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My name is Sandi and I am known as "mom" to most of Petsburgh.
Several years ago, I was a Community Leader in Heartland.
The CL program was pretty new when I joined and the enthusiasm by the CL's and Geocities was high! It was, however, a turbulent time as Heartland was a huge neighborhood with lots of good CL's and a few "not so good" back then. When one of those deleted a committee website and threatened to do so again, I became acquainted quite well with Karen, the Community Manager for Geocities. I was Chair of the Heartland Pet Gazette at that time. I had no Co-Liaison experience...those folks just would not elect me. *smile* It was as a result of this deletion of a
committee website that the policy became to always place these away from a personal website and to back them up! |
The first time Geocities came up with the idea to open a pet community, I was against it. I wrote Karen and objected strongly and the idea was tabled for a while. I am sure others wrote also. Our loyalty at that time was strictly to Heartland and we felt losing the pet sites would diminish our 'hood. Some time later, Geocities again made the decision to open the hood and this time, they did not ask for feedback.
The first Petsburgh logo
There were about 6 or 8 of us involved in the opening. A Heartland CL named Gypsy seemed the most obvious to be Liaison. There were some ladies from other neighborhoods also, a lady named ScorpiRose and a catlover named Ashton Leigh. Karen called me to talk about the opening. I did not ask for Liaison...I just told her I would be willing to help wherever needed. I felt the goal of the hood was to spotlight our pets and not us as individuals. She said, "Then you have the attitude I want and YOU will be the new Liaison."
When I got up off the floor, I asked for help since I had no experience as a Liaison and she said she thought Rick Robinson would be wonderful. He was technical, easy to like and loyal. We could be Joint Liaisons with him doing technical and personnel things and I would do committees, etc. I would handle the Petsburgh Station. During all this, we were in touch with Lisa, Lyn, Sharon and Harvey, who all came aboard as CL's. SuSue came aboard early on also but she was more acquainted with Rick and Harvey at that time than with me. She was a Co-Liaison in Heartland. I hope I "stole" her from those fellows and she is dear trusted friend now. We had Teri as a CL who had the beloved Peke, Asasha, and Critter (Chris) was with us a long time. April was here at that time and had beautiful cat pages. Later, we got Ferd who took over Park suburb when Sharon retired. There were many others and I wish I could name them all but this page would be miles longer. Almost all were always wonderful to me and I got along with them...if they were "irked" at me (*grin*) they kept it away from me.
For committees, we created the Blue Ribbon Pet Awards, Pride of Petsburgh, the Petsburgh Post, Petsburgh Petz and probably more that I cannot recall. I took the Petsburgh Post. A lady named Amy had Pride of Petsburgh and Sharon had Pet Site of the Week. ScorpiRose was leader of Petsburgh Petz. Many of these committee sites had to be created in only a day or two with all grapics, text, webrings,etc...ready to roll. Geocities was not known for their patience.
SuSue was elected our first Co-Liaison of Petsburgh itself. When Farm was added, Harvey was elected Co-Liaison of that one. While I was still Liaison, we added Zoo, Haven, and Park, and possibly Yard. I celebrated each time we elected a new Co-Liaison but I do think our present set-up is better because elections can be "traumatic" and can lead to hurt feelings, sadness and very often CL's left because of them. I finally lived long enough to be elected Co-Liaison in Heartland and won't leave now just for aggravation! *smile* Heartland clings to the "old ways" but I think our "new management" of Petsburgh is much better and lets every active CL play as big a part as they wish.
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I was a Mentor for Geocities and had the pleasure of helping
train several CL's. Lisa and Mona are my "mentlings" and there were several others. Being a Mentor was a lot of fun and I loved watching them rise to become wonderful CL's and leaders.
Rick and Clint are also my trainees and I trained many who have moved on to other ventures. I trained several for Heartland and
have a page for some of them HERE. |
 Lisa the GOOSE |
I kept the position of Liaison for a little over a year then felt it was time to step back and let others lead for a while. I was having some health problems and after a while I was just a bit "burned out" and needed to rest. During my tenure as Liaison, I had the distinct privilege of being Liaison of the Month for all of Geocities and that was such an honor. I kept some of the beautiful graphics I was given when I retired and part of them are shown here. Some are on another site. This made my bawl like a big ole baby! I was given several wonderful pages for being Liaison of the Month too and stored them elsewhere!
Mona's Liaison Torment Page
I have way too many memories of Petsburgh to list here or this would be pages long. We had some wonderful times. A lady named Barb Henderson and our own Lyn helped me learn PSP and I was so thrilled to finally be able to do some of my own graphics. I have talked with Rick, Lisa, Mona, SuSue, Barb Henderson, and Sharon on the phone and really feel I know them plus I got to actually meet Sharon in Biloxi, Mississippi when we met them to pick up PuppySue and Patches, two homeless Pekes. I have talked to Punkie on the phone too and found her as delightful as the others. I was tormented by MsMona and still link to that so-funny page she created just for me. I was tormented by a little 10 year old who wanted to steal graphics and claim them as her own. (That one was not amusing!) I helped Lisa become the "Goose" and remember being so sad to lose Rick, Harvey and others who moved on to other things. These people kept me going when my little peke, Toot, passed to the Bridge and these people...all of YOU...are my "friends" first and CL's next.
This past year I ventured into the Site Fight arena and had fun with that and met more new friends. I think the internet is wonderful and I treasure every day I get to stay in touch with all of you. I love being "Mom" and hope to keep that title for a long, long time.
All my "kids" (Pekes, cats, and guinea pig and my two birds)
have to share time with my other "kids"...all the gang in
Petsburgh! (They do not mind!) They have lots of internet pals
too! We send our loving arfs, purrs, chirps and hugs to all!
