ones that I really enjoyed. I may even revive my topic " Better Fill up Today". You and Kjell have gone to a lot of  expense and effort to make this Forum available to so many and you are really appreciated.

[frawin]

Good morning Pro, I look forward to your positive posts as well.

[Wilma]

Once again Teresa has proven that she is the best in saying what needs to be said.  Well, done, Teresa.  What can I do to help?

[Teresa]

I seriously think that we all care and are concerned about what goes on in our town and community. And the political agenda is a huge concern with everyone ..throughout our county and country for that matter. But when it becomes hateful and combative and it ceases to be anything that can be talked about or discussed without hurtful and personal attacks then it becomes a black mark and negative force to all that have to read it. And a forum room is almost the same as a real room . Would you want to go back to a little cafe where you had to constantly hear people bickering or doing nothing but cramming their political rhetorical agenda down everyone's throats in every corner of the room? I wouldn't. Nor do I like to eat in a restaurant that used to have smoking combined with the non smoking. Its all the same.
Just keep your items of conversation in the rooms that they belong in.. Thats all anyone has to do. If you go into that room and engage.. then you have knowingly and willingly put yourself in that zone of either civilized debate or combative debate. If you don't like it.. leave. but ..it is your choice if you walk in there.
also.. if you think that the rooms of the building are a bit boring.. then stand up bring something else to the table. Sometimes people will respond.. sometimes they won't.. but then at least you can say you tried.
I am very guilty of not adding anything to this forum for a very long time. I'm a Facebook junky though.. but I think its because I can do it all through my phone. and most of you are already on my friends list on my FB page... so you have to deal with my crazy on a dally basis.. (((sorry)).. lol  And I don't even go to the bathroom without my phone in hand.. (((I know I know...I'm an admitted addict))
I will set my phone up with this forum and  see if I can post videos pictures etc on here.. So I will try to do better myself.
I can't promise.. but I will try.. and I think for that those who use this forum ...that's really all you have to do. is just use it in a nice way.

[Jane]

When this forum started I was really happy. With living out of county, I was thinking people would put the game scores, activity of town on. I know Halloween is coming but nothing has been said about the Hot Dog roast Julie puts on up town. Even the events of the American Legion could be on here. It would be nice to see things 1 to 2 weeks ahead of time so we could make it down for the event. I am happy the Obits are on or we would know nothing about deaths in Elk County. (Thank you, Karen Indermill). I would even like to see Auctions and Garage Sales on here, there again it takes time to put everything on. Yes, it will be nice to stop everything that is on here now.

[Catwoman]

Thank you, Teresa.  All of your considerable efforts are greatly appreciated.      It will be nice to hopefully see the Forum return to what it used to be...A place where friends meet.