OPINION
4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2015
‘We’re the iPhone 6 of West Coast
destinations’
L
ast Sunday’s edition of The New
York Times carried its redesigned
weekly magazine. At 100 pages, it was
much larger than what readers were used
to. I cannot say that I like
the new magazine better
than the prior version. But
I understand what Times
editors are up to.
New and periodically
redesigned products are the
essence of survival.
Our Coast magazine is not a
Steve
new
product. Our fourth annual
Forrester
issue appeared this week. But
this year’s issue is such a leap forward in design
and content that it qualifies as a redesign. This
is also the first time we have sent the magazine
into Canada. Advertisers for years have asked us
to reach the British Columbia market, and we’ve
done it.
Advertising growth allowed us to grow from 90
to 100 pages.
R
ebecca Sedlak operates on two time frames.
On a weekly basis, she is editor of Coast
Weekend. On a yearly cycle she edits Our Coast.
Before entering our newsroom as a Snowden
intern in 2012, Sedlak was a University of Oregon
journalism major with an emphasis in magazines.
It was a hands-on program with a final project
to redesign an existing magazine. Sedlak chose
Urban Farmer.
To prepare for this year’s issue, Sedlak looked
at a lot of travel and regional magazines such as
1859. “I wanted to make this issue of Our Coast
have more of a real magazine feel,” she said. “I
wanted to add departments with different themes
and bigger feature stories back in the magazine —
pieces that are meatier and full of substance for
the reader.”
Readers tell us how much they like
Our Coast magazine.
John Bruijn, our production manager, has given
Our Coast its distinctive look. Bruijn’s genius has
been imitated by our coastal competitors. Bruijn
also designs the Pendleton Round-Up magazine
for the East Oregonian and the visitors guide of
the Wallowa County Chieftain.
One of the basic elements of the Our Coast
strategy of four years ago was to recruit writers
from outside our region. In the current issue the
talented Knute Berger of Seattle describes the
FisherPoets Gathering. It was Berger’s first trip
to the gathering, so there is a freshness to his
observations. This was much better than having a
writer give us his fifth annual take on the event.
Berger is author of Space Needle: The Spirit of
Seattle.
In Cassandra Profita and MJ Cody we enjoyed
two returning Portland-area writers.
At the same time, we have local writers from
around our region, such as Lynette Rae McAdams
of the Long Beach Peninsula.
W
e conceived Our Coast in the belief that
it was possible to sell our communities as
one region, as opposed to separate destinations.
Seaside and Cannon Beach publish visitors guides
for good reason. But our newspaper company is
the one publishing entity that sees the broad sweep
of our Columbia-Pacific region on a daily basis.
JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian
Our Coast Editor Rebecca Sedlak and Design Director John Bruijn look over proofs of Our Coast magazine in the
Daily Astorian office.
coast, but close enough to consider coming here.
If I didn’t live here already, I would plan a trip to
the area after looking through the magazine.”
Winters and the Observer are our partners in
producing this magazine. He says, “Most people
I know get a kick out of thinking we’re especially
clever and lucky to live in such a remarkable
eaders in our region and beyond tell us how but somewhat overlooked place. It’s like having
much they enjoy Our Coast. This week Matt bragging rights for being the first in your circle
Winters, publisher of the Chinook Observer, of friends to discover a great new restaurant or
received this message. “The improvements just social trend. We’re the iPhone 6 of West Coast
keep coming! What a perfect way to reach out destinations.”
to communities that are far from our wonderful
— S.A.F.
Betty Smith, our advertising manager describes
her enthusiasm for Our Coast: “There is a joy we
all feel creating this magazine. The joy comes
from how rich our area is and how much we all
recognize how very lucky we are to live in this
magical place.”
R
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T HE
Where to write
• U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonami-
ci (D): 2338 Rayburn HOB,
Washington, D.C., 20515. Phone:
202- 225-0855. Fax 202-225-
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Millikan Way, Suite 220, Beaver-
ton, OR 97005. Phone: 503-326-
2901. Fax 503-326-5066. Web:
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• U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D):
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Washington, D.C. 20510. Phone:
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ley.senate.gov
• State Rep. Brad Witt (D):
State Capitol, 900 Court Street
N.E., H-373, Salem, OR 97301.
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Phone: 503-986-1431. Web:
www.leg.state.or.us/witt/ Email:
rep.bradwitt@state.or.us
• State Rep. Deborah Boone
(D): 900 Court St. N.E., H-375,
Salem, OR 97301. Phone: 503-
986-1432. Email: rep.deborah
boone@state.or.us
District
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Beach, OR 97110. Phone: 503-
986-1432. Web: www.leg.state.
or.us/ boone/
• State Sen. Betsy Johnson
(D): State Capitol, 900 Court St.
N.E., S-314, Salem, OR 97301.
Telephone:
503-986-1716.
Email: sen.betsy johnson@state.
or.us Web: www.betsyjohnson.
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Scappoose, OR 97056. Phone:
503-543-4046. Fax: 503-543-
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338-1280.
• Port of Astoria: Executive
Director, 10 Pier 1 Suite 308,
Astoria, OR 97103. Phone: 503-
741-3300. Email: admin@porto-
fastoria.com
• Clatsop County Board
of Commissioners: c/o Coun-
ty Manager, 800 Exchange St.,
Suite 300, P.O. Box 179, Asto-
ria, OR 97103. Phone: 503-325-
1000.
STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher • LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor
BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager
• CARL EARL, Systems Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager
• DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager
SAMANTHA MCLAREN, Circulation Manager