Newsweeks gay-marriage cover is a flag in the ground for print journalism

Article originally published May, 14 2012 by www.poynter.org

By Andrew Sullivan

ne might, at this benighted point in print-journalism history, ask what difference

the cover of a magazine actually makes. Theyre not a huge economic force: Newsweeks year-end publishers statement this past December gave an aver-

age of 40,342 single-copy sales per issue, down from 96,334 in 2007. But they still occupy a nice piece of cultural real estate. An article in a newsweekly has as

much chance of becoming the focus of cultural conversation as a photo of a falling bear or a review of an Olive Garden in a North Dakota newspaper, but an arresting cover is an assertion that while print magazines power may have receded, theyre far from toothless. Just look at how much comment Times breastfeeding cover last week kicked up, for a story that wasnt really about breastfeeding and was behind a paywall. A Newsweek spokesperson told Keith Kelly When Tina saw the Time cover, she laughed and said, Let the games begin. In a statement to Politico, Brown said, If President Clinton was the first black president then Obama earns every stripe in that gaylo with last weeks gay marriage proclamation Newsweeks cover pays tribute to his newly ordained place in history. After Obama said he thought gays should be able to marry, The New Republiclobbed a package of cheeky cover suggestions at Brown, including one of the president leading a pride parade in a white suit and another of him kissing Joe Biden, all of which made the sideways point that subtlety was not the way to go (thats The New Yorkers job). Newsweeks cover is provocative, fun to riff about and a flag in the ground that says print journalism still matters. Kinda makes you hope the games continue, doesnt it?

Dining Guide
elcome to the inaugural Fire Island dining guide column. Whether your lean toward finding the best burger, throwing the perfect dinner party, or discovering something new, this column will seek to show off the diversity of dining options available to those of us that make The Grove and The Pines home for a few days or the entire season. For those of you coming out to Fire Island for the first time, Im sure youll be met with plenty of advice. Everyone has his or her own particular reason for loving Fire Island and I encourage you to find yours. For those of you who have been coming out to Fire Island for years, the dining scene continues to evolve. The restaurants in the Grove are rolling out new menus (one of which is surrounded by an entirely new restaurant), the Pines Harbor continues to rebound from last Falls devastating fire, and the local markets continue to expand their selections if you want nothing more than to watch the sunset (or sunrise!) from your deck with a small group of friends. With all the new, the same

By Trey Matthews

faces and friends you know and love continue to be there to help you navigate the whole range of options. Over the coming season, stay tuned for not only restaurant features but also full coverage of all the dining options The Pines and Grove have to offer. That said, this column is meant to be interactive (or as interactive as you can be in a print newspaper!), your suggestions are not only welcomed but encouraged. Please send comments, criticisms and suggestions to TK to help shape your communitys newspaper. So what makes me qualified to write the column? First and foremost, I love to eat Im Italian, it comes with the territory. In the last fifteen years on Fire Island bouncing between the Grove and The Pines, Ive seen the dining scene evolve from a wide range of food choices (eat at home or eat whatever comes out of a deep fat fryer) to the truly diverse dining scene thats shaping up for this season. I have seen half the restaurants burn down and all of them come back better than ever. I look forward to sharing this season of food, friends and fun!

Newweeks cover for May 21. 2012

Meet Your Neighbor

Bill Stumlauf

This weeks neighbor is Bill Strumlauf, and his pooch, Mary Dugin
By Caitlin Roneino

Bill Strumlauf, a seasonal resident, has been a longstanding member of the Cherry Grove community for over 40 years. His first trip to the island was in 1965, when a friend invited him to stay in Robins Rest. Recounting his first visit, he says with a smile and a laugh that it was not the pleasant experience he had hoped for. If this is what Fire Island is about, I want no part of it, Strumlauf joked. It wasnt until the following year he was invited to a weekend stay in Cherry Grove by another friend. This trip completely sold Strumlauf; finding the community, the bars, and the people incredibly appealing. In 1971, Bill bought his residence in Cherry Grove. For 43 years he worked for Butler Lumber Co., a Manhattan company with a 5 acre yard in the Bronx. Having started in their retail outlet in Yonkers for ten years, he was promoted to field rep overseeing all millwork and kitchen construction for many many Manhattan highrises over his

remaining 33 years with the company.He himself meticulously constructed all the work done in his Cherry Grove home, including the beautiful cedar wood interior. He retired around 2003 after the owner of the company sold the property in the Bronx. Whether bay fishing in his row boat for Week fish or fall fishing in the ocean for Striped Bass or Blue Fish, or clamming (although clams are no longer in abundance here), Bill finds Cherry Grove to be a slice of heaven. He resides in Bronxville when he is not living on the island and still ventures back every week to maintain his residence. The months he spends on the island from mid March until mid December is always his most treasured time. Although he does not live on the island year round, he was a board member of the Cherry Grove Property Owners Association for around twelve years and was also a member of the Cherry Grove Fire Department for 30+ years and acted as Assistant Chief for 15 years. The most important thing to Bill Strumlauf is ensuring that everything in his life is in order and well taken care of . He has known many of his neighbors for years, thoroughly enjoying the strong sense of unity on the island and how everyone (mostly) gets along with one another. Bill has many stories about Cherry Grove and Fire Island and how it has changed over the 40 years that he has been a resident and homeowner of the community. If you have the chance to sit with Bill a moment, or ride over with him on the, I encourage you to say hello and get to know him. His humor and verse is well thought out and quite clever and to the point. He self describes himself as that grumpy old man, but it only takes a few words and sincere approach to see that gruff exterior quickly fade.

Quote of the Week:

Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for youll be criticized anyway. Youll be damned if you do and damned if you dont. -Eleanor Roosevelt