ur newspaper, An African American Point of View (Point of View) is growing. And it is growing in ways that we envisioned in general and in ways that we could not possibly have envisioned in particular. 

       In general, our greater Springfield circulation has all but maxed out in Springfield’s African-American community and continues to expand in other Springfield communities. Also, as originally planned, Point of View is continuing its expansion into Connecticut. The expansion started several years ago in the Greater Hartford area, moved to the Greater New Haven area and has recently reached Bridgeport, where we plan to open a satellite office with the help of Deborah Caviness and others in that community who have welcomed us with open arms in a way that no other community has matched. 

       Because of Bridgeport, our circulation, which had been slowed by the recession, expanded in the last year by a greater amount than ever in our history (See chart below). From 2003, Point of View has grown from a local quarterly newspaper with a distribution of 3,000 to a regional monthly and bimonthly paper with a minimum circulation of 15,000 and a maximum of 21,000. By the end of this year, the range will be 20,000 to 30,000 as our monthly regular and bimonthly specials continue to grow. Not bad numbers, mind you, for a niche newspaper.

       And, there is more good news. Two months ago we began publishing a Bridgeport version of Point of View for Connecticut that features eight prime pages dedicated solely to Bridgeport and other Connecticut cities. We have also added Bridgeport C.P.A. Samuel Wilson, who is profiled on July’s Bridgeport front page, as a finance writer and he will share the business and finance section of Point of View with Springfield’s Larry Martin and Walter Woodgett.  And, Valita Luckett, the wife of Walter Luckett, who was featured on the front page of our June Bridgeport issue, is also going to be a regular Point of View writer. She will be writing about a variety of Connecticut subjects and, we hope, will give us a better understanding of the ECHO self-esteem program that her husband has been so instrumental in directing. And I am hoping that Sherry Haller, the Executive Director of The Justice Center in West Hartford, home of the ECHO program, will also pen a few articles for Point of View. 

       And the distant future doesn’t look too bad either. I take it as a good omen that Alexis Miller, our food and wine connoisseur, whose delightful column, “Dishin’ It with Alexis,” keeps us up to date on the best places to eat and imbibe, has moved to New York.  The good news is that she will stay with us and focus her columns on the New York restaurant scene, which should be helpful to those of us in western Massachusetts and Connecticut who like to visit the city. 

       But Alexis’ New York contribution is also a pleasant reminder that Point of View is now strategically positioned for future growth, not only from Bridgeport to the north but also to the south up to and beyond the New York line. And although we will be spending the next several years expanding our circulation and building our advertising base and otherwise consolidating our Connecticut presence, we will be keeping a sharp eye on the “Big Apple.”    n