The Shiretown Blogger looks back on past year of blogging

As I was leaving First Town Dental on Connell Street after my dentist appointment on June 28^th, I saw Rosalyn Drake, owner of Viveta Medical Clinic.

I met Rosalyn in September 2011 when I gave a presentation at Falls Brook Centre in Knowlesville at their annual fair about my blog. Rosalyn was there promoting her clinic. Rosalyn is a very kind lady who always goes out of her way to speak to people.

I couldn't help but say hello to Rosalyn and ask “how's it going?” We talked about how the summer is going, work, and my blog.

I mentioned that the blog has been up and running for nearly a year (the one-year anniversary is on July 19^th), and that I have surpassed 15,000 total hits on the blog, the second goal I had set for the amount of pageviews I had hoped to have by mid-July.

Rosalyn mentioned that her walk-in medical clinic is preparing to celebrate one year in business too. Where does the time go?

My conversation with Rosalyn brings me to reflect on The Shiretown Blogger's first year. Within a twelve-month period, I have been able to establish my blog as an alternative news source which would serve the Woodstock area and most of the online world. Establishing a strong presence in the beginning helped to lay the groundwork for the blog's early and continued success.

I have also established a presence on other social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Contrary to popular belief, the use of social media to promote my blog has been met with limited success, however, it has helped in one way or another for sure.

Celebrating our wealthy community and its progress

The Shiretown Blogger aims to celebrate the community (primarily Woodstock) and portray it in a positive light. What our wealthy community really has to offer is often overlooked.

My goal to celebrate the community and the people in it has not changed. My goal is still to celebrate “our wealthy community and its progress.”

I have been inclusive to most other types of stories. Everyone has a story to tell. I strive to tell every story I possibly can and stick to The Shiretown Blogger's motto.

But as the blog grows in popularity, the amount of stories told on it does too. I have somewhat branched off from my main focus of celebrating the wealthy community and included different types of stories, including my (somewhat) regular commentary “The Blogger Speaks,” where I express my sometimes unpopular opinions on issues.

I still, however, see joy in “celebrating our wealthy community and its progress.”

A year's worth of changes

I have got to admit, a lot can happen in twelve months. I have had the pleasure of covering and promoting various events in Woodstock and the greater area, including the successful 2011-12 Slammers campaign, the Dooryard Arts Festival, and the Falls Brook Fair, just to name a few.

I have added a History at a Glance page, where The Shiretown Blogger takes a look at how Woodstock became the wealthy community it is today.

Aside from my commentary “The Blogger Speaks,” I will be beginning an occasional segment called “Our World,” where I will be discussing world issues.

This segment will also be changed to something along the lines of an editorial, something less personal. However, it will still reflect the views of The Shiretown Blogger.

For more information, visit www.shiretownblogger.blogspot.com.