not necessarily a portal: but you might
get an idea of what a non advertising
driven website can do for a community:
The site is below.

Is anyone aware of successful portals for
> local communities. I have been thinking of
> creating one for my area, even though every
> newspaper is advertising their web site
> daily. I have been thinking of some unusual
> ways to attract attention to one, IF I
> decide to go ahead with this idea.

> By the way, I am interested in portals
> created by entrepreneurs who don't have a
> ton of money to advertise them.




http://craigslist.org