THE POST MESSENGER, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9 1999   PAGE 13

Recreating the hometown on line
by Susan Wetherington

     When Lori Berg and her husband Dan moved to Monticello three years ago, it was to bring them closer to his work in Monroe.  But they chose Monticello because they were used to small towns and believed in them.
     Berg was originally from Richland County, and her roots are so deep there that when she took a class in designing and creating web pages for the internet at Blackhawk Technical College last fall, her final project was to create a genealogical web page on Richland County.  Listed under http://www.monticellowi.com/RichlandCo.  Berg's page contains up to date genealogical information including the indexing of deaths from 1998-1991.  "That is as far as I've gotten so far," she said.  She began the indexing this winter after the class.
     But this spring, another urge hit her.  Because Monticello had become her new 'hometown', Berg saw the possibilities a local web page could bring to the area.  After learning that the local business group was thinking of creating a web page for the community, Berg approached them about designing it.  No decisions had been made, she was told.
     By April, the idea was so burning inside her, and noticing that nothing was 'on line', Berg set out in one week to create a web page for Monticello.
     Using her own digital camera, Berg started taking photos of landmarks in the area.  She sat down and designed the back drops for the pages, using 'Go Ponies' and Swiss Cheese as two choices.
     During her class at Blackhawk, she had met Roger Dooley, president of the Monticello Area Historical Society.  Dooley, who was also taking the class, had created a web page for MAHS.  And when he found out Berg was interested in creating one for Monticello, he gave his web page to her to add to a Monticello site.  His page included information about the area from a historical side, the Monticello Drizzle and information about the Gerber marker and MAHS.
     Weaving all of this together, Berg created a web page which included the MAHS information, calendar of events, school activities, photos, and information on the new library.  Then she painstakingly went through the phone book and sought to create a list of businesses with Monticello addresses for her page.
     Interestingly enough, Berg hasn't stop there.  Where she could find links to existing web pages, she connected to them as best she could.  She also created a link to her first web page as a cross reference of her ability.
     Berg said the page became a family project in some ways.  Her fifth grade daughter Shari helped her with the school's calendar of events.  Shari was her mother's right hand helper from the beginning.
     With the use of the digital camera, Berg began taking photos at the school's end of the year events.  She attended concerts and then put those photos on the web page that very night.  She was also present at the end of the year picnic.
     Originally, Berg used http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/7552/ as the address for her web page, but about a month ago, she decided to purchase the domain, or address, http://www.MonticelloWi.com.  And she took the situation one step further, seeking to get the site listed with internet provider 'search engines', which provide internet surfers with information on topics.  Now by going to Alta Vista and typing in Monticello, WI, Berg's web page is automatically brought to the internet screen at the top of the list.  In a way, it works like an index for people searching the internet for information.
     Berg said she had contacted 28 search engines to have her page listed on their search indexes.  She knows of eight where her page is listed right now.
     Berg is at a growth point, she said, right now.  A mother who works part time outside of the home, Berg is looking to create a business she can do from her home.  And since she started working toward her associate's degree in computers, her idea was to look at a computer business from her home.  At this point, she has invested about $300 in creating this web page of Monticello, "not including the camera", she said.  Her thought is to be available to create other web pages for businesses in the area or others who want a web page.
     Monticello Librarian Sharon Briggs was so impressed with the site and its information on the library, she is coordinating with Berg to have her newsletter included in the web page each month.
     Berg said she had 135 people visit her web page last week and 145 the week before.  And with the continuing information she adds each month, that number should grow.  And daughter Shari wants to create fun pages for school children to enjoy during their summer off from school.