maple street co-op

Editorial by Ruth Parnell
From "Maple Street Co-op News", Feb/Mar 2007

Greetings again, dear readers. It is with a tinge of sadness that I announce I'm ceasing my role on Maple Street Co-op News due to personal and family reasons. After more than eight years editing the newsletter, including four-and-a-half years doing the desktop publishing as well, the time has come for me to free myself up for other tasks (over and above my full-time job in publishing).

In these years, the Co-op has evolved into an increasingly successful enterprise with a strong sense of where it's headed for the future. I'd like to think the newsletter has aided the Co-op's growth and succeeded in its mission to provide members with information that makes a positive difference in their lives. It's been a privilege to be associated with the Co-op and, more recently, the Club, as well as with all the newsletter contributors and the directors who oversee Co-op business. I've enjoyed the collaboration and camaraderie and I shall continue to compile back-issue material for the Co-op's website.

I've also been privileged to be part of the campaign to save our town's identity from corporate encroachment, and on the Co-op front I give particular thanks to Lori Sturtz, Sue Verstraten, Rod Castle and general manager Alan Harrington for their contributions which have kept the Co-op a prominent shopfront force in Maleny.

Despite feeling sad, I'm delighted I've found a suitable successor in Leigh Robshaw. A resident of Maleny for close to three years having fled Sydney, Leigh is an experienced writer, journalist, sub-editor, book editor and researcher. She has worked for diverse media ranging from mainstream travel magazines, newspapers and radio stations to alternative publications such as The Planet, Nature & Health and Conscious Living. She has a BA in Communications, majoring in Journalism, has taught English in Japan and speaks fluent Spanish. In her time in Maleny, Leigh has been involved with the Gandhi School and its home-stay program.

I met Leigh the day after the Deen Brothers laid waste to much of the Bunya Street Woolworths site, when we joined the media group. She is passionate about doing all she can to promote co-operative and community values, and I feel sure she'll take the newsletter to new heights and with additional pages.

Leigh has contributed to this edition with her writing, photography, editing and desktop publishing input and is taking over the reins with the April/May edition. You can expect coverage of our official hand-over next time!

Thank you all for your support.

Ruth

[From "Maple Street Co-op News", February/March 2007; published by The Maple Street Co-operative Society Ltd, 37 Maple Street, Maleny, Qld 4552,
Australia, tel (07) 5494 2088, email maplest.co-op@serv.net.au,
website http://www.maplestreetco-op.com.au]