Publishers Message August/September 2018

The Dog Days of Summer describes the most oppressive period of summer, between July 3rd and August 11th each year. Where did the term come from? And what does it have to do with dogs? It actually dates back to Roman times and has to do with the star ‘Sirius’, known as Canis Major (the Dog Star).

While the ‘Dog Days’ may have passed, we still have a couple of months of 90 degree high temperatures ahead of us, so enjoy the cooler breezes and overcast periods which offer some respite. If you are visiting, respect the power of our summer sun and lightning here in the tropics. Shuffle your feet to alert the stingrays that may be in your path as you enter the gulf, watch and be aware of approaching storms, as we live in the lightning capital of the US.If it’s hot and humid with the potential for tropical storms and hurricanes from late May through November, why do we call it Paradise? In the winter you wouldn’t have to ask. Many of us have decided we love any kind of weather we don’t have to shovel.

We are approaching the 25th Anniversary of publishing Paradise NEWS and are in the midst of anniversary enhancements aimed at keeping the magazine and its related online persona relevant in “the digital age”.

Paradise News is thrilled to introduce new columnists, including Corey Hubbard, the charming, vivacious and energetic granddaughter of Wilson Hubbard, founder of John’s Pass, whose family has been entertaining visitors to the area with waterborne adventures for 4 generations. We also welcome Dennis Merritt Jones, an award winning author, keynote speaker, mentor and Huffington Post Columnist whose motto is “Guiding People to Purpose”.

This edition is the 2nd bimonthly issue of the summer, and we return to monthly frequency in October. We publish on island time. You may already have received your September issue of the Reader’s Digest when our August – September issue hits your mailbox on August 11th or so. It goes online about the first and begins to appear in racks and stacks a few days later.

We have recently hired Gigi Grimshaw, who has been sales rep for the Island Reporter, the local monthly newspaper that ceased publishing in June. We also brought veteran marketer Barbara Kirk on board, starting in September, to assist in ad sales. If you know of a business you have used that you would recommend to your neighbors, let them know about Paradise NEWS and let us know about them, so we can help introduce them to the estimated 100,000 readers that see each edition of Paradise NEWS. Call 727-363-6888 or email sales@paradisenewsfl.com.If you are an online reader, go to www.paradisenewsfl.com.

Sign up on the Newsletter tab for our weekly Thursday newsletter that recaps the 5 top things going on each weekend. Please try our advertisers and let them know you found them in Paradise NEWS.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and thanks for reading Paradise NEWS.