Beginning on July 2, 2006, the Gazette has been revamped. The process involved placing all materials published on the Gazette prior to July 2006 in this archived section, which will not be updated nor corrected unless someone brings a serious error to our attention. We have also creating a new, albeit minimalist, section that has the potential to grow over time.

Helen Gunderson, who founded the Gazette in May 2002, had tried since the spring of 2005 to find a new publisher for the web site. In January 2006, the Gilbert Main Street Association agreed to take on the Gazette; however, the GMSA soon realized it did not have the resources necessary to maintain the Gazette to the extent that the group had anticipated.

Julie Adams of J.B. Knacker and Miles Moore of Consignment Gallery, representing the GMSA, met with Helen in June 2006 to discuss the situation. Julie and Miles both believe that the Gilbert community needs a vehicle of communication and do not want the life of the Gazette to come to an end. Indeed, the Gazette has proven itself as a valuable resource and has great visibility. When someone uses Google to surf the Internet and find information about Gilbert, Iowa, the Gazette is at the top of the list of web sites.

Julie, Miles, and Helen developed a strategy to convert the web site. The archived section has not changed much in appearance, and visitors who have links to favorite pages that they have found on the Gazette in the past few years should still be able to use those links. The new, on-going section has a simple appearance that will evolve in aesthetics, layout design, and functionality over time.

We welcome your input regarding the new section. Let the GMSA know the kinds of things you would like to see posted. Thank you.