By Shane Goodman shane@dmcityview.com

Still growing

Remember turning 15? I certainly do. It was an age when I felt like I had total control, at least from my own little world. But I also all had a great deal of anxiety about what was ahead. Sound familiar?

This sums up where we are today with Cityview. When former owner, publisher and founder Connie Wimer started this publication 15 years ago, some wondered what kind of monster she gave birth to. But she had vision, and I respect her deeply for taking those risks.

Cityview certainly had its growing pains, or its awkward stage, if you will. Some say it hung around with a bad crowd during its formulative years. Some say it hangs with a bad crowd now. But, without a doubt, Cityview has made its mark in Central Iowa.

I am proud of today’s Cityview, and I owe a great deal of gratitude to the employees of this newspaper, both past and present. All those efforts along the way helped to create what Cityview now is. I have invested much into this paper and am prepared to take it to the next level, whatever that might be. At 15, who really knows what the future might bring?

When we bought Cityview a few years ago, we wanted to combine the best of it with the best of a publication we then owned called Pointblank. We focused our efforts on our strengths — areas like politics, music, food and entertainment. And although our editorial formula has not been copied, other publications have targeted our base of advertising customers. That hurt us for a while, but we tightened the belt and solidified our position as Des Moines’ only alternative. We are now in solid shape, both financially and editorially. This provides a great future for Cityview and our modest publishing company, as we grow and expand with additional publications.

At 15, we are still youthful and will continue to learn as we mature. Thanks for growing up with us.

Thanks for reading.

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