Throwback Thursday Meets Foxfire Inspired Conversations at the Owl Creek Foundation

Inspired by the fun practice of Throwback Thursday (sharing old photos and memories via social media on Thursdays) combined with the wisdom of the Foxfire series (a project and collection of books featuring first-person narratives, oral history, and folklore) we will be gathering to talk about "the good old days". What do we mean by that? Well in a nutshell, we are inviting folks to join us for some lively conversation about such things as traditions that have been handed down in our families, communities, and regions for generations; sharing and trading stories, advice, experiences, recipes, and heirloom skills; and looking at founding principles and practices in our lives that we've gained from watching and listening to our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and teachers and others over the years. Come reminisce with us while also helping to  preserve the past for posterity! 

WHEN: Every Thursday afternoon from 1:30 - 3:30
WHERE: Owl Creek Foundation Office @ 216 S. 2nd Street in downtown Greenville, IL
Click HERE for info more info on the Foxfire series

From OCG to OCP to OCF: The Evolution Continues by Jan Stover

When circumstances beyond my control not only changed the direction of my plans, but the course of my life, what could I do?

Play the hand I was delt?

Roll with the punches?

Make lemonade out of those unexpeced lemons?

In a nutshell, yes -- though, admittedly, it hasn't been an easy or welcomed task. 

While dealing with Don's illness and after his devasting passing, there were other struggles that caught me off guard and took their toll on my health and well being too. For example, trying to decide whether or not to move to California as Don and I had planned to do. Moving there with Don was going to be an adventure, but without him it felt more like an uprooting. Next, having the Owl Creek Gazette come back into my possession, and assessing how the internet (coupled with government's Covid restrictions on small Mom and Pop shops) had reeked havoc on print publications, I had to explore what to do with the magazine. And then more recently, discovering I was also getting our (once named) Creekside Community Brew Coffeehouse back which we'd sold on contract seemed to almost be the straw that broke the camel's back. However, now as things continue to evolve, it seems like it might have been a blessing in disguise -- which brings me to this post's title: From OCG to OCP to OCF: The Evolution Continues.

When the Owl Creek Gazette was returned to me, I had already begun writing poetry under the title The Creekide Poet. I had also been contemplating other writing projects. After talking with my family, I decided to put those ideas and efforts, along with any future for the magazine, under one banner: Owl Creek Publications. Thus the OCG became the OCP.  However, the target date I had set for the launch of several of those projects (particularly my poetry book and zine) kept getting pushed back.  At the time, the delays were more than a little frustrating, but seeing the bigger picture now, perhaps the delays were a good thing, even a meant-to-be thing. 

When the coffeehouse came back into my possession, I had hoped to sell it (as I had several interested buyers) but time was not on my side as the new landlords of the building had their own hurried time table. So as my friends and I were moving furniture and equipment out of the coffeehouse building and into a storage unit, I began to think ... how can I pull from the past businesses Don and I had created and/or grown together, and bring those endeavors into the present (with a plan for the future) all the while honoring Don's life.  And that's when the OCP became the OCF, the Owl Creek Foundation, a new educational and charitable non-profit organization that builds on the work and philosophy of the Owl Creek Gazette while also creating the Don Stover Memorial Scholarship Program which will allow the Foundation to provide funding for selected individuals to participate in self-reliant, preparedness, and sustainable living workshops, events, camps, farms, and communities throughout the country, and then bring what they have learned back to our local area to share.  I think Don would be quite pleased with this idea!

So ... I put together a Board of Directors and rented office space at 216 S. 2nd in Greenville, IL (which serendipitously is the exact same building where Don and I operated the very first Owl Creek Gazette office and Don's Uniques and Repairs business -- see photo on the right taken of us in 2011 in the doorway of 216 S. 2nd St). Together with OCF Board Members and friends, we equipped the office with furniture and signage from the coffeehouse and the Owl Creek Gazette. We opened the Foundation's doors to the public on October 1st with regular office hours to be announced soon. Below is a pic of the Owl Creek Foundation's Board Members who joined in the fun on Opening Day. From left to right: Ashley Schisler (Vice Chair), Debbie Gasser (Secretary), Jan Stover (Chair), and Richard Barth (Treasurer).

