Farewell from the Publisher

A Farewell from the Publisher

ow do I say Good-bye to you, our readers after 20 years? That has weighed heavily on my mind for some time. I guess it would be appropriate to mention how this all started.

It was in the fall of 2002; I was a sales manager at the North County Times in Fallbrook when I hired a new person named Carol Martin. Many of you may have known her. At the time, it was my goal to find a way into the nursery business but Carol changed the course of the future for my husband and I, when she told me that there was a community publication in Temecula for sale. As soon as my husband heard that, he began researching the business and decided that it would be ‘perfect’ for me.

On January 11, 2003, we signed a purchase agreement with Annette and Carl Brown to become the new owners of Neighbors Newspaper! Both of us really believed that this would be a ‘nice little part-time’ business for me. With no publishing experience, no layout experience and no distribution experience, we were off. Fortunately, Carl Brown was there to give us guidance and those first few months were terrifying.

We had no idea how our lives would change over the next 20 years. We did not know that serving the communities in Southwest Riverside County would be so exciting or fulfilling as we witnessed the monumental growth: the Promenade Mall arrived, Wine Country became an acclaimed wine region, developers recognized opportunity, cities doubled and tripled in population and companies moved into the area creating new local jobs. The Temecula Valley became the fasted growing area in California!

The former publisher of Neighbors, Annette Brown had a vision for this publication. She believed that Neighbors could support local independent businesses and local charitable organizations thereby helping communities and families prosper. We agreed and worked to emulate her heart for the area through the years.

As a result of that vision, we have personally witnessed the creation of many non-profits and charitable organizations that have helped people and changed lives in every city in our little corner of Riverside County.

Michelle’s Place has supported women’s health by coming along side so many afflicted with breast-cancer. Today, Michelle’s Place provides over 10,000 free services a year to individuals and families impacted by all types of cancers. Oak Grove Center, a nonprofit 24-hour residential and educational treatment center serving at-risk children and families has grown and expanded, as well. The Chef Open, as a part of the annual Golf Tournament fundraiser, brought in about 50 participants the first year. 19 years later, the Chef Open in 2021, served over 800 attendees! They also run a Culinary Arts program for the children in conjunction with the Culinary Connection in Old Town Temecula. By the way, the baked goods are delicious thanks to Chef Robin McCoy. I could go on and on with a list of the non-profits that have grown and served so many. Communities continue to come together to help each other in ways that continually amaze us.

But the heroes in this story are the Neighbors’ readers. We published

Hthe needs, the fundraisers and the successes and YOU, our readers, responded. You volunteered. YOU made contributions. YOU opened your hearts and YOU made a difference every day. YOU continue to. It is heartening to hear about the generosity that is poured out from YOU, our readers. It has been an honor to be a part of many wonderful things that have happened over these 20 years. It has truly been a journey; one that I would have never dreamed would happen when it began in 2003. My husband, Gino has been here all along and when we purchased the Temecula Map Guide in 2009, he officially joined the company and has led that company to growth and success. He will continue with the Map Guide into 2022 and beyond. The supporters of this publication have been the loyal advertisers who have made this all possible, Thank-you to the local, independent businesses that have been there even through economic downturns and the pandemic. So many of the business owners have become our friends. I can’t say good-bye just yet without thanking the faithful workers behind the scenes at Neighbors. A BIG Thank-you to our distribution team, The Temecula Valley Elks Club. Every month through rain, snow and heat they faithfully delivered the papers to over 700 locations. Well, maybe not snow? They are the reason that people say, “I see that paper everywhere”. Another BIG Thank-you to Dorina Blythe, Grandesigns for creating such a beautiful publication month after month. We receive compliments from readers frequently who appreciate the clear, concise and attractive presentation. Thank-you to the many columnists that have informed, educated and entertained our readers in countless issues. An especially BIG Thank-you to Traci Williams, a Loving Way for her inciteful columns on parenting. I am confident that her counsel has helped many families reconnect and thrive. Traci has been writing for Neighbors since we purchased it! I guess you can say, she was part of the package. For that we are grateful. And, Thank-you to the Word Search Editor, David Randolph. When David was 12 years old, he came to me and said, “There should be something for the kids in the paper.” I told him to make a suggestion and he created - Word Search: For Kids from a Kid. That was in 2008. Today, David is graduated from college, working in Los Angeles in the film industry and through all of that he has never missed an issue! The blessings have been many and we know that this publication has been sustained through the love and care of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He has been there every step of the way guiding, directing and keeping us on course, especially during the past 2 years. He is our provider and our strength! Thankyou Lord. OK, the time has come! So, with tears in my eyes, I say Good-Bye, Farewell as we complete this last issue! It is time for me to get back to my gardening! �� “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello. ~Paulo Coelho We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!