Project manager Rich Haag spent countless hours developing the technology in the Expression Engine content management system. “I feel like I am building a car and have a decent set of tires, seats, windows,” he said. “I just need to get the motor running so I finally can see how everything works together.”
When it appears in June 2011, the site will feature profiles of ‘people going green,’ community-contributed stories and resources for sustainable living. It also invites user-submitted questions that a series of experts will answer. And an interactive events calendar will let users find activities under the headers ‘Do,’ ‘Learn,’ and ‘Play’.
While he built the backbone of the site, Haag also worked to build up a network around the site. He joined The Charlotte Observer’s Networked Journalism project, another J-Lab initiative partnering legacy news organizations with hyperlocal news publishers. Also launched was an internship program with Belmont Abbey College, a small liberal arts school in the middle of the Catawba River District. Interns are beginning to contribute to the site behind-the-scenes.
Haag has also hit the road, holding community gatherings to get specific ideas for how to share news about environmental issues in the district. He has compiled a list of leaders in neighborhood, civic, school, church and environmental groups and has already begun reaching out with an electronic newsletter. And he shared information about the project at several other community events, including a recent Earth Day event at Gastonia’s Schiele Science Museum.
Haag remains optimistic about the need for this information. He recently emailed an announcement about an upcoming event to 500 community leaders and asked them to pass it along. Within a few hours, his message reached thousands. “Now I’m getting a rebound of sorts,” he said, “people sending me invitations to their events.”
His goal continues to be an exceptional and flawless site, but he recently arrived at the conclusion that at some point, the site needs to go live. As a fellow board member put it to him, “A Chevy will work just fine right now even if our dream is to have a Cadillac.”
Catawba RiverViews is expected to launch in late June 2011.
