300 Issues Later …

300 Issues Later …

uesday is “put out the trash can” day at our house and we’ve noticed that Tuesdays come around more often than other days of the week.

That’s how it is with weekly publication deadlines, too. I can’t prove it, but I’m pretty sure they come around more than weekly. I learned this while managing a group of weekly newspapers for 10 years.

So when Publisher Bill Hughes had the bright idea, in 2012, of adding a weekly publication to our product lineup, I wasn’t amused.

“It’s harder than you think, Bill,” I complained.

“But we can do it, Janine,” he answered, in his annoyingly cheerful Bill voice.

Our tiny editorial staff was already putting out quarterly magazines heavy enough to sink a barge – and by “quarterly” I mean six times per year in Rockford and five times per year in Chicagoland.

But anyone who knows “Can-Do Bill” understands his penchant for the impossible. He saw a need for a Smart Living Weekly (SLW) and our team found a way to make it happen. Along with growing our company, Bill believed SLW would grow opportunities for locally owned businesses to compete against national chain stores. We’d provide blanket market advertising otherwise unaffordable to them.

He was right, of course, and I’m thrilled that he was. I’m old enough to remember how Rockford felt before big-box stores steamrolled into town and crushed our local identity. Locally owned restaurants and shops makes us a far more vibrant community and I’m glad SLW and our readers are playing a role in their renaissance.

And so, in this 300 th issue of SLW, we say “thank you” to every reader, advertiser and shopper who supports local living. As one of the very few locally owned media companies in Rockford, we remain dedicated to serving you. Have a great week! ❚

Janine Pumilia SLW Editor