Change and the Evolution of This Paper - August 15th, 2005

It is not a secret and we will share the information with our readers. The Abaconian newspaper is for sale.

We have been quietly letting persons know that this paper is for sale for the past year but a recent article in the Nassau Tribune brought it to the forefront. The editor was looking for business information on a slow day and asked if he could run a teaser on The Abaconian to fill the space. It was wonderful exposure on the front page of the Nassau Tribune’s business section but the publicity caught us by surprise.

The Abaconian has been growing steadily for the 12 years we have been publishing the paper. We are working harder and longer hours as the paper expands but our growth is not due to our effort. We are just keeping up with Abaco’s expanding economy.

The paper began as a 12-page monthly in 1993 and by November 1998 it had grown to the point that we began publishing it twice monthly. When the paper exceeds 40 pages, which is the limit for a single press run with our printer in Miami, two press runs are required, creating the two sections that are now normal.

The paper has reached a stage where we should advance again and become a weekly of 24 or 28 pages. However, this involves a major shift in our scheduling and work load. Our present twice-monthly schedule allows some leeway in the production process whereas a weekly publication will require a rigid schedule. It is much easier with our amateur staff, ourselves included, to remain as a twice-monthly paper.

Another reason we are considering a change is that our age in not in our favor. We both are feeling the increased work load, and the late nights are wearing thin. Abaco’s steady growth means the work load will increase and the paper will continue to grow. We feel it is time for a younger person to bring new vitality and energy to the paper. Change can bring about new life and new ideas.

Many of us do not like change. We are comfortable with our present circumstances. But in life, change is constant, sometimes barely perceptible while at other times quite obvious. We tend to resist but we can never stop it from happening. However, we must adapt to the changes and utilize them to our benefit. We have enjoyed the challenge the paper has presented to us, but we feel the time is right for a major change.

We have watched many changes on Abaco over the years, as roads connected settlements, as towns got power and phone service. In our early days, we attended weddings of friends whose education ended at the eighth grade, the highest grade available at that time. Now we see the grandchildren of those unions attending colleges in other countries. Just as changes occurred in the past, changes are going to continue to affect Abaco in the future. Progress cannot be stopped.

It is pleasant to reminisce on the past but look at how much better life is with better homes, supermarkets with fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products, and shops providing most of the goods used by modern society.

There are more choices in housing, schools, transportation and more importantly - jobs. Fifty years ago, steady employment with a regular income was rare. In 50 years, Abaco has advanced from virtually a subsistence economy to a modern technically-advanced society with:
• cell phones extending into the Mud, Pigeon Peas and Sand Banks immigrant settlements.
• fishermen using satellite navigation to locate their crawfish drops.
• a Man-O-War boatyard building seaworthy fiberglass speed boats of such high quality that a license has been granted to a firm in Florida to duplicate the boats.
Abaco people are embracing technology and education as it moves into the 21st century. Even we have been caught up in the technology euphoria. It has been the personal computer that has enabled us to produce The Abaconian in our home office.

The paper began with simple ads and stories pasted onto grid sheets. These were sent to our Miami printer to be photographed along with our photographs to be half-toned and inserted into the paper. The paper is now generated entirely on our computers including photographs and sent to Miami as a high resolution PDF file over a DSL Internet connection. Technology is allowing us to accomplish more in the same amount of time.

It is time for us to move on and to allow others to take the paper to the next level into the 21st century as Abaco continues to lead the nation in growth.
We look forward to finding someone with the drive and experience to accomplish this, who will be committed to Abaco and will support the orderly growth of Abaco.

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