Start with the fact that this is a crazy-busy time of year. Compound that with the realization that most of the folks affiliated with anewscafe.com are among the most active and involved people I know.
So what was I thinking when I tried to organize a group photo? Dreamer.
So, yes, it was a bit like herding cats to collect anews.cafe.com’s staff and regular contributors at the Atrium in the Mall in downtown Redding for a recent photo shoot by Mike Burke. What you see here is just a small part of the whole group.
Perhaps it’s been a while since you said hello to our peeps, so here’s a short introduction, beginning with those shown in this photo:
Starting from the left, back row: Karen McGrath (Landscape Design columnist), Joshua Corbelli (freelance writer), Jon Lewis (freelance journalist), Dugan Barr (opinion columnist), Dave Christensen (home improvement columnist); Cameron Long-Tel (our newest marketing and sales talent), Andrea Charroin (Baking Goddess), Philip Barker (features columnist), and Nancy Sutton-Pierce (sex columnist As You Desire).
To Nancy’s right is Kimberly Ross (editorial board), and her daughter Sophia, anewscafe.com’s first baby mascot. Kathryn Barker (etiquette columnist), is to Kimberly and Sophia’s right.
Front row, left to right: Carla Jackson (columnist, Speaking of Dogs) seated with her holiday pup. Standing behind Carla to the right is Tamara Joy Patterson (Health & Wellness From the Inside Out), then Canda Williams (the other part of our dynamic marketing and sales duo). I’m seated in the middle. Kneeling to my right is Matt Grigsby in the blue sweater (travel writer who specializes in all things Italian), and kneeling beside me on the other side is the hat-less Ron Goniwicha (home improvement columnist).
Not pictured include: Doug Mudford (Reflections in a Mirror While Shaving columnist); Doug Cushman (Postcards from Paris columnist); Robyn Payne (Postcards from Egypt); Valerie Ing-Miller (Mistress of the Mix); Shayna Carroll (death notice writer); Jeff Gore (webtender); Jim Gore (computer programmer genius), Darcie Gore (tech support/calendar moderator), Joe Domke (technology and graphics – done from his home in the Czech Republic), Candace L. Brown (editorial board and freelance journalist), Chris Fontana (Weather Forecaster) and Monty Hight (Retired CHP – Traffic Cop columnist).
Also unable to attend our holiday photo shoot were Jennifer Jewell (In a North State Garden columnist), Marie Stadther (Tree Goddess columnist), Alan Ernesto-Philips (photographer/videographer), Femme de Joie (Menu Please), Phil Fountain (cartoonist/graphics), Adrienne Jacoby (Just Sayin’ columnist), Wayne Kessler (gardening column, Dig This), Robb Lightfoot (humor columnist), Barbara Stone (Fashion columnist) and Matt Briner (Matt Briner Designer).
I know I’m probably forgetting someone. If so, please forgive me. Give a shout out in the comments section regarding overlooked people and I’ll apologize profusely and publicly.
In the meantime, know that anewscafe.com is going strong as we head into 2012. How strong? Well, our readership has increased 189 percent in two years. How many businesses can say that, especially in media? Uh, none. Except anewscafe.com.
We credit our loyal, tech-savvy, whip-smart advertisers, who’ve supported anewscafe.com. Many of these advertisers have been with anewscafe.com since we started four years ago, back when we had just a few thousand unique visitors a month. (In September we had nearly 60,000 unique visitors and nearly 2.2 million page views.) Yes, I underlined that and put it in bold. Those are numbers we’re proud of.
Those numbers include you, but you’re far more than a number to us. You’re part of this online “we site” family that’s so profoundly connected with this North State community. Some of you have gone as far as to show your support when you’ve clicked on that “contribute to local journalism” button, and when you’ve done that, you’ve helped support anewscafe.com. For that, we are so very grateful and appreciative. Thank you!
This holiday season, we give our most humble thanks to everyone who makes anewscafe.com such a fun, interesting and informative online newsmagazine that features quality, independent journalism and talented contributing writers and photographers.
The best is yet to come. But in the meantime, we wish you and yours a happy holiday season, and a 2012 that fulfills your hearts’ desires.
See you online.
Bonnes fetes greeting card by Doug Cushman.
Group photo by Mike Burke.
Independent online journalist Doni Chamberlain founded what’s now known as anewscafe.com in 2007 with her son, Joe Domke of the Czech Republic. Prior to 2007 Chamberlain was an award-winning newspaper opinion columnist, feature and food writer recognized by the Associated Press, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and E.W. Scripps. She lives in Redding, CA.
