Lee and DeEllen Stowell remember very clearly being a little lost in their own brand-new-to-them, community in 2005. Three years later they feel very settled and comfortable in Pahrump, but they know there is much, much more yet to discover.

When the Stowell family first came to Pahrump, they joined an Internet group called "Pahrump Newcomers," which was directed at new transplants; helping them transition smoothly to life in Pahrump.

In November 2007, the owner of that site declared that she did not have time to maintain it anymore and asked if there was a volunteer who would like to take over the group. Apparently there were no takers because Lee Stowell received an email stating that he was the proud new owner of the site.

Lee and his wife, De Ellen Stowell, decided to take responsibility for the group and accepted ownership. But they had some ideas for improvement.

The Stowells changed the name to All_Things_Pahrump with the intention of broadening the subject matter and member base.

Instead of being a group explicitly for newcomers, they wanted to open things up to anyone who would like to be a part of a community forum.

The site has few rules. Anyone may post any kind of message, so long as it is relevant to Pahrump and contains no profanity.

Members are encouraged to post their point of view on just about anything: local business, politics or happenings in Pahrump. The site has 70 members so far and is growing steadily.

Member posts vary. People may ask for and give recommendations about local business and services, or they may post upcoming events. Members may send out a warning if they feel there is something urgent about which residents should be worried.

Topics vary widely, and "people get on a kick about one thing," said Lee Stowell, whether the topic may be restaurant recommendations for four or five days before moving on to ATV rentals or the upcoming year for Girl Scout brownies.

A member posts whatever information that he feels is important about the subject -- whether he had a good or bad experience somewhere, important warnings, or sometimes just the where, what and how about a certain activity.

Any member can follow the general conversation of the group and post a comment that he feels is valuable to the discussion, or he can post a question or comment and wait for feedback.

"It is a really neat way to be involved with other people," said Stowell, who is very happy that he and his family came to Pahrump.

He enjoys the small-town atmosphere and hopes that the group helps other people enjoy their town more thoroughly as well.

Anyone interested in joining can find the site at yahoo groups or post a message at: All_Things_Pahrump @yahoogroups.com.