I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has responded in recent days to my first e-mail newsletter.

I've already received more than 100 e-mails from readers from all over the world. I'm trying my best to respond to each one of those messages -- though it might take awhile.

That response has me excited about the potential of this blog. The responses included some wonderful ideas and thoughts about Erie -- and the issues we face as a community. My goal is to use some of those comments as a starting point for a larger discussion about how we can improve this community. I also hope to use both the blog and the e-mail newsletter to offer insight into what I see and hear as a reporter.

Don't be surprised if I try to include some of your comments on future blog posts. My goal is to make this an interactive forum where we can trade ideas, viewpoints and observations.

One other note. I was humbled to receive messages from all over the country -- and around the world. Readers of the first newsletter sent notes from places as diverse as Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica and Hawaii. I also received e-mails from every corner of the mainland U.S. It seems that if you've spent any considerable time in Erie, you still care about this community -- no matter where you might live now.