Dear friends,
With this issue, we close out our 25th year of publication—wow! I’d like to thank all our readers, advertisers, and allied organizations for making it possible. I’m very proud of each issue we publish, and I love to hear your feedback when I’m out in the world. It’s usually complimentary, but then our readers are civilized people who, when they have nothing nice to say, generally don’t say anything.
I’ve said it before, but I want to thank our team, without whom there would be no UGJ. Debbie Eckerson started helping out in 2008 as our subscriptions manager. Since then she has added calendar editor and managing editor to her responsibilities, and she is invaluable.
One year before that, Brian Eshenaur joined the team as our technical editor. This came about when we published one of probably many scientific errors, prompting my friend Laurie Broccolo to get in touch and suggest we right this situation by bringing Brian on board. Some of the best advice I’ve had. (A lot of Laurie’s advice is some of the best I’ve had.)
In the year 2000, I was approached at GardenScape, Rochester garden’s and landscape show, by a delightful lady who wondered if we had considered expanding into Buffalo (at the time we only covered Rochester). I said I would love to, but the trouble was that, with a two-year-old at home, it was difficult for me to get out that way to work on selling advertising and meeting people. No problem—Maria Walczak is an old pro in ad sales, loves to garden, and was prepared to take right over! Maria has since retired, though she and her husband continue to make Buffalo-area deliveries.
I suppose if we are moving back in time, I should mention my sainted mother, Sarah Koopus, next. She’s proofed the magazine since the beginning and also is, you know, my mom, so she’s had to put up with me for a long time and deserves an extra shout-out.
Cathy Monrad joined the UGJ in 2012, and Cathy is my right arm, probably half my brain, and then some. She is involved in all our publications and projects and is one of the hardest-working people I know. I live in fear that Cathy will relocate to Myrtle Beach.
Last but not least is our newest addition, Caroline Kunze. Caroline came on board when we acquired (585) magazine in 2019 as an advertising salesperson, and she is doing a great job getting to know some of our existing advertisers and bringing in new ones.
Thank you again for all of your support over the years. Print is a tough business these days, but I know readers love to curl up with a copy of the Upstate Gardeners’ Journal, and as long as that’s the case, we’ll keep on growing.
Jane
Jane Milliman, Publisher
