A New Website, New Opportunities & A Cell Phone Kerfuffle

by Evie Maxwell, Features Editor

At last!

The Port Ludlow Voice has it all!

Well … maybe not ALL, but darn close when you’re a local publication, run by volunteers, in a mostly rural corner of the Pacific Northwest.

The new website is the focus of this, but we will get to the kerfuffle as it’s a prime example of some of the possibilities opened by our new Submissions portal.

But back to the basics: In addition to our gorgeous monthly print publication (and a thousand thanks to the outpouring of volunteers who help keep it alive), we now have an up-to-date, modern-day website with the following sections:

Archives: The new website features a massive archive of stories from the Port Ludlow Voice. All stories are easily downloadable in .pdf format and viewable in web format, which will work on your phone and your computer.

Photos: You will find a vast array of photos on the website. They will be in full color (when available) and many of them just wouldn’t fit into our print publication.

Searches: The new website is in the process of creating robust search functions including all of our archived issues all the way back to the beginning of The Voice! Currently you are able to search any posted articles. That includes the amazing recurring features such as “Porch Talk” and “Meet Your Firefighters.”  As our search function expands, we’ll keep you posted.

Submissions & (Finally) the Kerfuffle: We’re especially excited about our new feature that allows you to submit your own articles. Got news about your club, a recent event, or really anything that you think will interest Port Ludlow readers?

Just click the “Submit an Article” button at the top of any of our web pages and you’ll find everything you need to enter an article for publication. The article will go directly to the appropriate editor, and we will let you know if it can be published. Please refrain from submitting political articles and articles with topics such as pornography, violence, etc., as they cannot be accepted.

That said, the potential value of your submissions can be huge. In fact, it is thanks to one reader that we are now investigating a brewing cell phone kerfuffle. According to a submission sent in by KJ Turley, a plot in the midst of Port Ludlow’s North Bay region is being eyed for a new 150-foot monopole wireless communication facility (AKA a tower). This land (Parcel 821081015) is situated just north of Swansonville Road and Fleet Drive, and plans filed with the County call for a 50 by 50 foot fenced compound, ground equipment, a new access road, and infrastructure designed to accommodate multiple wireless carriers.

Needless to say, this could raise some eyebrows. We contacted the county and learned that the cell tower applicant has until early this year to respond to a request for more information in order for the process to go forward. In the meantime, anyone interested can learn more, and give comments, by going to the Jefferson County self-service page and using the search function to access ZON2025-00011. This page also offers an email address for anyone wishing to make a comment, all of which will be made public. And, of course, any new information on the project will be publicized via our website’s Breaking News section.

Advertisers: Last but definitely not least is our “Advertiser section which leads to a host of information including sizes, pricing, reader demographics, and more. Use the scroll bar on the right to view all the information.

Want more? Just come to our website at plvoice.org. We look forward to seeing you there.