Letters

I’m retired. Yep. There I said it.

As of Jan. 1, I turned the editorial reins of this newspaper over to the talented and competent people my husband and I have recruited and hired over the past 16 years — including many who have been with us since the beginning. I have no doubt readers of The Coastal Star will be in good hands.

Plus, Jerry Lower and Chris Bellard are still around and dedicated to each edition. So I’m the only one of the original crew taking a breather at this point, and feel comfortable doing so with the addition of our new editor, local news veteran Larry Barszewski, to shepherd the newspaper into print each month.

Although I’m stepping away from writing this monthly column in the new year, I’m excited that readers will hear from others at the newspaper in this space.

Still, don’t be surprised if a bee in my bonnet occasionally compels me to share my thoughts here. I have no plans to move away, and still care deeply about preserving the quality of life in the coastal communities we all love.

It’s been an honor to be such a vital part of informing the residents of this very special area. I’ve met such wonderful people and not one month has passed that I couldn’t find people and places worth featuring. The depth of history, beauty and generosity in our area is truly inspiring.

If I’ve made even the slightest impact on preserving our way of life along the coast, this past decade and a half will have been worth the effort. I’m confident our newspaper will continue on this dedicated path. We all care deeply about the role of local journalism.

Another change to note is that I will no longer be the community’s funnel for all things poured into this newspaper. It’s been a lot. Especially from my friends in the public relations community. You folks are persistent!

In my absence, please keep at hand the list of contacts below. You’ll find each of these people to be professional and willing to talk you through what it takes to get your information into our hyper-local South County publication. And please note that it’s always helpful if you explain why what you’re pitching is important to coastal readers, and point out people who live and work within our delivery area.

Every inch of newsprint we give strives to reflect our string of coastal communities and provide value to our readers. That’s what makes The Coastal Star successful. That’s what every person below understands and will continue to provide to the community.

— Mary Kate Leming, Executive Editor

  Coastal Star contacts:

Publisher : Jerry Lower, publisher@thecoastalstar.com

    Advertising
Advertising director: Chris Bellard, sales@thecoastalstar.com
Advertising managers: Peter Jackson, John W. Jones, Jay Nuszer, sales@thecoastalstar.com

    Editorial/News
Editor: Larry Barszewski, larry@thecoastalstar.com
Managing editor, Boca Raton/Highland Beach: Steve Plunkett, news@thecoastalstar.com
Editorial/Features
Managing editor/Features: Mary Thurwachter, news@thecoastalstar.com

    ArtsPaper
Editor: Greg Stepanich, gstepanich@pbartspaper.com

    Columnists:
Business announcements, health news: Christine Davis, cdavis9797@gmail.com
Food/restaurants: Jan Norris, nativefla@gmail.com
Health: Jan Engoren, jengoren@hotmail.com
Outdoors/fishing: Steve Waters, steve33324@aol.com
Pets: Arden Moore, fourleggedlife@gmail.com
Philanthropy/celebrations: Amy Woods, flamywoods@bellsouth.net
Religion/faith: Janis Fontaine, fontaine423@outlook.com
Tots & Teens: Faran Fagen, ffagen@aol.com