Commentary: We dodged the bullet

The Ruth Mott Foundation gave us enough money to make up the difference between our expenses and our income — for one year.

The foundation has given us a short breathing space to get financially sound.

We have several goals for this year.

First, we want to increase our average paid advertising space by 25 percent.

Second, we want to double our new contributions and increase our average contribution by 25 percent.

Third, we want to add 25 people to our volunteer staff, including writers, advertising sales people, a development director, web masters and distributors.

With these improvements we feel that by the end of the year we will be financially sound. More importantly, we will be a better publication providing you more information about neighborhood issues.

The foundation also provided us money to fund a web site to complement the magazine.

It will provide news, features, events, opinions and photographs, much like the magazine, but with more immediacy. We will update it as soon as we get the information, not just once a month.

The web site will also have links to local non-profit groups, archives of 27 years of East Village Magazine (including the pictures) and other things which we do not have the space to run in the magazine.

The Ruth Mott Foundation has given us the chance to be an even better publication.

With your help we will be.

G.P.C.