10 Years Of The Good Life

How do you put together a local publication? With lots of help from our staff, our advertisers, our community, and you—our readers! Here’s a look back at some of our favorite moments from the last decade, and here’s hoping the decade ahead will be just as much fun.

By Dean Blinkhorn

The First Issue

When we did our initial brainstorming meeting for the departments of that first issue, little did we know how many we’d still have today. Out & About is taking a brief pause because of COVID-19, but Good Eats, Daycation, and Good Neighbors were a big part of that first issue, just as they are now. And for fun, we added a feature called “20 Reasons To Love SR200” in that first issue, further proof that this was going to be a different kind of magazine.

The First Restaurant Feature

Good Eats is the name for our dining department, and it’s cool that the first one we featured is a place you can still go to today. Latinos Y Mas was one of our favorites then and it’s just gotten better over the years. In fact, I was there last week for a work lunch. I think the chips and salsa come tableside even faster now!

Latinos Y Mas

The Cuisine Queen Debuts

We know you like eating out—who doesn’t?—so we added a dedicated food column in January 2011. Paula (then Roseann) kept us up to date on all the comings-and-goings in the local dining season. Having grown up in the industry and later publishing a local restaurant coupon book, Paula always writes from the heart about what can be a really hard industry. But when they get it right, man, the results are delicious!

Meet Mary Ellen!

Our April 2011 issue introduced us—and you—to a local woman we called “The Reluctant Gardener.” It was a fun piece, one that she wrote, all about how her backyard hobby didn’t come naturally at all. After another couple of fun pieces we shared from her writing group, we decided to give Mary Ellen a regular page in Ocala’s Good Life. Her column, “Just My Type,” is one of my favorite things to edit each issue. I hope it’s one of yours, too.

Our Favorite Covers

Sep/Oct 2019—We had a lot of fun covering Dr. Bill Ramsey’s obsessive Halloween collection.

Photo by John Jernigan

Jan/Feb 2018—Covering a group of guys still rocking it out in the local bars and clubs gave me an excuse, a huge music fan, to put some bad-ass guitars on the most important page. Take that, Rolling Stone!

Photo by Marci Sandler

Jan/Feb 2016—This one was an unexpected surprise. Sure, we knew covering an aloha club in The Villages would be photogenic. But this much fun, too?

Photo by Lisa Crigar

Nov/Dec 2018—This was an adorable shoot for an adorable story. Maybe a little splash of Norman Rockwell and The Saturday Evening Post?

Photo by Marci Sandler

Jul/Aug 2012—This was a cool way to celebrate the Ocala Downtown renaissance, which has only gotten better since this photo was taken. Kudos to Marci Sandler for the great image.

Photo by Marci Sandler

Name That Bird Contest

In September 2011, after almost a year, we decided to give our little blue mascot a name. Actually, we let you do the honors with a fun contest. We received a ton of entries and some great suggestions, but Paul Wilkes of Stone Creek won with Rio, short for “Retired In Ocala.” He won a custom trophy (pictured here) and a $100 gift card to a local restaurant. Not a bad prize package for three little letters!

“The bird represents our freedom to travel the area and to enjoy the many pleasures and benefits found here,” Paul wrote. “Also, a small bird needs a small name.”

We couldn’t agree more. Thanks, Paul, for giving us Rio.

“Retired” Departments

Over the years, a few departments got squeezed out to make room for new content, except for “On Second Thought.” Popular columnist Claudia O’Brien actually did retire from penning a regular page to focus on her amazing artwork and her equally amazing grandchildren. Her husband, Steve Floethe (I know, different name, long story) occasionally picks up the torch—like in this issue, with his “My Turn” musings.

Favorite Features

Picking just a few favorite articles over a 10-year span is a lot like trying to choose your favorite child. But in looking back at every issue in preparation for this retrospective, a few definitely jumped off the pages. Do you remember these?

Gator Country

March/April 2016—This feature was a book excerpt from local lawman Bob Lee. Sometimes great stories arrive like a Christmas present and this was one of those. He sent me an email, then mailed a copy of his book, and once it arrived, I couldn’t put it down. His vivid stories of running down lawbreakers on our area rivers and lakes were just like being there. If you missed this story, check it out online or better yet, buy a copy of “Backcountry Lawman.” You won’t regret it.

