Along the Way

You Know When the Editor Writes, It Must Be Big News

The editor is preempting the column this month to make two announcements that we would rather not make. One is that the price of the magazine is going up $2 a year. The other is that our longtime publisher is retiring.

I'd also like to tell you some things about Arizona Highways, and to emphasize how valuable you readers are to us. Many of you have encouraged us, prodded us to do better, and even pounded us when we have made a mistake.

The magazine, now in its 71st year, has succeeded, even excelled, because of each loyal reader, and there are more than 400,000 of you representing every state and two-thirds of the countries of the world.

Tens of thousands of you have purchased gift subscriptions for friends, relatives, and business associates. That is extremely satisfying to us because it is another sign you are pleased with our efforts.

Doing the best job we can for you is our primary goal day after day. We don't have advertisers to satisfy like most magazines. Nor do we have stockholders who demand big dividends. Our purpose is simply to satisfy our readers and to collect enough money to cover our costs.

That's why we have opted for the smallest increase feasible. The price increase amounts to not quite 17 cents a month. We desperately want to keep the magazine affordable so you can continue to enjoy it. The subscription price of the magazine, effective with this issue, will go up from $17 to $19 a year.

Gift subscriptions will increase from $15 to $17 a year, preserving the $2 savings readers get when purchasing more than one subscription at a time. Gift subscriptions to Arizona Highways are extremely popular presents, especially during the Christmas holidays.

International subscriptions will increase from $21 to $29 a year, mainly because of additional postage costs.

Normally, we can offset the periodic increases in producing the magazine by expanding sales. But this year we are facing two cataclysmic cost increases, both outside our control, that we cannot cover by an expansion of business. One is the price of paper. The other is the price of postage.

Paper costs have gone up more than 30 percent this year, and forecasts are for more increases next year. The demand for paper is up strongly, and the supply is short, so the prices go up.

The costs of mailing the magazine have gone up 20 percent, double the rate of increase for first-class mail.

What this means is that our costs will rise more than $1 million over two years.

All magazines and newspapers are facing the same hikes in postal rates and paper costs. Many are raising subscription rates. Some are taking other steps to increase revenues, like boosting advertising rates, or to decrease costs, cutting off subscribers or laying off people.

But we have no paid advertising. Nor can we choose to reduce our circulation because our loyalty is first of all to our readers. The option of cutting our staff also is out of the question. That would not only dam-but also would reduce the level of service we give you. But mostly we care about the people we work with. They are talented, hard-working, and loyal. They are the magazine.

So we were forced to take the only viable option we had. We raised the subscription price.

Long before we realized our costs would force a price increase, we planned to make some changes in the magazine, beginning with this month's issue, to keep it fresh-looking and up to date.

Most notably, we have added a humor column, "Wit Stop." The column is written by Gene Perret, who for years has been the lead comedy writer for Bob Hope. In "Wit Stop," Arizona is the focus of his comic talent. We think you'll find it both humorous and insightful.

We also have expanded the "Mileposts/Events" pages. And we have updated the look of all the monthly departments.

Arizona Highways has a relatively small staff of about 70 fulland part-time employees. A majority of us work in cus-tomer service. So you can see where we place our emphasis.

We are proud of the fact that you can call here, or stop by, and talk to someone who is genuinely interested in being helpful.

The person responsible for this direction is the publisher. And since 1982, the publisher has been Hugh Harelson. With this issue, he is retiring. From time to time in the life of successful organizations, there emerge people of uncommon ability and vision, people who stand above the crowd and, by example, set a pattern for extraordinary achievement.

Hugh Harelson is such a man, and his impact on this magazine has been truly extraordinary. He has established a pattern of excellence that will benefit readers well into the next century.

In 1982, when Hugh came aboard, the magazine was in disarray. There was disagreement about the magazine's direction, and the planning processes had become bogged down. Its finances were in terrible shape. Where once the magazine was a leader in the field of color technology, it was now lagging behind in almost all other technologies.

Today, as Hugh leaves, we have a clear, effective editorial direction, our financial planning is solid, and we are constantly updating our technology. And there is in the workplace a spirit of camaraderie and good humor that is hard to find these days.

That's the kind of corporate culture Hugh has fostered. It's his greatest legacy of all.