_______5000                   -opn--opn--opn--op           Population: 962
   | |                     -opn--opn--opn--opn--opn--
 __| |__4500             -opn--opn--opn--opn--opn--opn-
   | |                 -opn--opn__________--opn--opn--opn
 __| |__4000         -opn--opn-/  ____   /opn--opn--opn--op
   | |              -opn--opn-/  /--o/  /opn--opn--opn--opn-
 __| |__3500       -opn--opn-/  /--o/  /opn--opn--opn--opn--o
   | |            -opn--opn-/  /--o/  /__________opn--opn--opn
 __| |__3000     -opn--opn-/  /--o/  //  ____   /pn--opn--opn--
   | |           -opn--opn/  /n--/  //  /--o/  /opn--opn--opn--
 __| |__2500     -opn--op/  /pn-/  //  /n--/  /-opn--opn--opn--
   | |          -opn--op/  /___/  //  /___/  /___n--opn-___n--op
 __| |__2000     -opn--/_________//  _______/    |n--op/  /pn--
   | |           -opn--opn--opn--/  /-opn--/     |n--o/  /opn--
 __| |__1500     -opn--opn--opn-/  /--opn-/  /|  |n--/  /-opn--
   | |            -opn--opn--op/  /pn--op/  /p|  |pn/  /n--opn
 __| |__1000       -opn--opn--/__/-opn--/  /-o|  |o/  /opn--o
   |$|              -opn--opn--opn--opn/  /n--|  |/  /--opn-
 __|$|__500          -opn--opn--opn--o/  /opn-|     /pn--op
   |$|                 -opn--opn--opn/  /n--op|    /--opn
 __|$|__0                -opn--opn--/__/-opn--|___/opn-
  /$$$\                    -opn--opn--opn--opn--opn--
  \OPN/                        -opn--opn--opn--op

LET'S HAVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR MEMBERS!

Greetings fellow cybernauts!  It's fundraising and news time again.  I
don't often say it, for fear of creating a sense of complacency, but
you are a wonderful audience and your continuing support is what is
really building this community network from the ground up.  Thank you
one and all.  Last month you sent in almost $4000 and broke my funding
thermometer again.  In order to save on toxic clean up of mercury, I've
increased the thermometer size again and hope it's high enough to last
until the end of the month this time (but it's really okay if y'all
break it again) :-).

We finally added nine more phone lines (total now: 22) and modems to
the modem pool and we hope that's reduced the frustration level
significantly.  We are now planning on buying a second terminal server
(about 30 more ports) and will use this new server to make a smooth
transition to our new location at LCC.  Once we get both terminal
servers moved to the new location we can grow to sixty phone lines
before we'll need another server.  When I started these fundraising
messages almost five months ago to the day, there were about 200 EFN
members and three dial-up lines.  Today, we are nearing our 1000th
member and have 22 phone lines.

But, the pressure to grow continues relentlessly.  We don't have enough
volunteer energy/skills to answer all the requests for help and
information we'd like to as quickly as we'd like to.  We are nearing
completion of our hiring process for our first two paid staff members,
but nobody really believes two people are going to be enough.  Though
we haven't done any significant advertising other than occasional news
stories and flyers around town, requests for new accounts are pouring
in faster than ever.  We are now adding almost two hundred members a
month!  Your contributions will help us rise to this challenge and
attain a higher level of quality even as we grow exponentially.  Please
send us what you can afford today, either as a donation or to prolong
your priority access status.


NEW MENUS TO GO INTO EFFECT

If you haven't checked out the New Menus (thanks to Lorraine Ironplow)
please do so soon.  We will switch all members over to the new menus
July 30th, unless you request otherwise.  All the old options are
available in the new menus plus more, but we want everyone to be
comfortable with the switch, so please take a look when you get the
chance if you haven't already.  One of the main reasons we want to give
people the chance to stay with the old menus is if they have a login
script or other automated programs that depend on the old menu
systems.  Also, some people just don't like changes and we'll respect
that.


TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY

OPN's Ways and Means committee has estimated that $5000/month will make
OPN self-supporting and not dependent on major donors/founders for
ongoing operations.  We'd like to get to the point where all major
grants can go for new equipment and new services instead of just paying
bills and, as last month's results prove, we are getting real close to
this goal.  Your continued help in this regard is requested and
appreciated.

Please take a moment and mail a check today (payable "Oregon Public
Networking" or "OPN") to:

            OPN, Attn: Fundraising
            PO Box 1914
            Eugene OR 97440-1914

Remember to write your user-id (login name) on the check in the "memo" or
"for" space in the lower left.  Thanks for your support.

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      Oregon Public Networking  -- "Connect Globally; Dial Locally"
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