It became important, says Tara Marks, production and development manager, that instead of redesigning the Beach Paper, that the Cape Gazette deliver something fresh and new. “We are continually pushing ourselves to deliver the best product in the best format, and The Current was born from these efforts.”
Tara recalls the original text message exchange she had in January of this year with Cape Gazette publisher Chris Rausch. “We knew we wanted something that encompassed the essence of this area, so our minds naturally went to the beach. Some early thoughts went to names that were a little edgy, like rip tides or rip current. But I love double meanings, so The Current made sense immediately,” she says.
But the name was the easy part. Who would design and bring this new publication to life? Tara and Chris were finally able to swoon Tracy Toscano, an art director who spent her career in magazines back in New York, to be creative director. “Chris and Tara told me I would have complete creative control, which is a little unorthdox in the publishing world,” Tracy says. “I would later find myself planning issues, writing, editing and designing. I had no idea how much I would have my hands in, but it all felt very natural to me to be in this role,” she says.
This summer, The Current highlighted just a few of the unsung heroes, artists, athletes, risk takers, big thinkers and business owners who have been making an impact on the resort community and surrounding areas. Who could forget the inaugural issue, featuring none other than Dru Tevis, the corporate pastry chef for SoDel Concepts and winner of “Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship” last year. But other, perhaps lesser-known residents made a splash on The Current’s pages. People like Allen Ray Fasnacht, the 94-year-young owner of Funland, who can still whip anyone’s butt in a game of Skee-Ball (see Issue seven if you don’t believe us). There was Jeremy Bernstein — AKA Magnolia Applebottom — one of the (if not the) top echelon drag queens in the region. And of course, Bryan Stevenson, the lawyer, activist, best-selling author and lover of Grotto Pizza, who delivers merciful justice for Alabama inmates on death row. “It was really no surprise that readers loved Bryan’s story, making it one of the most-read stories on our website, thecapecurrent.com,” says Tracy. “Our In Plain Sight column also resonated with readers,” says Tara. “We think it’s because it played into reader’s own memories and experiences; searching for a place, a piece of artwork or historical object in the area started a conversation they wanted to be part of and contribute to and we saw this week after week with Facebook engagement when this column was posted,” she says.
The Current also profiled trailblazers in the Making Waves column. “We knew early on that there were so many people shaking things up in this town and making an impact big and small,” says Tara. “We wanted to shine a spotlight on those daring to chase their dreams in a variety of ways. One cover story a week just wasn’t going to be enough. We started Making Waves with that in mind. Maybe they weren’t the people regularly grabbing the headlines, but their stories were inspirational nonetheless.”
“I was talking to Taber Bartoshesky [owner of Hunt & Lane in Rehoboth Beach] about this new column idea we were tossing around, and he just blurted out, “You should call it ‘Making Waves,’” Tracy says. “And that was that.”
The people who filled the pages of The Current were not only interesting, but often shared a common theme. “They’ve all overcome hurdles and setbacks, like how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their business. And the feeling of gratitude for living in such a giving and supportive community was really inspiring to hear about,” says Tara.
While this may be the final issue of the season, they are already thinking about next year. “When I reflect on the summer, I’m just so proud of what Tara and I were able to pull off,” says Tracy. “The Current is always on our brains,” says Tracy. We are either working on it, talking about it, thinking about it, texting about it or dreaming about it.”
