TWELVE YEARS OLD WITH NEW WEBSITE ON HORIZON, CEDAR KEY NEWS ASKS FOR ASSISTANCE

Mandy Offerle

The main topics discussed at the Cedar Key News (CKN) Twelfth Annual Meeting this past Tuesday evening at the Cedar Key Library were inextricably related: extant revenues expenses and needed resources. After a warm welcome, Managing Editor Colin Dale posed to the approximately twenty-five News supporters the approximate monthly costs needed of operate the paper on line, approximately $450, and the second set of costs needed to operate the paper both online and in print, approximately $1,700. He further reported that the CKN currently publishes only online and is solvent.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Dale stressed the CKN`s need for additional resources of all kinds. Most important is an advertising manager, a person to solicit and bill advertisers. With this person or persons hired and fully engaged, enough money should be realized to reestablish the print edition, the last of which was the January 3, 2013, issue. Reminding his listeners of the CKN masthead phrase, "News, of the people, by the people, and for the people," Dale asked supporters to submit articles and pictures special to them; book reviews, gardening items, conservancy, and all things supporters consider worth sharing are appropriate; he encouraged regular submissions. Such information may be mailed to cedarkeynews@gmail.com at any time.

NEW WEBSITE

Webmaster Jackie Jurcik, currently under the tutelage of former CKN webmaster Matt Chatowsky, spoke briefly about the new CKN website currently under construction. The site should be more user friendly and informative than the current, decade-old site. Jurcik believes that the new site will increase the current 60 to 80 hits per article.

NEW CKN BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The evening`s brief agenda included the approval of a slate of new directors which includes Molly Jubitz, Rita Baker, and Dr. Earl Starnes whose terms will expire in March 2015. These three join current board of directors Managing Editor Colin Dale, Jean Rigg, and Ada Lang whose terms expire in March 2014.

MEMBER INPUT

The attendees made numerous suggestions to Dale. Among them were: soliciting sponsorship from the Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce and the City of Cedar Key; incorporating a pay function on the new website so that readers may donate to the paper; forecasting a financial survival plan for hard times; increasing off shore advertisers.

MEMBERSHIP DONATION
Should you wish to become a member of donator to of the Cedar Key News, please, mail your name, address, e mail address, and check to Cedar Key News, P.O. Box 334, Cedar Key, Florida, 32625. The following levels of membership have existed in the past; please, understand that any and all donations are graciously received.

- Individual $15

- Household $25

- Sponsor $50

- Donor $100

Please, make out your check to Cedar Key News, Inc. Note that CKN is a Florida non-profit corporation but has not applied for federal tax-exempt status.