End of an Era

By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
In a statement posted to the E-Ticker News of Claremont page, Phyllis Pam Muzeroll announced that they will be shutting the news site down at the end of June.

The E-Ticker news began in 2009 as a project for Muzeroll who wanted to see a more concerted focus on local and community news in the media. Published every Monday, the weekly newsletter is owned, published, and edited by Muzeroll with Eric Zengota acting as reporter and photographer. Muzeroll has cited health issues as the reason for ending the publication.

“E-ticker has provided news that locals want to read. It left out national issues, politics, etc. It’s just been news that matters to us. It featured news that was positive like local kids in sports and school events. It was also free to read! You didn’t need a subscription to read it so everyone could access it. It’s going to be so missed,” said Claremont resident Erica Sweetser.

Muzeroll graduated from Vermont College and served as the Press Secretary for the City of Claremont. She also had her own writing business, but chronic illness put her in a position of needing to work from home. With plenty of experience in her field, as well as the overall feeling Claremont could benefit from having a new outlet specific to the city, she began E-Ticker News of Claremont.

“Needless to say, the paper became a remarkable journey of meeting amazing people, learning more than I could have imagined, covering both good and bad stories, and serving my area in my own small way. It became something far more than I could have anticipated,” said Muzeroll in a press release.

Muzeroll also took a moment to look back on years of achievements as a result of starting E-Ticker of Claremont. She was awarded Citizen of the Year in 2014 by the Greater Claremont Chamber of Commerce for her work with E-Ticker. The Claremont Chamber of commerce had also accepted her as a member. E-Ticker News of Claremont was accepted into the New Hampshire Press Association, a distinction they continue to hold. E-Ticker News of Claremont also boasts a healthy 15,000 followers on their Facebook page, a site where they post up to five times a week. Also, Muzeroll wanted to thank and acknowledge large media outlets for reaching out for photos and information and in turn validating and reminding Muzeroll of their purpose.

“No one was more surprised than I was. I had no idea that my paper had had the positive impact on the community that it apparently has. Receiving Citizen of the Year is an honor that I shall always treasure. I never expected it to become a “real” business, haha, so it has been quite the surprise. I’ve always been a rather quiet and introverted person and now it seems like everyone in town knows me!,” Muzeroll said in an interview with Herecast in 2019.

Muzeroll had intended to step down in 2020 but emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic made her realize that it wasn’t the time for less access to information. She and journalist Zengota continued to publish articles with the intention of keeping Claremont informed about the global crisis, sometimes working 12 plus hours a day. Unfortunately due to declining health, Muzeroll doesn’t feel as though she can continue to work but is incredibly thankful to her loyal readership.

“Back in 2016, when I made the decision to return to Claremont and launch Amplified Arts, Phyllis was one of the first people I reached out to. We had a working relationship back when I was at the Claremont Chamber of Commerce. So I knew that putting information into the E-ticker News would help Amplified Arts reach the community and potential collaborators. While I am sad to hear that Phyllis will not be continuing to produce the ticker. I know that her work and commitment to this region is and was an inspiration and hopefully someone will step into her very big shoes and help continue her work of promoting all of the wonderful things we have here in Sullivan County as well as educating us on issues that we need to be aware of in order to better serve our community. Thank you Phyllis!,” said Shelly Hudson, founder of Amplified Arts in Claremont.

“I cannot begin to thank everyone who has helped me along this journey, the list is too substantial, but please know that I am grateful for every moment of it and everyone of you,” Muzeroll said in her press release.