From the Post-Tribune, May 13, 2008:
GREENCALUMET' FOUNDER TAKES REGIONAL APPROACH
by Janis Moore
Linda Gibson is enterprising, innovative and an advocate for things green. No grass grows under her feet (unless it's chemical free) because she is busy creating and updating her new Web site, www.greencalumet.com to keep us abreast on information we need to enrich our lives.
"Green is a vision, an ideal," Gibson said. "It's what I hope we can make our homes and our community. I want to make them places of peace and harmony, both with the natural world and each other."
Calumet is our region, which stretches from roughly Michigan City west up to Pullman in Illinois and south down to Valparaiso, she said.
"I wanted a regional approach because we have to much in common with people in the Illinois part of Calumet."
She described Calumet as a geological and sociological region. Its history is one of intense industrial development in the middle of a unique, natural region.
"We have problems and opportunities that don't stop at the state line," she said.
Gibson has 25 years of experience as a newspaper reporter, editor and freelance writer.
"When I moved to Miller in 2003, my intent was to get another job in journalism, but having hit my 50th birthday, it was like hitting a brick wall for my career."
Her Web site was conceived from a 20-year desire to publish her own magazine or newspaper, but until the Internet came along, it wasn't financially possible, Gibson said.
She built the site using a do-it-yourself program, but it still took her "two months of screaming, cursing, chest-beating and hair-pulling."
Although the site is finally up and running now, Gibson said "what's on it right now is bare bones."
The calendar page lists events throughout the region from art exhibits, plant sales, volunteer opportunities and concerts. A links page has categories from arts to animals to farm and food to recycling.
"The next feature I want to get running is a ride-share bulletin board. One of my pet-sitting (At Your Service Pet Valet) customers suggested it," she said.
Gibson wants to fill her site with original articles on, for instance, pollution control and alternative agriculture "mostly written by me," she said, "because I have no money to pay anyone. Contributions of columns and feature articles are welcome."
The site is free, but down the road she said it needs subscriptions and advertising.
"Ads will be limited to one page so readers won't be bombarded by them," she said. She hopes to focus on businesses such as artisans, musicians, feed and garden stores, farm stands and ethnic restaurants.
Another feature, a list of farmers markets, will be ready by June.
"I hope 'GreenCalumet' becomes an enjoyable part of people's lives, something they look to for inspiration, motivation and fun," she said.
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