In Buona Salute Magazine™ is published by Smokin’ Heffer, LLC.

2222 Francisco Dr. Ste 510-357, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762.

©2007 Salute Magazine. All rights reserved.

Italian Americans are normally proud people. Sometimes too proud for their own good. Stubborness has been a characteristic trait of Italians; one that has played a part in wars, family feuds, and even triumphs. Many a persistent person has conquered unsurmountable odds, only to be rewarded with nothing in return.

     We at In Buona Salute Magazine™ are proud of our contributions to the Italian American community of northern California and surrounding areas. So many of our readers tell us how they “can’t wait for their issue to arrive”, or they “read it cover-to-cover”. We can’t imagine every magazine hears that kind of response regularly.

     They are reading it cover to cover, but unfortunately, many do not understand what it says.

     We have delivered boxes of magazines to the clubs of northern California with the hopes that the Italian community will realize the value of this publication, which is created by you and for you: the Italian Americans. 

     Certainly, after hearing so many organizations complain about declining
membership and forgotten cultural footnotes, we would have plenty of support from them, right? Unfortunately, those at the “core of the Italian community” have completely rejected us, with the exception of only three –
The San Francisco Italian Athletic Club, FIERI International, and the Italian Center of Northern California. If it wasn’t for their support from the very beginning we would not even be here today.

     We recently sent a “final plea” to more than 100 local Italian clubs and organizations who have regularly received free issues for their board members for the past two years. We received one subscription for a magazine – grazie, but that will not sustain a publication.

     Italian clubs and organizations, set up to originally support and preserve the Italian culture, refuse to recognize In Buona Salute
Magazine™. They are unwilling or unable to realize that the magazine is a key tool to help them achieve their own goals and missions.
     For the price of one plate of pasta, they could have a full year of current, unique information about what is happening in the Italian community.


Why don’t they, then?


     Italian Americans are already challenged by a lack of recognition for the innumerous contributions to today’s society – there are no mentions of our history in the textbooks. Young people have many choices of who they can be in today’s world – they need exposure to the rich history of Italian culture in order to appreciate it. They are bombarded by Latino and Asian influences daily – what is to stop them from appreciating other cultures more than their own?

     Clubs and organizations are not doing their members justice by staying stagnant. They suffer for it in weak membership and lame activities. Society takes for granted that Italian clubs are preserving their own culture – no one else will do it for you. Sadly, we have found indifference in too many. 

     Let’s hope the best days of the Italians are not in the past, but united in the future. If you had told me three years ago that an Irish girl from Virginia would have more passion to preserve the unique Italian heritage than their own community, I would have laughed out loud. Sadly, though, it seems to be true.

     We are trying to keep this alive for the people that see the value in what we do, however, our fear is that we will not be able to fulfill our obligations because of the lack of support and interest from the clubs and organizations. We will not survive without the immediate attention of the Italian community; in fact, we have a beautiful issue sitting on our desk just waiting to be published.    


Paper to Pixels: What’s happening, and why?


   The magazine business is hard today. Print publications are going out of business left and right. No one is pouring more money into printing. As if that wasn’t bad enough, postal regulations are getting stricter, rates higher, and the service... well, downright deplorable.

     Combine this with declining advertising budgets, and you can see why TIME™ Magazine is as thin as a brochure, and why Playboy® is going bi-monthly. Even Italian Cooking & Living is no longer available as a printed publication.

     We talked about it years ago, and said with confidence that most people enjoy the feel of a paper book or magazine. Well, this is true – however, if you watch history and technology, you will see that the replacement is not far off.

     The evidence has begun in the form of online communities. These information-rich websites bring the best of everything under one roof, combining media with user-driven content. In other words – it brings people together.

     The future of In Buona Salute Magazine™ depends mainly on the Italian American community. We encourage you to try new things – to experiment instead of being afraid – or too proud. Appreciate what you have enough to share it with others. That is the way we can preserve our heritage and build our future.

     The transition has begun, and this is the first complete Digital Edition of In Buona Salute Magazine™. It’s all part of a whole new world coming to you direct from our headquarters – with local, regional, national and even worldwide circulation.

     Check out a video on how to do it – and discover a rich, robust world of gl’Italiani – coming very soon to our website at

www.saluteitalianmagazine.com.


Grazie,


Marti & Rob

Co-Publishers

Nota dagli Editori