After 35 years in print, Salt Lake magazine’s publisher reflects on the journey
It all started when friends invited us to Park City in the Fall of 1988 for the Autumn Aloft balloon festival. I still recall walking around Park Meadows, the mountains rising in the background, and a townhouse right before me under construction. The weather was crisp and cool—the opposite of our home in Boca Raton—and the relatively flat area could accommodate my husband John’s wheelchair. John took a look, too, and we both agreed that we wanted the best of both worlds—mountains and beach.
We purchased it two days later.
We moved in over Christmas vacation, heading up the mountain in a snowstorm with me at the wheel of our big Suburban. John, who had been paralyzed since 1980 as a result of multiple sclerosis, got involved almost immediately with the National Ability Center. He spent our early winters in Park City skiing in a sit-ski tethered to Peter Badewitz, who founded the NAC with Meeche White in 1985.
Seven years earlier, we had started a publishing company at home in Boca Raton, Fla., where we loved everything about living near the ocean but the heat and humidity. So we began summering in Park City’s cooler mountain air and spending the holidays in Utah for skiing.
We were still young enough then to start whole new chapters—like creating a city publication for Salt Lake. The late Mickey Gallivan, who was at Love Communications in Salt Lake City (a Notre Dame graduate like John), encouraged us to proceed with this idea. The city was growing and it needed a magazine. Mickey, with the help of attorney Tom Billings and publicist John Becker, gave us the push we needed.
We published the first issue of Salt Lake magazine in November of 1989. By 2002, our Utah company was in full swing. As we grew, we added four issues of our home and design magazine Utah Style & Design and biannual issues of Utah Bride & Groom.
Utah was coming into its own, and leading up to the Olympics there was a newfound pride in our city and state. We were there to cheerlead and share that love with our readers. Thirty-five years after that first issue, showcasing Utah remains in our DNA. It was a wonderful experience for John, who is gone now, and for me, as well as our children. Our endeavor opened our eyes to the beauty and majesty of the West. This business gave John new energy and we lived a wonderful life, despite his trying disabilities. I am so grateful that Utah became a part of our lives and frankly, I believe our work here extended John’s life.
On this, our 35th anniversary, my message to young couples would be to follow your dreams. Life is short. Be creative. Enjoy people. This is a people business—publishing—whether it’s print or digital or both. People of all stripes and accomplishments deserve a spotlight, and we have loved shining that light these past three decades. And, to you, dear reader, thank you for reading our magazines and loving the place you live.
