The Publisher | Jimmy Dean

Some Good News from J.D.

Dear Readers:

WWant some goods news? I have some.
When I was a child and encountered something that was in great shortage, my father would share this pearl of wisdom: "Son, it's like waterfront property; they ain't making any more of it." That was his simple way of saying there’s not very much of something.

The good news is this: We're sitting smack-dab in the middle of the mother lode of affordable, waterfront property!

The greater Charlotte Harbor area offers more than 800 miles of shoreline. Add to that the more than 350 miles of canals within Charlotte County, and we have nearly 1,200 miles of waterfront property. And it's all ours! That, my friends, is some really good news.

Sure, property values are not what they were a few years ago. But the current economic challenge our nation is facing hasn't invaded our primary community principal: the environment and shoreline we love so dearly. It's still very much intact and earning interest daily. And it's that interest we should focus on, not our losses. Let us remember that we live in paradise, and others who think and feel like us will always want to join us here.

HARBOR STYLE has a mission to celebrate this entire waterfront community, and we're delighted to announce that beginning with this issue, we will be mailing sample subscriptions to households in Boca Grande, Gasparilla Island, Manasota Key and greater Englewood. You'll also begin to see more editorial highlighting these idyllic corners of our community. Our stories are about the waterfront and the people who could never live far from it.

This month we take a good, long look at some incredible women who make our community what it is. We meet with Linda Dobson and Nancy Prafke, the two women at the heart of Punta Gorda’s revitalization, as well as Brenda Korszen, a lawyer from Englewood who is the very definition of humanitarian and philanthropist. These are just a few of the women shaping our community. Their stories are filled with hope and good news. We hope you enjoy meeting them as much as we did.

Sincerely,

Jimmy Dean, Publisher