New Magazine coming to our area by John Dersham

Lookout Alabama is a new magazine focusing on the Lookout Mountain region. It will include towns, businesses and people living on the mountain but it will also include surrounding valley communities, including Fort Payne and most all of our DeKalb towns.

Lookout Alabama magazine in being produced and published by Olivia (Editor) and Randy Grider (Publisher). They have more than 35 years of publishing experience. Randy grew up in Rainsville and both Randy and Olivia have journalism degrees and have won numerous national and regional awards. They are the only husband and wife team to win the Jesse H. Neal award. This award is considered the Pulitzer Prize of business journalism.

I have included text below by Olivia and Randy Grider telling us more about this exciting new publication.

The first issue of Lookout Alabama magazine, a quarterly, regional publication showcasing the Lookout Mountain area, will be printed in June. The magazine will be distributed locally and mailed directly to households across Alabama and the Southeast.

Lookout Alabama’s mission is to celebrate, promote and preserve the unique culture, history and environmental treasures of the Lookout Mountain region through a high-quality publication, collaborative community partnerships and events.

“First and foremost, I'm very excited about coming home and being a part of the community that I love,” said Lookout Alabama Publisher Randy Grider. “I have spent the past two decades working in the publishing industry – at newspapers around the state and, for the last 12 years, at national magazines – but my heart has always been in Northeast Alabama. Wherever I went, I was constantly sharing stories about the people and the natural beauty of the area. Now I have the opportunity to spotlight the best of the region with many more people. It's literally a dream come true.”

Through articles and images, the magazine will highlight the many cultural, educational, outdoor-adventure, dining, shopping and child-friendly attractions that make Alabama’s Lookout Mountain region an ideal vacation and retirement destination as well as business location. LookoutAlabama.com will provide access to all Lookout Alabama magazine stories and photography as well as videos, musical recordings, additional images and other multi-media resources to provide a wide-ranging window on the area’s many treasures.

A major goal of Lookout Alabama is to support local businesses, artisans and parks and facilitate job creation by increasing tourism and retirement to the area and encouraging companies to locate here.

“I truly believe Lookout Alabama can be an asset to the people and businesses in the Lookout Mountain region,” said Editor Olivia Grider. “We want to help promote all the area has to offer and generate economic growth. At the same time, we don't want to see the region lose its unique charm and culture. It's possible to grow and create economic opportunities without becoming over-commercialized. Like many people here, we realize preservation is very important. Our goal is to keep in mind why people visit the area and help strike the right balance.”