A Message to the Owl Creek Community from Jan Stover

Dear Friends and Supporters of the Owl Creek Gazette,

After several heartfelt conversations with Owl Creek Gazette-Illinois editor and publisher, Shanan Strode, she and I have come to understand that in order for her to best meet the needs of several new and unforeseen family responsibilities, she will no longer be able to serve in the capacity as editor and publisher of the magazine.  As such, Shanan has returned her OCG-IL Business Licensing Agreement (and thus the legal ownership of the magazine) back to me.

This somewhat bittersweet turn of events has brought about a good deal of reflection and re-assessment on my part. Together, with my family, I have taken a hard look at the viability of producing the print publication here in Illinois again. Our discussions have also included the feasibility of the Business Licensing Agreement model for Owl Creek Publications, we once sought to establish. Taking into account the continuing changes in the country's economic climate (and the manner in which business is now being done in large part due to the devastating effects the era of Covid restrictions has had on Mom and Pop Shops everywhere, and clearly recognizing Mom and Pop Shops are the financial life blood of the magazine with their advertising dollars -- not to mention serving as convenient locations for distribution of the OCG) I have decided to put publishing decisions regarding the magazine itself on hold for the time being.

However, one thing is certain ... long time readers of the Owl Creek Gazette are missing the type of content our original publication featured.  As the OCG has always aimed to please, my family and I realize that producing some type of new format for dialogue and connection with the OCG Community is a must!

Therefore ... I am happy to announce that arrangements are being made to create several new options for outreach and communication with the OCG Community.  They are:

* A FREE Monthly Newsletter available by email only, beginning in February 2022-- titled the Owl Creek Monthly

* A Quarterly Journal, available in print delivered to paid subscribers by mail, beginning in April 2022 -- titled the Owl Creek Quarterly

* A weekly podcast, beginning in mid-February 2022 -- titled CreekSpeak

* Access to and updates on the poetic works of The Creekside Poet ... and more!

I am excited to be offering the Owl Creek philosophy in these new and timely formats, with a pledge to have such efforts honor Don and the work we did together, and the community we created with your help!  

Stay tuned for future updates ... and here's to preserving and promoting the tools and traditions of self-reliance and common sense in 2022! 

Jan Stover
Owner, Editor, and Publisher
Owl Creek Publications

OCG Becomes OCP

A note from Jan Stover, co-founder of the Owl Creek Gazette magazine, on the evolution of the Owl Creek Gazette into Owl Creek Publications ... 

In November 2020, Don and I announced our decision to no longer publish the Owl Creek Gazette magazine ourselves, but instead to open up an opportunity for others by offering Owl Creek Gazette Business Licensing Agreements.  Such a business model would allow for not just one regional OCG magazine, but rather 50 OCGs (ideally one in every state)!  Long time OCG columnist, Shanan Strode, purchased the Owl Creek Gazette - ILLINOIS Business License and has been publishing the magazine here in Illinois since January 2021, returning the publication back to its original monthly format.

Unfortunately with Don's sudden passing in January, many of the business plans for the OCG were put on hold as I did my best to process and deal with this heartbreaking new reality and the menagerie of changes that come with the loss of one's spouse (of 41 years) and business partner. 

That said, during the last several months I have found myself writing a column for the Owl Creek Gazette - Illinois, titled "Creekside Memories".  Writing for the OCG-IL has been a positive way to bridge the original magazine with the new publication and business model and good for me personally too.  I have also been writing poetry which I've found to be very therapeutic as I cope with my grief, sadness, etc... and I have been blown away by the outpouring of positive feed back and support people have shared with me as they read and relate to my words.

