You might ask why we call it The Gobbler. Many newspapers, journals and gazettes have chosen the bald eagle as an emblem. On the other hand, Ben Franklin thought the turkey would have been a better choice as the American symbol. He believed the turkey a more virtuous bird than the rare scavenger that the nation chose, Here in rural western New York, turkeys are plentiful. We often catch a glimpse of a flock here on our property, and decided to name our publication in their honor. At any rate, The Gobbler has now been reincarnated as a Web Site. The Gobbler has been part chronicle, part almanac, part journal of fiction and even environmental newsletter. It was inspired by our involvement in the local Chautauqua Greens. We are working for ecological wisdom, sustainability, and community based economics. For three years The Gobbler was published eight times a year, at the beginning and midpoint of each season. Now we are updating our WEB page at those times. We originally distributed the Gobbler at local businesses in an area we called "Courting Distance." This was the distance a suitor a hundred years ago would have walked to see a pretty girl; and it turned out to be close to our local school district borders. We were attempting to define the boundaries of our local community. The Gobbler focused primarily on local and seasonal issues. However, we had been publishing articles on a wide variety of other subjects that we thought might be of interest to our readers. Our last issue was published in late Spring of 1996. |