Inside Columbia magazine is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and I couldn’t be more proud of what this publication has accomplished and represented over these last two decades. More than a magazine, Inside Columbia has served as a meaningful reflection of the very best that our city has to offer. From the landmarks that make us unique and historic to the unique personalities who give our city its color and flavor, we’ve made it our business to celebrate the many reasons you love Columbia.
I remember that day in the spring of 2005 when Mizzou legend Norm Stewart unveiled a gigantic version of our first cover at our launch party. Of course, Coach Stewart appeared on that first cover dressed to the nines in a handsome tuxedo with a basketball in hand. We didn’t know at the time that Missouri’s true son and our beloved late Mayor Darwin Hindman would share the record for adorning the cover of our magazine more times than any other Columbian over these last 20 years. It makes perfect sense. This magazine has always been dedicated to showing off our time-honored traditions juxtaposed against the quirky, unconventional attributes that make this town such a great place to live, work and have fun.
This edition is certainly no exception. For 18 years, our most recognizable franchise has been the Best of Columbia awards, where we draw attention to our favorite things about this city. Through the years, literally millions of votes have been cast by you, our readers, picking your favorite restaurants, media personalities and places to take visitors. While some of the winners inadvertently reign for years, there’s a new crop of discoveries every year that make the cut and we always feel richer for knowing about them.
Of course, our editorial endeavors have not always been about our best and brightest. Over the years, our editors have also tackled some subjects that reveal the more complex nature of Columbia’s collective personality. From deep dives into issues like drug use in our local schools, homelessness and the plight of a young man wrongly accused and prosecuted for a murder he did not commit, we haven’t shied away from the topics that occasionally dull our city’s shine. We may have ruffled a few feathers along the way, but as local journalism has followed a precipitous decline, it’s important for all of us to know where we’re vulnerable and, frankly, where we can do better.
Former Columbia Daily Tribune Publisher Hank Waters once referred to me as “Columbia’s Fattest Cheerleader.” My feelings were bruised momentarily, but it wasn’t long before I embraced the moniker along with the responsibility to put Columbia’s best foot forward on the pages of this magazine. We’ve always wanted to give people a reason to exit off Interstate 70, if only for a few hours, or to consider sending their kids to the University of Missouri one day. Columbia has always had a good story to tell. We may not be experiencing our finest hour as a community under current circumstances, but we know there are still great days ahead.
As I think about the writers, editors, designers and marketing reps whose names have appeared in our bylines over the years, I realize these are the folks to whom the credit is largely due. Through various forms of sacrifice and selflessness, they always deliver exceptional work. Even if the pay was never very good, we still had a closet full of awards from the Missouri Association of Publications and the City and Regional Magazine Association. In 2011, the Great Plains Journalism Awards named us Magazine of the Year.
While my late wife, Melody, and I were employees No. 1 and No. 2, it’s only appropriate that I give a nod here to employee No. 3, my junior high locker partner, L.G. Patterson. He has been an integral part of our team for a whopping 31 years. No single photographer has captured a more vast collection of the sights and happenings of our community than L.G. We are eternally appreciative for his talents … and we’ve even grown to tolerate his artistic idiosyncrasies over the decades.
Finally, I’d be foolish to omit the fact that none of this would have been possible without the support of our readers, subscribers and advertisers. Your steadfast commitment to locally owned and produced journalism is how we’ve paid the bills, and the reason we get up and go to work every day. From the team at Zimmer Communications, please accept our heartfelt thanks and admiration for your loyalty. With your continued support, we’ll look forward to doing this for another 20 years.
