Publishers Message: A Half-a-Century Celebration

From the Publishers- Half-a-Century Celebration 

Fifty years ago, Sarah “Renee” LaFountain and Peter Allan Roos were wed in St. Petersburg. It rained 8” that day. Renee, a Tampa native, was a ballerina and the acrobatic star with the Florida Ballet Theatre. She went on to teach dance for 30 years, helping to shape young minds and bodies. Peter was a recent immigrant, a graduate of Canadian high schools, an SPJC student who was helping his dad open a campground on Lake Tarpon and US19. They met at the Clearwater campus of St. Petersburg Junior College in a “Government” class. How he knew at such a tender age that Renee was the soul mate he could have spent his life searching for is still a mystery. Renee was older so Peter lied, and the couple celebrated his 24th birthday four months before he had to admit he was only 19. By then it made no difference.

They lived, played and even worked together for most of the past 50 years too, with 40 years of it in publishing. When asked what contributes to the longevity of their relationship, they most often say, “We learned to say, ‘You are probably right.’” That little phrase diffuses arguments over the most trivial things before they can form hard feelings. “Mutual respect and admiration are also critical.”

Many people from our parent’s generation saved for retirement so they could “start to enjoy life.” Many never made it. Renee and I decided to enjoy how we make a living, and to really enjoy a lengthy vacation together every year. Our anniversary is August 15th and Renee’s birthday comes five days later. We have come to vacation in Colorado that time of year. With enough elevation, we can always find a cool spot to break up the humid 90 degree summers here. We call them “honeymoons” instead of vacations. 

In June we started our 50th honeymoon. Years ago we met a fellow from whom we borrowed a classic Saab convertible each summer for a dozen or so years. For our 50th anniversary gift we bought one almost like it on Ebay. In June, we picked it up in Tucson and drove it 3,000 miles before parking it at its new home near Frisco, Colorado. We were all over Colorado with it. We even drove 100 miles to Del Norte for lunch and to see Corey Hubbard (Hubbard’s Marina…) at her new “General Store” there.

Our trip did not start out so well. If not for an extremely good Samaritan with skills who found us broken down, we likely would not have made it to our paid-for hotel room 100 miles away in Winslow, AZ, that night. This young home builder from Payson, Arizona, had a rack with tools nearby and was feeling generous with his time toward a couple his parent’s age. We admitted we were trying to enjoy a few weeks in our newly acquired mountain explorer. We “took it easy” and we made it to La Posada Historic Hotel in Winslow, Arizona, and to every other destination we set for ourselves. The following day we drove through Petrified Forest National Park and slept that night in Mesa Verde National Park. 

We are extremely grateful for how God, or the universe, or karma, has helped us every step of the way, in our business and in our personal lives. We can’t realistically hope for another 50 years together, but 25 each might not be too much to ask for. We have been sending you Paradise NEWS for over half our married lives. Thanks for reading, and being a part of the Paradise NEWS family.