Date: Sat 28-Mar-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

County-Kids-Gagne

Full Text:

Local Publisher Finds New Perspectives On Parenting

(with cuts)

BY KAAREN VALENTA

One thing Timothy Gagne has discovered about being a father is that it has

given him an entirely new perspective on his job.

Mr Gagne, who lives on Pocono Road in Newtown, is the editor/publisher of

Connecticut County Kids , a magazine that is printed 10 times a year and

distributed free throughout southwestern Connecticut.

For the third year in a row, the magazine recently took first place in the

"Family Fun" column category from the Parenting Publications of America (PPA),

a competition judged by the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern

University. The winning column this year, "Museum Moments," is a monthly look

at family friendly Connecticut museums. Coincidentally, the individual column

that won County Kids the award also was written by Mr Gagne.

"I started with County Kids part-time 10 years ago as an editorial assistant

while I was still a student at UConn in Stamford, and I lived in Fairfield,"

Mr Gagne said. "I joined the staff after graduation, then left four years

later to become marketing and advertising director for an educational

toy-store chain. A year ago I ran into Julie Butler, who started County Kids.

She had recently given birth to her fourth child and was leaving (the

magazine).

By the time he rejoined the company, Mr Gagne and his wife, Suzanne, had two

children, Madeleine, who will be 5 in April, and Lauren, almost 3.

"Having children has given me a new perspective on kids and what they like,"

Mr Gagne said. "You think you know about kids, but your perspective changes

180 degrees when you actually have children."

The March 1998 issue of County Kids features a photo of the two Gagne girls

and Zoe Walter, 6, the daughter of the magazine's production manager, Jean

Griffin Walter of Newtown.

"We have seven part-time advertising reps and when they come in (to the office

on the Post Road in Westport), they often bring their kids, too," Mr Gagne

said. "There are usually kids in the office on snow days. There are always

plenty of toys and snacks. People expect us to be a kid-friendly place."

Two years ago Connecticut County Kids was purchased by the Journal Register

Company and used as a format to start similar magazines in Fall River, Mass.,

and St Louis, Mo. The Connecticut edition, which is available free at local

retailers, libraries, town halls and other locations, covers Fairfield,

Litchfield and New Haven counties. A Hartford edition was launched last August

with its own calendar of events and local news.

Mr Gagne recently travelled to San Antonio, Texas, to receive the award

presented by Parenting Publications of America. PPA is an organization made up

of nearly 150 regional parenting magazines. At the PPA's 1997 meeting,

Connecticut County Kids won honorable mention in the general excellence

category.

In this year's competition, the judges said: "Far too often parenting

publications resort to dull listings or straight-from-the-press-release blurbs

to trumpet a new museum, exhibit or playspace in town. The Museum Moments

approach is refreshingly different. The reader is introduced to the location

through the eyes, ears and interactions of the writer and the writer's

children. It affords the reader an interesting perspective on how real kids

took to the latest amusement."

Last year Connecticut County Kids launched two annual magazines, Exceptional ,

which is a resource publication for families of children with special needs,

and Partyline , a comprehensive guide to children's party planning.

"We were getting lots of calls from people who saw us as a resource," Mr Gagne

said. "It made a lot of sense to produce these issues. People really

appreciate it."

Editor's note: Connecticut County Kids has a web site at www.ctcountykids.com.

The e-mail address is ctcountykids@family.com.