Gulf Breeze Expo sponsors support community networking

Two of the sponsors of Gulf Breeze Expo say they support this important community event - because it benefits them as a business and because it is great for the whole community!

Not only is expo a chance to see and test new products and services, it provides an arena for face-to-face interaction. Neighbors see neighbors, old friends run into each other and new friends are made.

Mediacom not only provides free wireless internet for the Expo, they offer free cable advertising for the event and promote Expo on their Weather Channel web site. The Gulf Breeze News publishes the complimentary Expo Guide each year in order to get the word out about this exciting event, as well as promotes Expo on the weekly TV show and in the community news paper.

Mediacom leads the way in community communications

" This is my 12th year participating with marketplace expo and the driving component for me every year is the ability to be part of the community and having contact with our customers," says Barbara Bonowicz of Mediacom. "We are committed to give the best technology and customer service to our customers, and we are committed to this important event.

Bonowicz hopes Expo guests will drop by and find out about all the important communication services they provide for families and businesses. Not only do they provide quality cable TV service, they also provide internet and telephone services. Bundle all three and you will recognize great savings!

Using existing home phone equipment and wiring, the Mediacom service will save customers both money and hassle, offering 24/7 customer service with one bill and one company to deal with for all cable, high speed internet and phone services. It is easy to take advantage of the Mediacom service, just call and they will handle everything and you can keep your same phone number!

Mediacom phone service uses your existing phone equipment, jacks outlets and in-home wiring, and there is no need for special phones. Installation is quick, professional and customer-friendly.

For customers that take advantage of Family Cable or higher and Mediacom Online, the monthly rate for Mediacom phone service is only $29.95.

Customers that have either Family Cable or Mediacom Online have a monthly rate of $39.95, and if a customer chooses to start with only Mediacom Phone service, they will have a monthly rate of $49.95, but can reduce their rate by adding additional Mediacom services at any time. These flat monthly fees cover unlimited local and long distance calling within the 50 states, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Canada.

Also included in your flat monthly fee are your favorite telephone features, such as voicemail, Caller ID, Call Waiting, Three-Way Calling and more.

These increased savings come to you with no decrease in the services provided! Phone numbers will still be included in the Directory Assistance 411 and in the local telephone directory, and you will retain the option of having your phone number listed, unlisted or unpublished. Emergency calls to 911 will still report your location address so long as the power is not lost. If power is lost, your phone service will have a battery backup to provide power for a limited time.

Come by the Marketplace and Family Expo on April 1 to find out more, or dial 1-866- 746-7312 today to schedule your installation! Gulf Breeze News

remains your

community news source

It seems like only yesterday that the Sentinel announced it was folding after 40 years as Gulf Breeze's community newspaper. After careful consideration, two families, the Newells and the Papajohns, decided to step in and begin publishing the Gulf Breeze News.

"I had worked at the Sentinel for over five years," says co-publisher Lisa Newell, " and I knew both the advertisers and the community supported the newspaper. I contacted many business leaders and banks, encouraging them to support the creation of a new community paper. Everyone said that if Gannett couldn't do it, no one could. I knew someone had to and I wanted to be a part of it."

Co-Publisher Vici Papajohn echoes the sentiment. "When Lisa told me the Sentinel would be closing, I was so disappointed. Over the years, I could count on bringing stories to Lisa, promoting school and community activities in the Sentinel, and could not imagine our community without its own paper. I believe strongly that every community deserves its own voice, and I encouraged her to find someone to do it," Papajohn says, "but I never thought then that it would be me joining her in this important and exciting venture."

Newell and Papajohn grew convinced that they needed to found a new publication to continue serving the area, focusing on issues that are important to residents of the greater Gulf Breeze area. Just two weeks after the Sentinel published its last issue, Gulf Breeze News was born, hitting the stands on October 11, 2001, one month to the day after the attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Originally published as a bi-weekly publication, the team distributed 5,000 copies via bulk mail. Subscriptions were solicited at the Gulf Breeze City 40th anniversary, at school and sporting events and even doorto door.

"Many people said we weren't going to be able to do it financially, nor would the two of us be able to cover all the many things happening around our area," Lisa remembers."Our response was that we needed everyone's help. We hoped people would send in news items and photos and tell us about happenings. The response from our readers and our community was overwhelming!"

News gathering, photography and distribution was not only a community affair, it was also a family affair. "Starting and running the paper that first year was a true labor of love for all of us," Papajohn remembers, "and we were truly encouraged by our community."

After a little over a year, the business started Splash! Magazine, an entertainment and lifestyle guide to Northwest Florida. Splash! offers increased penetration for advertisers, and provides the community with a clean, family-friendly format. Splash! distributed biweekly as a free pick-up and its success was immediately.

Now employing eight staff members, the Gulf Breeze News also enjoys 10 regular contributors. The business earned the honor of Gulf Breeze Chamber Small Business of the Year in 2003, and Newell and Papajohn were named Gulf Breeze Rotary Club's Persons of the Year 2003 among numerous statewide awards. But after all the accolades and increasing success, the two founders still go back to the basics when they look back.

"When we started this paper," Papajohn says, "We knew we could only do it with God's help and in a way that served Him and the community. We are humbled by this success and know that we are blessed to have the amazing employees that get this job done and do it so well. We've survived a lot, and it tickles me to death to know that our paper makes a difference. That's what its really about."

The Gulf Breeze News became a juried periodical in 2002 and publishes weekly. They have also started airing a weekly news show, Gulf Breeze News TV, on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4:30 p.m. on Mediacom GCN channel 27.

"We have the news covered, and the demographic covered for our advertisers every way you look at it," Papajohn said. "Our web page receives nearly one million hits each month, 17,000 of which are unique hits. If you google search Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Beach, Santa Rosa County or Navarre, we are nearly always in the top three to five responses."

"Our advertisers benefit from the investment we make on the internet and on TV," Newell says. "We are committed to covering the news and we always give back to those who help us print --our advertisers!"

Newell and Papajohn both graduated from Gulf Breeze High School in 1978 and say they have always considered Gulf Breeze "home" though they traveled extensively before resettling to the area in the 80s.