Tom Hutchings, executive director of board, says the event will be broadcast live on Channel 9. People with internet connections can input to the roundtable on a web chat board (see link at ryakuga.org/interact).

The zone's public event features a reception, a community forum and four panel discussions focusing on Burgeo/Ramea; Bay St. George South; Bay St. George, and the Port au Port Peninsula.

Hutchings says the event will kick off the Sharing Our Future two year pilot project in the Stephenville area. The board is a founding member of the project which is working through local communication facilitators in communities across southwestern Newfoundland.

In 1996 the interim zone board, in cooperation with Communication for Survival and Ryakuga Grassroots Communications, facilitated a series of public consultation television forums called Talking about the zone.

Hutchings says zone 9's involvement in the Sharing Our Future project evolves from the board's public consultation experience.

This week the board is also partnering in the fourth Youth, the Environment and the Economy conference. Youth from the event will be producing the community television and internet components of the event.

Tune in to Channel 9 for entertainment as well as discussion of local issues and news from other community organizations.