-==*Black Rock Beacon Goes Online*==-

[Mitch]

Greetings Burners,

As many of you know, most of the former staff of the essentially defunct Black Rock Gazette have banded together to form a new Playa newspaper, the Black Rock Beacon.

Our website went up today, please have a look at www.blackrockbeacon.org, we have a bit of content there already, and we'll be adding more in the weeks to come. We're also, ahem, taking donations from those of you who would like to see the tradition of daily journalism on the Playa live on. They're tax-deductible, and even a couple of dollars would help.

We're also looking for volunteers to work on our website and paper. The pay is crummy, but the perks are superb. There is information on the website, and we also use Tribe.net for a lot of our communications. If you're interested in helping us, please join our Tribe at

theblackrockbeacon.tribe.net/


Here is the official birthing announcement of the Black Rock Beacon, a preliminary version of which was leaked elsewhere on ePlaya a few weeks ago:


Announcing the Black Rock Beacon


BLACK ROCK CITY, Nevada (June 20, 2005) -- From the dust of playa papers past comes the Black Rock Beacon, a new daily publication for the Burning Man community. Our gift is an independent source of news and information to brighten the week in Black Rock City and a website to keep people up-to-date on Burning Man happenings the year round.

Although we are a brand-new publication without official ties to the Burning Man organization, our team has years of experience in producing daily newspapers on the Playa. As you may know, the Burning Man organization has announced that it will cease publication of the daily editions of the Black Rock Gazette, but we're betting that Burners still want to be informed and entertained by Black Rock City Burnalists.

For 2005, we are planning five daily issues brimming with news and views for Black Rock City.

To learn more about us, please visit our website at www.blackrockbeacon.org and our message board at theblackrockbeacon.tribe.net. We welcome volunteers who want to help us create the most memorable publications ever to grace Black Rock City. Enthusiasm is more important than experience, and we have plenty of pre-Playa work to do. We'll be a mapped camp as well, with our own Black Rock mansion as headquarters and a limited amount of space is still available.

Do we need financial aid? Glad you asked, of course we do! Donate what you can, every bit helps; if you can offer $5 or more, we'll guarantee that you receive five daily issues, which you'll be able to pick up at our camp. Those donating $20 or more will be entered into our Breakfast in Bed With a Playa Hottie raffle. Donations are tax-deductible in the United States.

Sit back in the morning watching the sun rise with your cup of coffee and the latest copy of the Black Rock Beacon knowing it was YOU that helped make it happen!

To contribute by PayPal
Go to www.paypal.com
Logon (or create an account)
Click on the Send Money tab at the top.
Send money to "[email protected]"
(keep the PayPal electronic receipt for tax purposes)

To contribute by check, money order or cash, send your donation to:

Black Rock Beacon
31811 Pacific Highway South B-123
Federal Way, WA 98003

Please include your name, address, and email.

Many thanks to those who have already shown their support. We hope to provide Black Rock City with the most exciting Playa papers ever. The Beacon is our art and our gift.