About the Rochester-WA.com Website
Rochester has no local newspaper or radio station where residents can get information about activities and resources. The Rochester School District often sends flyers and notices home with students of things about items of interest to their parents. However, if you have no school age children these notices don't reach you. The only other means of learning about important activities is by "word-of-mouth" from someone who happens to know about it.
During the summer of 2004 I began to explore the possibility of using a website as a means of making information available to a greater number of Rochester residents. It was initially envisioned only as a community calendar where one could see what event was scheduled on a particular day. Those who were hosting an event could send the information about it to be placed on the calendar. As the idea continued to develop it became clear other types of information might be added to the site.
In February of 2005, the domain name was acquired and this website was launched. During 2005 and 2006 several other sections were added to the website. More sections are in the development stage and will soon be added.
Early in February 2007, as the website passed its two year anniversary, three more sections were added. These included a listing of Organizations meeting regularly, Opportunities for volunteering, and Annual Community Events.
The calendar of events, meetings and happenings is perhaps one of the most important features of the website. Your help in providing me with information about these events is a very vital need. For this website to function properly it is essential for it be a partnership between you, the residents of Rochester, and myself. Your part is to send me information about events which are scheduled and my part is to provide and maintain this website as a free service to the community of Rochester.
Submitting information about an event is quite simple. At the bottom of each page of the calendar section is this statement: "Submit event information here". By clicking on the underlined word "here" it will open up a form where you can enter the information asked for. Clicking on the "submit" button at the bottom of the form page will automatically send me an e-mail of the information which you entered on the form. Once I receive that e-mail I will post the information to the calendar.
For any other type of information you wish to send me there is a regular e-mail link at the bottom of each calendar page.
I am open to suggestions which will make this website more useful to you, the residents of Rochester. I appreciate the opportunity to provide this service to my fellow Rochester residents. May we all benefit from this new partnership.
It is exciting to see the continued growth in pages being viewed. I have received e-mails from several former residents, now living elsewhere, who keep up on what is happening here. Thank you all for helping make this happen!
Bill Liddle
February 4, 2007