HAPPY NEW YEAR!

By Frederick A. Hurst

2007 was a good year for Point of View. We made it through our fifth year of operation in good shape. We are now distributing 10,000 copies a month from Springfield to the Greater Hartford area and have laid the foundation to expand distribution to the New Haven and Bridgeport markets. The jump to 15-20,000 issues a month is just a heartbeat away as our list of advertisers continues to grow.

The key to our success has not changed. Quality remains our hallmark, editorial and writing quality, layout and graphics quality, photographic quality, and the quality of our distribution have all continued to improve and we plan to get even better.

And we continued to add new columns, including our “Put a Note on Your Calendar” and “Congratulations Corner” and a musical column by Jo Sallins. We also expanded our Connecticut coverage with, among other things, feature articles on Peter Hurst, Dr. Fred McKinney, James Willingham, Sr. and Theresa Hopkins-Staten.

The future looks good. Besides our regular 12 monthly 2008 issues, we will be publishing 6 additional magazine-style special topical issues on the 15^th of every other month beginning in February. The topics will be Black History, Money and Finance, Neighbors to the South, Back to School, Hall of Fame and Health & Medicine. The special issues are the first step in our plan to become a twice-a-month publication within the next few years.

Starting in the current issue, local artist Don Blanton will be a monthly contributor and I am in discussions with Leo Williams of Mind, Body and Spirit fame about him becoming involved with Point of View. Walter Woodgett, our financial writer, plans to expand his involvement with an exciting new project. We will also be adding regular columns by Connecticut writers.

All and all, our first five years, ending in 2007, were very good years. The next five years, beginning with 2008, should be even better. In fact, because of the combined efforts of our readers, writers, advertisers and staff, the long-term viability of Point of View has never looked brighter.

I thank you all for that and wish you all a Happy New Year.