Well we have made it another year. After 28 years in business, we begin year 29 with the issue that you hold in your hand. As a lot of you know, what started out as idle talk one afternoon at Bullfeathers Restaurant (where O’Connell’s is today), has become one of the region’s most widely read magazines. I think that I was a young man when we started this publication, but it seems so long ago, and just yesterday at the same time.

Back in 1987 the Port Packet and the Gazette newspapers merged and Old Town lost their local little paper, the Packet. A group of us had gathered at Bully’s for afternoon cocktails and the conversation of starting our own publication. I called my friend Dave Underwood two weeks later to tell him that I think the idea might work. After hemming and hawing around for a few months we finally came out with our first issue in January 1988…with a full color front cover. We paid for that first print job with a credit card and haven’t looked back since.

Dave passed away in 2007 and not only did I lose a good friend, but the rest of Alexandria did as well. I have been very fortunate to have a long list of people who have helped this magazine survive all of these years. I may have been out front, but it was those behind me who did, and still do, the heavy pushing.

It is also because of our wonderful advertisers that we are still here and can bring these incredible writers to you each month. We have been very fortunate that we have had most of these advertisers involved with us for many years and a few that have been with us since day one, every month.

Finally, thanks to our vendors who have stuck by us even when the invoice is paid a little late.

To all of you who read us…and I guess that means you, since you are reading this…HAVE A ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC 2016…MAKE IT AN ADVENTURE!!!