In 1995 when Still Waters Elders Home jumped aboard the "information superhighway", we didn't know what to expect.  Would anybody be interested in a gathering of elderly "Yoopers" who love to reminisce about life in the U.P.?  Who have lives of rich experience...  who desire to be of significance to their world... and, by the way, who frequently get together to make pasties :o)

Step by step "Pasty Central" began to crystallize.   Challenges were faced for accepting orders,  packaging,  fullfiling shipments,  increased baking schedules, carrier strikes, etc.    Features began to take shape... The Golden Pasty Awards,  monthly prizes,  daily "Pasty Cam" photos,  viewer letters, coverage map,  PastyNet membership,  sponsors,  and much more.  Gradually, with so many technical chores, our focus had drifted from our people,  who are the heart of Pasty Central.  It is much too easy to get caught up in the "busy-ness" of a growing business (yes, even in a non-profit environment).

And now, late in '98 (some 17,000+ pasties later)  you, our web visitors, have given us us a vivid reminder of our original purpose.  At Thanksgiving our mention of Kathryn Sullivan's 100th birthday brought her an outpouring of email greetings from hundreds of well-wishers across the country.  As Kathryn and I chatted about these notes (she thinks of email as a sort of mysterious "telegram") it became clear that folks really do care about the people "behind the scenes" of this project.  Our live web-cam coverage of Kath's party on December 4 brought over 20,000 hits to the website.   We have posted quite a few of Kathryn's birthday notes so that her family and friends can share in the afterglow of that special celebration.

On behalf of everyone here at Still Waters Community Elders Home in Calumet, thank you for stopping by Pasty Central.  And thanks for caring.
Charlie Hopper,  Administrator