East Fishkill Living, a community magazine that reaches 3,725 local homes each month, is proud to have reached its 75th issue milestone. We are excited to be entering our seventh year as a trusted source of information and inspiration and a connector of local businesses and homeowners.
In 2017, Jeanne Cotroneo Darrow—a Wall Street marketing executive who founded Working With Words LLC, a boutique content marketing agency—decided to partner with Best Version Media (BVM), one of the fastest-growing private media companies in North America, to bring a magazine to life in her hometown of East Fishkill, believing the publication would allow her to shine a positive light on the town’s remarkable people and help bring neighbors closer together. At the same time, she could leverage her writing skills and marketing acumen to aid local businesses, large and small, in connecting with their community.
With BVM publications Living Millbrook and Living Rhinebeck already in circulation, she decided to dive in and, by October 2017, had assembled enough sponsors to bring the full-color glossy print magazine to life. Since then, in addition to East Fishkill Living, her colleagues have launched hyperlocal magazines in the towns of Hudson, Kingston, Pawling and Warwick, adding to the 1,200 BVM magazines (a total of 50+ million copies are printed annually) distributed in neighborhoods across the U.S. and Canada.
Jeanne is grateful to Lauren Fitzgerald, an East Fishkill resident and fellow baseball and twin mom who agreed to join as the magazine’s content coordinator in 2017. They first connected on the sidelines of Field 5 at the Hopewell Rec and have been working together ever since to serve the needs of Working With Words’ clients from Wall Street to Main Street.
Her deep gratitude extends to the very first of those Main Street businesses that agreed to sponsor the yet-to-exist magazine and many years later still sponsor the thriving publication: Emery & Webb Insurance, Hudson Valley Cabinet & Woodworking, Hudson Highlands Veterinary Medical Group, Hannoush Jewelers Hudson Valley, Mountain Pass Planning and Sabellico Greenhouses & Florist.
The leaders of these businesses are among our 18 Expert Contributors who contribute their advice through bylined articles. We’re always looking for more Expert Contributors in the hopes of educating homeowners on topics ranging from medical, dental and mental health, to home improvement, to sports and entertaining, to fashion and interior design, to painting, plumbing and landscaping, and many more possible categories.
With the help of our many sponsors, Jeanne has grown the magazine to reach more homes and tell more stories, adding sections such as our monthly Hometown Hero spotlight featuring a military veteran each month, brought to the community by Arco Protection Systems. We also love featuring local artists, authors and the people behind the remarkable nonprofit organizations making a difference in local lives. East Fishkill Living’s first issue featured the family behind Sparrow’s Nest, with subsequent issues featuring the do-gooders of the American Legion, Autism Directory Service, Bethel Baptist Church of Shenandoah, Bluepath Service Dogs, the Council on Addiction, Prevention & Education, the DC10-13 Foundation of the Hudson Valley, our town’s all-volunteer East Fishkill Fire District, the East Fishkill Historical Society, the Eastern Dutchess Road Runners Club, Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, Friends of Seniors, Future Farmers of America, the Girl Scouts, Greystone Programs, Hope Not Handcuffs, The Hopewell Depot Museum, Hopewell Reformed Church, the Hudson Valley BSA Council Band, Hudson Valley FIRST® LEGO® League, Hudson Valley Honor Flight, Julie’s Jungle, John Jay Proscenium, the Medical Reserve Corps of Dutchess County, the Miles of Hope Breast Cancer Foundation, Unshattered and Valley Church.
During the Covid pandemic, we brought readers stories about the people who worked the frontlines in our hospitals and those who dropped everything to make facemasks. We continue to honor our healthcare workers and first responders whenever we can and were devastated along with our neighbors when East Fishkill lost an officer in the line of duty for the first time. Our February 2024 issue was a tribute to fallen Sergeant Dan Didato.
Over the years, BVM has expanded to offer print and digital advertising, now running sponsored campaigns for clients on Facebook, Instagram and Google in the same geotargeted areas that our magazines reach. Special 75th issue promotions are available.
As we commemorate our 75th edition, we express our heartfelt thanks to not only our sponsors but our readers, especially those who send us story ideas and words of encouragement. Your unwavering support fuels our mission. We are honored to be the pulse of our community and a testament to our town’s unity and resilience as we bring neighbors and businesses together.
To share your feedback or to learn how to become a sponsor of East Fishkill Living or any of our other publications, please contact us.
Jeanne partners with Best Version Media (BVM), one of the fastest-growing private publishing companies in North America, to produce East Fishkill Living, her hometown monthly magazine, and works with colleagues on a number of similar glossy publications around the Hudson Valley, Westchester County, Rockland County and Connecticut. If you have target audiences in those areas, contact Jeanne to learn more. Thanks to BVM for portions of this content.