Hello Dave,
You can set the time by going into 'profile' (listed across the top of the page) then select 'modify profile' and selecting 'look and layout' from the menu selections. You will notice that the current forum LOCALE time and date listed just below a box that may or may not have any numbers in it. What you need to do is enter -5 in that box and that should correct your forum message time to Eastern, US. (I am in the Central time zone so I had to enter -6 as I am 6 hours behind the forum locale time, you are only five) Best of luck.
BC1
Jim