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<p>NEWPORT TWP. &#8212; Township residents Lauren Gorney and Patrick Dane Cooper stand behind their community. The couple started a Facebook page called &#8220;Newport Township NOW!&#8221; in spring 2015.</p><p>The township itself consists of a handful of unincorporated towns &#8212; Alden Station, Glen Lyon, Lee, Newport Center, Ridgeview/Sheatown and Wanamie &#8212; and, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, has a population of 5,422.</p><p>Since the page&#8217;s inception, the group has close to 800 likes. The timeline of the page boasts events from in and around the township, as well as community alerts and news.</p><p>Gorney and Cooper got involved because they &#8220;wanted to do good for the community.&#8221; With the page, they promote the community-oriented things Newport Township has to offer.</p><p>For the pair, the page is better than hanging flyers on telephone poles. Cooper compares the page to a &#8220;community bulletin board.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Modern life and social media are interconnected now more than ever,&#8221; she said. &#8220;(By creating the Facebook page), we set out to provide a gathering place for our community to post news, events, contests and updates on township projects.&#8221;</p><p>The duo hopes the page becomes a &#8220;go-to&#8221; for young and old and returns the community to the &#8220;good ole days.&#8221;</p><p>Gorney remembers stories from older generations.</p><p>&#8220;I have hope that it will become a more desired community to live in, like it once was,&#8221; he said.</p><p>State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township, is a 14-year resident of the township and thinks if younger people see events on Facebook or Twitter, they may be inspired to participate.</p><p>In December, the page held a &#8220;Light Up Newport Township 2015&#8221; contest, in which homes decorated for Christmas were submitted for judging. There were six prizes, the top prize being a $100 R Bar and Grill gift certificate.</p><p>&#8220;We knew this holiday contest would give the good people of Newport a chance to shine through,&#8221; Gorney said.</p><p>Mullery commends the couple for wanting to get involved in helping shine a positive light on their community, &#8220;especially when groups on social media want to focus on negative things.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;(Hometown) pride is absolutely present in Newport Township,&#8221; Mullery said.</p><p>For the upcoming year, the pair wants to come together with Newport Township Community Organization to bring all generations together. The pair feel like they&#8217;ve hit a stride with a younger group and now need to refocus on the older non-Facebook group.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Before a recent Newport Township commissioners meeting, Lauren Gorney and Patrick Dane Cooper look over the Newport Township NOW! Facebook page they created. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL010616Newport_1-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Before a recent Newport Township commissioners meeting, Lauren Gorney and Patrick Dane Cooper look over the Newport Township NOW! Facebook page they created. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL010616Newport_2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Newport Township NOW! Facebook page created by Lauren Gorney and Patrick Dane Cooper. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL010616Newport_2-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>The Newport Township NOW! Facebook page created by Lauren Gorney and Patrick Dane Cooper. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Young couple creates ‘Newport Township NOW!’ Facebook page to promote positives in community