New Magazine To Focus On Lisle

Midwest Marketing Authority of Lisle unveiled plans to publish the bi-monthly magazine for Lisle, joining its local publications for Darien, Downers Grove, St. Charles, Batavia and Geneva.

When presenting survey results showing an impressive 97% of those polled read the magazine, President Bruce Povalish gushed, "everybody loves this thing."

"It reflects the pride of the community," he said. "It focuses on the good news."

"Neighbors of Darien" was the first local venture five years ago and proved so successful Povalish decided to expand to neighboring towns. The magazines are delivered to every resident, every business, local governments and community organizations for free. 

The magazines focus on a major local story involving something happening or about a resident. It includes an event calendar, information on schools, the local government, and not-for-profits in the area. Each issue contains a message from the Chamber of Commerce and the mayor. 

What readers won't see are generic articles and no advertorials. 

Executive Editor Tim Sullivan expressed his passion for content. 

"If we produce content that has value to the reader, (the magazine) has more value than to the advertiser," Sullivan said.

Batavia Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Roger Breisch told the crowd, as he held up a copy of Neighbors of Batavia, that in today's busy, high-tech world, "we are losing our connection with our communities."

"We are forgetting who we are as communities," Breisch said. "I'm here to tell you that this magazine is an inquiry every two months into who we are as a community because it's about us.

"It reminds us who we are, it calls us back to our history."

About 75 people attended a reception Thursday evening at the Hilton Lisle/Naperville to spark an interest for potential advertisers. For more information on what to expect when Neighbors of Lisle officially launches in a few months, check the Lisle website.