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HOME > Other > About Annandale Online > Mission & Rationale
Mission
The purpose of a community website for Annandale is to strengthen and increase the connectedness within the community by providing an interactive communication platform containing accurate, timely information about, by, and for the Annandale community.
Rationale
Why does Annandale need a community website?
History offers a valuable lesson when we try to rationalize the efforts and resources necessary for a community website. In the early days of the American West, many once-booming communities became literal ghost towns as the new railroad system passed them by. A highway system that spread across the country under President Eisenhower was a wonderful thing which connected cities and promoted economic growth in post-war America, but many of the towns that were passed by the major roads withered away. The Internet has been called the Information Highway, a reference to that highway system. As we enter the new millennium, the "virtual transportation network" of the Internet threatens communities with becoming "electronic ghost towns" on the virtual frontier. We don't want Annandale to be left off of the newest highway system, the Internet.
Annandale reflects a revival of appreciation for community that is occurring all over America. One writer says that the increase is due to "a growing belief that the alienation and lack of connection felt by individuals in society can be relieved by returning to and strengthening communities and community institutions." The increased interest in Annandale's community involvement has been seen in the Expo, the Cancer Walk the building of Cardinal Kingdom, the school volunteer program, HOLT volunteers, Youth First, and the Annandale Community Team (ACT).
Annandale must not relinquish its identity in the 21st century, and a community website is a step in that direction. When considering consolidations in rural school districts and mergers in the business community, plus the globalization of culture and the economy, it is apparent that Annandale's identity could be in jeopardy. It is solid now, but it could easily slip away, and it is worth preserving. If the community uses and supports Annandale Online, our community has a better chance to maintain its viability and identity as we enter the 21st century.