By Judi Platt
Winter 2014 Eastman Living
At the recent Council meeting, ECA President Maynard Goldman gave a “shout out” (in the common vernacular of political stumps and Hollywood acceptance speeches) to Judy McCarthy and her team that produce Eastman Living. It may have been the only thing that the standing-room only crowd in the Draper Room agreed upon that day, but consensus was—and is—that this publication makes a vital contribution to the quality of life at Eastman. I was among those applauding enthusiastically, as in my humble opinion (imho), the content and photos in the Winter 2014 issue surpassed the high editorial standards to which we’ve become accustomed.
Going back to when our first issue of Eastman Living arrived at our home a few weeks after we bought our Eastman property, with my former management/keeper-of-the-budget hat on, my first thought was, “Wow. This must be an expensive publication. Is this where our fees are going?” Then, I took a look at it, and then the next one, and the one after that, and I realized that this is one of the many gems that we have at our fingertips in our small community. It undoubtedly rivals the other local publications that I was gobbling up off the stands to learn more about the Upper Valley and the Dartmouth/Sunapee area.
Full confession: I am a news junkie. I was one of those kids who read everything from cereal boxes to Nancy Drew to historical novels. I was addicted to magazines, entering my adulthood dreaming of visiting those far-away places in Travel & Leisure dressed in fashions that only Vogue models could wear, or afford. As a more mature adult, I made a career of managing knowledge in global companies—hard data and case studies of business operations gone wrong. There is nothing in my past that would predict that I would find such pleasure in reading about hikes in the area, bee-keeping, paddling bogs, the Upper Valley “art scene,” the accomplishments of local athletes of all ages, and, one of my favorite pastimes at Eastman, watching the loons.
Like most consumers of information today, I spend less time reading print and more time online, but I can’t imagine life completely devoid of publications like Eastman Living. Sitting with a cup of coffee or glass of wine on my deck and reading about my neighbors both in and around Eastman reaffirms our decision to become members of the Eastman community. After all, we didn’t buy property in Eastman just to have a second home; we bought here to meet people and do things – lots of things—in all four seasons. And, we need to know how to go about both. Eastman Living helps us uncover more and more of what Eastman and the area have to offer through the eyes of the many talented writers and photographers who live among us.
Unlike other glossy publications we get in the mail, this one never goes straight to the recyclables bin. It may sit on the coffee table for a few days before I get to reading it, but, heck, each issue with an amazing photo on the cover looks great as a coffee-table publication anyway!
Click the link for the Winter 2014 issue of Eastman Living online.