More recently as I've begun to clear my head a bit, and acknowledge the reality that I have officially retired from doing the full time work of producing and distributing a monthly magazine, as well as no longer owning and operating our Creekside Community Brew Coffeehouse (we also sold the coffeehouse back in November of 2020), I could begin to contemplate a number of possibilities and directions for myself and the Owl Creek Gazette to grow into, in addition to offering the Owl Creek Gazette Business Licensing Agreements. I could pick up working on the Owl Creek Anthology series, Don and I had started to publish several years ago. I could begin compiling my poetry (under the name The Creekside Poet) and work to publish a book of my poems ... ideas started bubbling up, all of which I believe would make Don proud, and would serve to honor him, the work we did as a team, and the life we lived together.

With all that in mind, a name change and new logo were in order as the Owl Creek Gazette evolved into Owl Creek Publications, now serving as a resource guide and clearing house for publications and products produced by and/or associated with the original OCG ... yes, the OCP is the official umbrella operation for all things Owl Creek related! And though Don isn't physically with me on this new journey, I know he is here with me in spirit and I hope you all will be able to feel his presence in the work of OCP too!

From this ...

to this ...

to this.

Sad News of OCG Co-Editor Don Stover's Passing on January 20, 2021

Having shared the sad news of OCG Co-Editor Don Stover's passing on many social media platforms, and in the January and February 2021 issues of the Owl Creek Gazette - Illinois, we realized the news had never officially been posted here on the website.  As such, we are including the Celebration of Don's Life program which featured cherished photos of Don enjoying his family, career, and hobbies, along with a lovely tribute written by his family honoring the man he was and the life he lived.  Don is sorely missed by all who knew and loved him.

A New Business Model in OCG's Future!

 We are so very pleased to announce the introduction of a new business model for the Owl Creek Gazette  ... one that will not only help the publication grow, but will help create a broader and stronger Owl Creek Community across the country!  We will be offering Owl Creek Gazette Business Licensing Agreements which will allow for not just one OCG magazine, but 50 ... yep, that's one per state!  We're thrilled that long time OCG columnist, Shanan Strode, has purchased the Owl Creek Gazette-Illinois license (and we also have someone expressing a genuine interest in the Owl Creek Gazette-Indiana license as well)!

Shanan will be happily honoring current OCG subscriptions and all OCG pre-paid advertising agreements in the OCG-Illinois magazine! She also plans to bring the magazine back to a monthly publication, grow the distribution area, and continue building on the mission and message that first inspired us to begin publishing the Owl Creek Gazette back in 2011. 

Look for Shanan to have her first issue out in January 2021! We wish her well on this new journey and know she will do justice to the community she will serve! 

Stay tuned for additional details!

The Hard Truth of the Matter

 In late March, we had announced our decision to move the Owl Creek Gazette to a quarterly publication. This would have found us producing an April/May/June issue. However, due to the mandated closures of designated "non-essential" businesses along with the limited services (curbside/carry) and shrinking hours of many designated "essential" businesses, the number of distribution sites our readership may now pick up copies of our publication has been drastically reduced. Of the 100+ locations we regularly place the OCG, only 20 remain fully open with unaffected business hours and/or restricted access.

This finds us in a real quandary which takes many factors into account ... all of which come back to distribution availability. With the cost of printing, the time and expense of delivery, the inconvenience to our readership, and the disservice to our advertisers' investment that less distribution (and thus less eyes on their ads) would bring ... should we even attempt to produce a print issue until the mandated closures have been lifted? Would an online version of our publication be a beneficial use of time and energy? There is so much to consider as we wade through the muck and mire that has become our nation's new "business normal". Alas, the struggle is real ... and ongoing (coupled with Don's health issues as well).

Perhaps the best we will be able to offer in the coming days are glimpses into what would have appeared in this issue here on our website ... featuring our wonderful writers' work, piece by piece ... so please stay tuned. And thanks, as always folks, for your owlsome concern for and support of the OCG!