AHOSKIE – Did you know that in the day and age of big box retailers, there remains a locally owned and operated mom-and-pop variety store that’s been in business for 55 years?

Were you aware of a tiny room in Winton that’s big on lending a helping hand to those in need?

Would it surprise you to learn that despite the lack formal training on the home front, a young Bertie County man has risen through the ranks of competitive BMX riding?

Did you ever wonder about what hobby may serve as the best form of stress relief?

To discover the answers to those questions, and more, check out a new publication devoted entirely to Bertie, Gates, Hertford and Northampton counties.

Roanoke-Chowan Publications, LLC is proud to announce the Dec. 1 release of its inaugural magazine – “Front Porch Living.” The new product, which takes its name from the easy lifestyle of our local four-county area, is solely the work of the same people that bring you the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, Gates County Index, r-cnews.com and The Portal, a daily e-mail.

“We were looking for a new, unique platform, one that broadened how we package and deliver information to the citizens of the Roanoke-Chowan area,” said Cal Bryant, Editor of Roanoke-Chowan Publications.

Bryant said that after several brain-storming sessions among the R-CP staff, the idea of a locally-produced magazine seemed to be the best avenue. He added that the shelf life (three months) of this quarterly publication would result in prolonged readership, a key element to an advertiser.

“This magazine took many months of planning, but our time and effort pales in comparison to the way this product was received with open arms by the businesses here locally,” Bryant noted. “They saw this as a great way to get their advertising message in print over an extended time period.”

Brian Pavlick, Advertising Director for Roanoke-Chowan Publications, agreed.

“The advertisers saw something in this magazine right away as the space they purchased in our new product was enough for us to officially sell out our debut issue,” Pavlick stated.

Meanwhile, the people and places featured in the first magazine serve as a cross section of life in the Roanoke-Chowan area.

“Often, our front pages are full of negative stories that we have to report on,” Pavlick stressed.  “The magazine provides us with an opportunity to give the reader feel-good stories.”

He added, “I’ve been here exactly one year on December 1.  We’ve revamped the website and created a new daily e-mail system, but none of these were as rewarding as producing a magazine for our readers.”

“With such a broad region to cover…as I like to say, from Merry Hill to Pleasant Hill and from Bull Hill to Drum Hill…our news staff dedicates their efforts to covering the events that help shape our area,” Bryant said. “The great majority of those news articles deal with local government, crime and tragedy. It’s so refreshing on our part to have a product that is 100 percent good news.”

Copies of Front Porch Living will be distributed at 105 locations throughout the four-county area….places where people gather on a routine basis; medical facilities, restaurants, businesses, hair salons, etc.

If you miss seeing a copy, call 252-332-2123. Subscriptions are available for only $20 per year (four issues).