Mark’s Musings – January 15, 2020

Mark Fortune

The Beacon is rolling along! I am sure that many of you – if not all – were surprised by the announcement of our sale to AloNovus. This was a decision that was many months in the making and one that Nancy and I did not take lightly for many reasons.

One of those very important reasons is that we know how much the people of Coshocton County appreciate The Coshocton County Beacon and the positive light that we shed on our community. That mission will continue.

The opportunities that are now available to our readers and advertisers are way beyond what we were able to offer as an individual publisher. In fact, the year of 2019 represented the busiest year ever for newspaper transactions and that is not by accident. Being an independent publisher brings many worthwhile positives yet it also can hamper growth that is not positive for our customers. The simple fact that we can now offer neighboring markets is a huge plus to many businesses and – coupled with the digital services brought on by the Bluefoot division of AloNovus is obviously an advantage in today’s world.

Here is what I would like to leave you with for this week’s column: Watch for positive changes, more opportunities and some things to transform with that growth. Standing still in today’s world is just not feasible as those that are in business realize. You must always be seeking out new strategies and tactics to compete with the Amazons of the world as they continue their quest for world domination. As a small business owner you need to reach the local market first and foremost and The Beacon remains a very cost effective means to do so.

Now we simply have more to offer but we are in the same physical location at 226 Main St.in Coshocton – I know because I can still smell one of those pies baking from Workman’s Restaurant. Smells like . . . cherry. I love the fact that our office is located in the former Workman’s Restaurant – it is a source of pride that this newspaper followed two guys that worked so hard to serve up some great food and some great laughs all at the same time.

Any Super Bowl predictions from anyone? Could we be seeing a changing of the guard with quarterbacks? New England is gone – the Saints are done and the teams remaining seem to be the ones that have a strong and solid quarterback that is able to scramble and sling the ball downfield all at the same time. My best estimate (guess) right now is Green Bay and Kansas City Chiefs. That would be very cool – two of the oldest teams in the NFL. Yes, at some point we might even see the Browns in the big game. They can do it with the right coaching and a few player changes.

The team at The Coshocton County Beacon is here to serve the needs of this wonderful community and to continue shining a positive light on Coshocton County. Always know that you can contact Josie Sellers or me at any time with a story idea. That is a big part of our mission to continue serving the people, businesses and organizations of this wonderful community. Thank you.

Category: Mark's Musings, Opinion