I talked to an acquaintance last night. He said he regretted driving to Traverse City with his wife to take a fall color tour. "Traffic was bumper to bumper," he said. "She kept saying, 'Isn't that beautiful?' but all I could see was the back window of the car in front of me. I'll never do that again."
I sympathized and asked if he knew about the Annual Depot to Depot Fall Color Tour of Muskegon County between the Muskegon Union Depot downtown on Western Avenue and the White Lake Depot on Hanson Street in Whitehall. "It includes passes to attractions, prizes from some businesses and even a disposable camera. I'm sure Muskegon County won't be as crowded as up north and it's right in your own back yard."
2011 was the seventh year for Depot to Depot. He said he had never heard of it.
Another friend said she was having a hard time sticking to an exercise schedule. "I've carved out the time, but I just can't get myself outside to run."
I told her I had read recently that people who exercised with their dog were more likely to stick to the program. "You have a dog, don't you? See if running her will keep you motivated."
She thought for a moment. "That will probably work."
These are just two of the many things I've recently learned reading magazines. I've come to realize it's the little things I appreciate most out of a well-written publication. The best pubs feature news we can use here in our community in our daily lives. It's not Britney Spears' latest escapade or recent attacks by radical Muslim sects, but the dog exercise motivator tip could change my friend's life.
The outlets for local information are disappearing. We have all noticed how some community newspapers have cut back on staff and, consequently, coverage of Muskegon County. The regional magazine I edited for nearly a dozen years recently went on hiatus. What's left is a silent hole that can only be filled with voices from Muskegon County.
Here we are: MuskegonOnline.NET. We're a monthly, online publication that will offer the kind of regional reporting we once came to count on in small-town publications, journalistic standards that would stand the scrutiny of big-city writers and the entertainment value offered by a new online delivery system.
Our voices will include professional people you can see at school, church and social events, not a guy from half way across the country some editor in New York thinks has all the answers. Many articles will feature blog or Facebook links where you can ask questions and continue the conversation beyond the piece presented here.
Our voice is yours!
Be sure to subscribe for free email publishing notifications and send your friends here to do the same. We'll let you know when each new magazine is launched here.
We know the web is a crowded place, with many flashy sites maneuvering for your attention. We're just asking you to kick back here once a month, listen to what some of your neighbors have to say, and enjoy the color. We're right in your own back yard!
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