By John Plumstead, The East Of Tampa Guy
Every class had a kid who did the reading, turned it in on time and got it right. And every class had a kid in the back who skipped the essay and raised his hand to ask the teacher how she ended up teaching in the first place.
Marie Gilmore was the first kid. I was the second.
In January 2002, Marie hand-delivered 750 copies of a brand-new newspaper to homes in FishHawk Ranch. By the second month, neighborhood kids were delivering it. By the third, it went out by mail. Today the Osprey Observer reaches more than 70,000 homes every month, and it’s paid for entirely by local businesses who believe in it.
She’s done that for almost 25 years. Every month, every fact checked, always about the people, places and things that make this community great. That’s the good student.
I never saw myself as a writer. Articles were for the smart kids. I was the guy who took pride in a good joke or a good presentation, and who always had a question that got the teacher off track. I still do. How’d you build this? Was it hard?
So, I’m starting a podcast.
On the East of Tampa Podcast, I sit down with the business owners, coaches and neighbors who built East Hillsborough and ask the questions I’ve always wanted to ask.
Marie writes it down. I’d rather talk. If you’ve ever sat next to me at a chamber breakfast, you know I might like the sound of my own voice a little too much.
So, when it came time to pick a first guest, the kid in the back row went straight to the front of the class.
Marie and I talk about how the Observer got started, what it takes to put out five editions and more than 200 pages every month and what she’s seen change around here since that first stack of 750 papers.
You can listen to the East of Tampa Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on social and subscribe to the newsletter at https://eastoftampa.com/.
And the next time the Osprey Observer shows up in your mailbox, think about how it got there.
How awesome are Marie Gilmore and the Osprey Observer team?
You must be logged in to post a comment.