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Chad Gillis: Let the gifts keep on giving
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I went fishing with an old gil netter years ago in Estero Bay. He landed several mullet and tossed them onto the floor of his creaky wooden skiff. He pointed out features in the bay, oyster bars, sea grass beds and deep holes in tiny creeks.
Later at his waterfront shack we ate fried fish sandwiches, and he talked about what Bonita Springs was like decades ago.
I thanked him for the sandwich, and he said: “I’m simply giving to you what God has given to me.”
That philosophy has stuck with me now for six years.
Like that fisherman, I’ve been gifted as well, not so much with fishing abilities or a home along the Imperial River. My gift is the editor job at The Banner. And like the vast schools of mullet we chased across the grass flats, the opportunities here seem endless.
The 2008 calendar year is quickly becoming a critical one, across the country, the world and in our own backyards.
Gas costs are crazy high, and our once-thriving real estate market has taken more than its share of hits.
Layoffs, a presidential election, a war overseas, immigration, the list of potential pit-falls is long. But with adversity comes opportunities, new ideas and different methods for overcoming obstacles.
The Banner is going through a similar phase, a time of re-evaluating everything we do — how we cover Bonita Springs, Estero, San Carlos Park and Fort Myers Beach.
We need help, though. As editor for all of two weeks now, I inherited a wonderful staff, three hard workers who are eager to grow their careers and experience. Like me, they’re dedicated to south Lee and the surrounding areas.
What we’re missing is the relationship with you, the reader.
The Banner is coming up on its 50th anniversary (Jan. 8, 1959). That’s an impressive achievement itself. But we want to ratchet the paper up a couple of notches, improve the content and presentation.
We want to know what works and what doesn’t, what readers like and what they don’t. E-mails, letters to the editor, phone calls, pop-in visits, we want to see you, meet you and hear your stories and ideas.
Here’s my latest favorite phrase. A confidant at the company, one of my mentors, told me when I got the job, “it’s your paper. Roll up your sleeves and run with it.”
I’m extending that same invitation to everyone in south Lee County. The Banner is your paper. Roll up your sleeves. Take some punches if necessary. Whatever you do, run with it. ...I look forward to hearing from you.
Reach Chad Gillis at bannereditor@bonitanews.com, cegillis@bonitanews.com, or by phone at 213-6031.
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