This is a special issue for us, capturing part of a story we’ve long wanted to tell — businesses spanning generations that helped shape the Treasure Coast. At least in the case of Indian River County, Vero Heritage beat us to the punch. The organization, dedicated to preserving the culture and heritage of the county, has identified 23 people in Indian River who work in the fields of their forebears and will honor them April 11 at a gala held at the Heritage Center in downtown Vero Beach.

It takes a village, the saying goes. As Thanksgiving approaches and we begin celebrating our company’s 20th anniversary, we pause to remember those who are no longer with us but helped us along the way. Some were the subjects of our stories who became fast friends and supporters. Others served as goodwill ambassadors.

When we started this humble publication nearly 20 years ago, the two advertising representatives we had at the time, Sunny Gates and Ed Drondoski, and I would often meet on Friday evenings at a house I was renting on South Indian River Drive in Fort Pierce, after I had moved back to the Treasure Coast from Alabama.

It’s coming up on summer when, as DuBose Heywood wrote, “the livin’ is easy.” As usual, we’ll take a little break until our next issue comes out in the fall.

The Eighth Annual History Festival is in the books, but the work continues. The festival held Jan. 11 was our biggest yet. Our company founded the festival in 2017, and today it is produced by the St. Lucie Historical Society at the Regional History Center in Fort Pierce.