Monday, April 18, 2011

Apostrophe Spring 2011 is now on line

Spring forward. That’s what they tell us to do when setting our clocks ahead for daylight savings time. It might also be the theme of this issue of Apostrophe.

With the publication of Volume 3, Number 4, we have successfully completed our third year and are springing ahead to our fourth year.

Three years is a milestone in the magazine business. Most magazine launches fail. According to Mr. Magazine, Samir Husni, chairman of the journalism department at University of Mississippi, 63 percent of new magazines fold within the first year.

So, we’re beating the odds. We could not have done it without our parent corporation, AWARE Inc. and CEO Larry Noonan, who came up the idea for Apostrophe; our board of directors; and our readers and subscribers.

Just as important, as we spring forward, are our advertisers. Readers can support Apostrophe by supporting them. You’ll find a list on page 67.

Spring, a time of new beginnings, is also a time to look back. Husni’s formula for publishing success asks these questions: Is the magazine necessary, sufficient and relevant? We’ve asked ourselves those questions, and we hope we’ve answered yes, yes and yes.

This is the spring issue, although you might wonder looking at the cover. It’s Montana, so snow on the ground in April is no great departure from normal.

Kyler Morrison, the subject of our cover story, fits the theme of springing forward. Missoula freelance writer and photographer Kip Sikora tells us how Kyler has emerged as a leader in his home town of Whitefish and lately as a leader in the state with his effort in the Montana Legislature to promote a greater understanding of people with developmental disabilities.

Working with Kalispell Republican Rep. Keith Regier, Kyler and other folks in Flathead County promoted Joint Resolution No. 5, creating a Montanans with Developmental Disabilities Week.

Here’s the key section:

“Developmental Disabilities Week is timely and necessary and encourages all people, school districts, community colleges, cities and counties, public and private institutions of higher education, state and local agencies, nonprofit and community-based organizations, and private businesses and corporations to observe Montanans With Developmental Disabilities Week by declaring appropriate classroom instructional time or by coordinating all inclusive activities to be conducted during that week to afford opportunities for Montana citizens to learn more about the developmental disability community and to celebrate and honor its role in contemporary American society.”

The last line sounds like a mission statement for Apostrophe. We hope to do no less than celebrate and honor people. With the help of our readers, advertisers, contributors and other supporters, we’ll continue to do that.

By Jim Tracy 


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