Yes, I am showing you a photo of a cute pet to get your attention for something else.

My little cat Whisper (aka the Big Bopper) is as camera-shy as I am, but I couldn’t help myself when he jumped into the car the other day as I had the window down.

He knows I keep of a bag of treats with me, and went right for it after I snapped this picture.

Once rewarded, he wanted no further attention—that’s how felines are, after all, and I didn’t mind.

He knows where to come when he needs something, and that’s what pet owners sign up to do.

We do it out of love for these creatures, and ask for nothing in return.

I find some parallels to publishing this local news site. I began East Cobb News to serve the community with daily news and information that wasn’t available anywhere else.

It has been a labor of love, especially building it into a sustainable business that will stand the test of time.

One of my objectives was to make local news accessible to everyone. That’s why there’s not a paywall, unlike many corporate media outlets.

But even though East Cobb News has a true hyperlocal, down-home focus, we do have expenses. Local business advertising provides most of the revenue, but we’re asking for readers to help support us financially.

Over the last few months, so many of you have generously done that. I know it can seem annoying, but we’d like for those of you who have not contributed to consider doing so.

We raised around $1,000 from readers last month. That may not sound like much, but it goes a long way. And every dollar is appreciated! Click below if you’re ready to help out right now!

Please donate today!

We’re off to a slow start this month—especially coming off spring break—but I’d like to ask those of you who enjoy East Cobb News, and value what you get here, to consider becoming a recurring donor.

We’re suggesting $6 a month, but you can donate at whatever amount you like, whether is on a monthly, annual or one-time basis.

If we could get to $1,000 a month again in April, that would be fantastic!

Why do we do this, every week, to ask for your support?

The state of local news in many communities is dire. In East Cobb, we launched this site more than seven years ago to address that dearth here, and many of you have responded.

We think we’ve built up a good following of engaged residents who appreciate what happens here, and that turns to East Cobb News to find out.

We have nearly 9,300 newsletter subscribers, for example, and that has grown organically. We appreciate people spreading the word about East Cobb News, which is produced for you—the citizen, voter, homeowner and stakeholder in this community.

We get reader comments all the time—many positive, some with complaints, but we welcome and value them all the same. They help us to serve you better.

I just got an e-mail from a reader who’s moved out of the area, but continues to read East Cobb News. Why? Here’s what she told us:

“You are so great at traditional ‘just the facts’ news with a balance of information and happenings. It is so refreshing. I hope your work is rewarding in every aspect. Local news is so critical to all of us. Thanks for all you do to continue to make it happen.”

Yes, this work is very rewarding—the most gratifying of my professional career in journalism, which spans more than 40 years. And yes, local news is very critical for everyone who lives in any community.

And absolutely yes, I want to continue to make it happen.

But I’d like to ask you to help me with this.

I feel blessed to have grown up in East Cobb, like my reader’s children did, and have always appreciated what the people and institutions here did to nurture me along the way.

Unlike my cat’s treats, I like to think of what we produce for you at East Cobb News to be more than just occasional noshing. You come here when you want to know what’s going on, but I’d like for you to think of this site—and the community resource we aim to be—as contributing to the social capital of East Cobb.

If you find value in what you get from East Cobb News, please consider making a donation today, if you haven’t already.

Press Patron, our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below! The Big Bopper and I thank you so very much!

Become a regular supporter!