Hi all, With Thanksgiving almost here I wanted to say a special thank you to the Hidden-Tech board, voting members and everyone in the network who is part of our phenomenal organization. Some of you will have read that I formally stepped down from the board on Nov. 13 and when the board/steering committee can convene after the holiday, we will all issue a statement. But I want you to know that there are no hard feelings and what I said to the Daily Hampshire Gazette represented the conflict that serving on the board has represented to me, my family and my income -- as well as compromising my roles at the chronicler of the trend. I didn't mention that this fall I started a master's in regional planning/economic developing at UMass and the stress of Hidden-Tech programming, work, family and school was a bit much for anyone -- even a work horse like me. Something had to give. After doing a lot of soul-searching I felt that Hidden-Tech needed some new blood. Founders much learn to exit stage left and let others lead. We have a wonderful, strong board, but they need your help. Right now there are four or five voting members of Hidden-Tech outside of the board (including me). There need to be 1,500-plus voting members for this to be a viable organization. But that means you need to ante up a little time (about two hours a month) and/or a little money (between $150-$500 a year). Hey, I think Hidden-Tech is worth far more and myself and the board have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in work time each year so Hidden-Tech can serve you. As much as money helps, participation is even more valuable in my opinion. Now that's me, not the board speaking. Hidden-Tech will need money for Web development, some back up and even professional staffing, membership building and programming if it is to become a truly viable organization. So, as you approach your heavily laden table, think about Hidden-Tech and what you can do to get involved. Amy Zuckerman may not be on the board any more, but I'm the founder and I'm here to keep my "baby" alive. But I can't do this anymore at the expense of my daughter, Julia, who has suffered this fall from my heavy work load. You'll see me at events most of the time and even helping out, though probably not at the door and not as your "leader." Even so, you will find me available to chat, provide advice, and be there as a buddy. And, hey, like you, I need to build my business, so don't hesitate to track me down. With love and caring, Amy Zuckerman Hidden-Tech Founder