The first issue of The Island Times is on the streets.
The monthly community newspaper covers Peaks Island news and issues that affect Casco Bay. Five thousand copies will be distributed every month to businesses on Peaks Island and in the Old Port part of Portland. The newspaper is free on newsstands and will be available by subscription year-round to those who don’t live in the area. Subscriptions are $15.
Thanks to strong advertiser support, the first issue is 12 pages, featuring stories on a new schooner business, island roads and a mother and daughter who appeared together in the Maine State Music Theatre. Each month will feature a photo page, a crossword puzzle and “Guess Who This Is,” photo with a picture of an island resident in their childhood.
“The Island Times will be a true community newspaper – we’ll cover tough issues, but we also want to have fun,” said David Tyler. “There will be lots of features and profiles as well as birth and marriage announcements and the occasional contest.”
The Island Times was founded by Mary Lou Wendell and David Tyler. Wendell is a freelance writer living on Peaks Island. She was the education reporter for the Sun Journal in Lewiston and was a reporter for the Portland Phoenix. Tyler is a freelance writer living in Portland. He was editor of Casco Bay Weekly, and served as editor of the Advocate in Woburn, Mass., and the editorial page editor of The TAB Community Newspapers in Needham, Mass.
The new venture has received impressive support from advertisers, with over 20 businesses buying space in the first three issues.
“The support from the community has been overwhelming,” said Wendell. “When I go to the coffee shop out here on the island, I can’t get more than a few feet without someone pulling me aside and saying how much they liked the paper. Many have been asking when our next issue will come out.”
The Island Times comes out on the third of every month. For more information contact Mary Lou Wendell at 766-0951 or e-mail her at mwendell@maine.rr.com. David Tyler can be reached at 228-4762 or e-mail him at dtyler02@maine.rr.com.