Kris,

Your electronic newsletters are the most impressive that I have ever seen. I would love the opportunity to learn how you do this. Is that possible?

Oscar Olszewski

(Editor's note: Thanks Oscar. I can tell you what software I use and outline the general procedures I go through.

SOFTWARE

Microsoft Publisher 2003 (for the mailed hard copy)
DreamWeaver MX (for the e-newsletter and the web site that supports it)
Adobe Photo Elements 2.0 (to edit digital photos)
Microsoft Word 2003 (to edit most documents before they are copy and pasted into Publisher and DreamWeaver)
Microsoft Outlook 2003 (for email processing)
Cute FTP Pro (for uploading the files to Dave's web server)
Microsoft Internet Explorer (for scouting for news stories on the internet and viewing the HTML files that I create)
PDF Producer (for the printable online version of Runway 35)

What I do for the e-version is create it with DreamWeaver, save it, then I test it with Internet Explorer, then I upload the web site to Dave’s server. For the e-mail, it’s just another web page. I copy and paste it into a blank e-mail with Outlook. Then I send it to myself with a BCC (blind carbon copy), to everyone in the chapter. Works really well because most e-mail clients support HTML, the exceptions are AOL 5.0 and lower. You can think of the newsletter email as a roving salesman for the web site. I could just send a plain text message to everyone with the web address of the newsletter in a link. Chapter 35 is among the first chapters in the country to offer an electronic newsletter delivered to your desktop in an e-mail.)

Ric Reynolds

(Editor's note: Ric works at EAA HQ and he assembles and then emails e-HOT LINE to thousands of EAA’ers. I asked him for his opinion of the e-version of Runway 35. Many thanks to Ric and everyone else in the chapter. While I love the accolades it would be nice to get some thoughtful e-mails to the editor that deal with aviation issues or comments on the content of this newsletter. There are some exciting things happening in aviation, let’s hear from you.)

I've been meaning to tell you that you all can just send us the E-newsletter so you can save the paper & postage. Sorry I am late on doing this! You all put out an awesome newsletter!! Many thanks for all of your time & effort!

We wish we could be active members, but due to time & distance & time we're trying to spend building our RV6A when able, we'll just have to drool over your newsletters!

Thanks again for everything!

Sandy & Pete Spradling

Every so often, we get a little boost to help keep us going. Late in October the following letter arrived.

“Dear Norris

I’m glad everything is going well with Chapter 35. I enjoy reading your newsletters and keeping abreast of the great work of not only your Chapter, but other Chapters as well, keeping aviation alive. Keep the news from around the patch going: it brings folks together to share the love of aviation. Last year I read some 2,000 newsletters and have read a great many this year. It keeps me in touch with grassroots.

If you have any suggestions that I can present to EAA’s management or its directors that would be helpful to the Chapters, I would appreciate receiving them.

Our best to you and to your fine Chapter.

Sincerely

Paul Poberezny
Chairman and Founder

As we said at the November meeting, the invitation is there to weigh in with our ideas. Use the standard EAA address following Paul’s name. Your chapter officers would appreciate a copy of your letter.

(Editor's. note: This is for you, Dave and Miriam. Here's the address if you are interested in writing to Paul, if you think it's newsletter worthy, please send it to me at kris123@tds.net )

Paul Poberezny
EAA Aviation Center
P O Box 3086
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086