Save The Marion

July 2011—Local activist Buddy Martin spearheaded a movement to save the iconic movie theater downtown. Because of his efforts and that of a dedicated committee, they worked out a deal with the city that kept the Marion Theatre’s lights on for the next nine years until COVID-19 dimmed them once again. UPDATE: They’re back on! The management of the Reilly Arts Center has agreed to take over the lease and plans an aggressive schedule of classic films, new blockbusters, and special events. Look for more information in the issues to come.

The Culinary Kings

January/February 2019—We highlighted three of Ocala’s most notable culinary masters in this issue. Rashad Jones owns Big Lee’s Barbecue food truck and hosted Food Network’s “Eat, Sleep, BBQ,” Jose Juarez is the award-winning creator of the 455 all-purpose sauce and its accompanying “Cuban Missile” burger, and Patrice Perron, is the co-owner of Florida Trend Golden Spoon Hall of Fame French bistro, La Cuisine. These three “culinary kings” are doing their part to throw a huge spotlight on the quality of what Ocala offers its hungry citizens to eat on a daily basis, bringing special attention and numerous accolades to the city on a national, and even worldwide level.

The Last Honor Flight

January/February 2012—The goal of the Honor Flight Network was to fly our aging World War II veterans up to Washington to see the memorial in their honor. Ocala’s Good Life interviewed local organizer Morrey Dean on Buddy Martin’s popular radio show to find out more about this ultimate tribute. Paired with a handful of Kent Weakley amazing photographs, this was definitely a keeper.

Follow That Dream

May/June 2019—A more recent entry, this one gets the nod for not only being a great feature but also for being our most-requested issue ever. Everything worked in this one: a great cover photograph, a headline that referenced one of Elvis’ biggest hits and hinted towards the subject’s aspirations, and a well-written story about Cote Deonath, a local Elvis tribute artist who has legions of fans seemingly everywhere. We now know! They texted, emailed, Facebooked, and called us for extra copies of this very popular issue.

Dirty Divas

January/February 2012— As an avid cyclist, I had a great time talking to this informal collective of mountain bike riders, all female and many over the age of 50. They quite literally tackle the Greenway trails near Santos harder than most men. This ever-growing group had lots of stories to tell on hitting some crazy speed, taking a few spills, and having the best fun of their lives.

By The Numbers

44,160,000 total pages printed

10,000 copies every issue

1536+ Out & About social photos

192 total albums in the “What’s Dean Playing” sidebar

63 “Good Eats” reviews (we skipped one issue!)

5 current columnists (welcome, Melody!)

The Issue That Wasn’t

Since we were under shelter-at-home orders for much of the spring, you may have noticed—or not noticed—that there was no May/June issue of this magazine. We did something I’ve never done in 20 years of local publishing. We skipped an issue.

As COVID-19 took hold across the country and our collective nation wondered how bad it would get, we made the tough decision to relieve our advertisers the burden of their contracts and to spare ourselves of what would have undoubtedly been an issue that would’ve lost money, probably a lot.

Home Delivery

This year has brought us one of our newest innovations. Due to the pandemic, we started mailing copies directly into some of our biggest retirement communities. What do you think? Was it the right call? Let us know.

Did You Miss An Issue?

Every copy of Ocala’s Good Life is available online—in a cool “virtual issue” format that flips just like the printed edition—and is hosted at ocalasgoodlife.com. Just click on “Back Issues” and start reading!

Fantastic Support

These are the advertisers that have been with us on this crazy journey since the very first year. We’ve added a bunch of other dedicated sponsors since, but we will always be grateful for this group that took a chance on us when we were just a fledgling start-up, some even before we’d printed our very first page. Thank you doesn’t seem enough, but we’ll say it again anyway. Thank you!

Appleton Museum of Art, Circle Square Cultural Center, Florida Eye Specialist Institute, Ocala Dental Care, Prestige Auto Sales, Red's Breakfast & Lunch, and The Ranch Fitness Center & Spa.

So What's Next?

Our best ideas come from readers like you! Tell us what you'd like to see us write about either in the next issue or in the next 60 by dropping us a note. The best way is by email at dean@ocalasgoodlife.com. Thanks for reading!