A year of new beginnings and sad endings
As 2021 comes to a close, we look back on the things we gained – and those we lost – over the past year.
As a business, we were happy to add another magazine, Space Coast Living in Brevard County, to our seven magazines serving the Treasure Coast. Its acquisition has enabled us to cover all the communities up and down the 156-mile Indian River Lagoon waterway, making us the leading magazine company for both the Treasure Coast and the Space Coast.
The response from readers on the Space Coast has been overwhelming and we welcome our sales director and the many writers and photographers from the Space Coast. Learning more about our neighbors to the north helps us appreciate the paradise that is this part of Florida.
We also mourn those we lost in our magazine family. They include my mom, Katie Enns, whom I wrote about in this column a year ago as the magazine’s No. 1 fan. She died Jan. 20.
Ambassadors working in the background have been an essential part of our success, and so we remember Hildie Tripson, who died April 18.
Hildie was the wife of Mark Tripson, grandson of the late Waldo Sexton. One of our first stories published after this magazine launched 15 years ago featured their home, which had been built by Waldo about 1918, and how they had lovingly preserved it. Since that story was published, Hildie always kept in touch, giving us story ideas or commenting about the magazine and just generally being supportive of our efforts.
And, most recently, we mourn Indian River Magazine writer and photographer Christina Tascon, 62, who died unexpectedly Oct. 16.Christina was a kinder and gentler version of the renowned American columnist Hedda Hopper. Having grown up in Vero Beach, Christina loved covering Vero Beach society through her photos appearing in our On the Scene section. I was especially impressed by her writing and ability to network with the movers and shakers. She wrote definitive profiles on the Schlitt and Sexton families for us, but one of her true loves was covering Vero Beach celebrities. One of her best profiles – and most read – was on the life of the country singer Jake Owen.
Christina had suffered a stroke a few years ago, and worked hard ever since to come back from it. A quote she took down during her interview with Jake Owen about overcoming hardships can be aptly attributed to her approach as well: “I believe I have to just forge ahead and keep being positive.”
Gregory Enns
Reach Gregory Enns or 772.940.9005.