Over the last six years, we have had the privilege of introducing our Newtown Square neighbors to many friendly faces in our community and we are excited to do the same for our Newtown Edgmont neighbors. The families and individuals you have read about all share the same love for Newtown Square and Edgmont, but each has their own unique story about where they came from, why they live here, how they are making a difference in the community and how they spend quality time together.
Some families travel the globe, while others love the Jersey shore. We have featured residents who are making a difference in the world and those who are volunteering their time to support our local youth programs. And for those of us who grew up here, it’s a treat to learn about families who choose to move to Newtown Square because they have heard it’s a great place to live!
It’s always fun to scroll through our library of issues at NewtownSquareMag.com and TheNEMag.com to learn about who we have highlighted through the years. You’ll see a community of friends and neighbors from different backgrounds, religions and ethnicities who all love to call Newtown Square and Edgmont their home.
There are often times along the way when we are asked how we find and select our Resident Feature and Community Feature stories. That’s a 
question that doesn’t have a standard answer because each feature is unique. What we can tell you is that many times, the recommendations come from you, our valued readers of Newtown Square and Newtown Edgmont Friends & Neighbors.
What is involved in being featured on the cover of our magazine?
Great question! The process from start to finish is pretty simple. Being a monthly publication, we work under tight deadlines, so once a family, individual or organization is chosen, they are contacted by our Content Coordinator who sends an email with preliminary interview questions. Next, our Contributing Photographer calls to set up a complimentary photo shoot at a mutually agreed upon location. With the photoshoot appointment set, the Content Coordinator then begins to write the story and often follows up with a phone call or in-person meeting to gather more details. A draft of the article is written and reviewed by the featured family. After a round or two of edits, the article is ready to go and is submitted to our Designer. That’s it! It’s simple and easy, and most of all, it’s a fun and memorable experience!
You may recall that in December 2023, Newtown Edgmont Friends & Neighbors introduced you to The DiCola Family, whose focus on building a 
life filled with love, laughter, adven tures and meaningful memories makes their home so very special. Pat and Michelle have their hands full these days with three kids under the age of six, so the thought of being featured in our magazine was a little overwhelming. “From the photo shoot to the interview and writing process, our overall experience was amazing,” Pat recalled. “The team took something incredibly complicated and made it an easy, seamless process.”
Both Pat and Michelle agree that Newtown Edgmont Friends & Neighbors has established itself as a pillar in our community. Pat said, “Of course, we knew about the magazine, and the feedback we have received around town has been great.” He added that they love to read and get to know the other featured families and individuals on the cover.
Our October 2023 feature article highlighted The Barkann Family: Michael, Ellen, Emily and Matthew. Life for the Barkanns is Philled with Phun, Phamily and Philadelphia Pride. Despite their busy schedules, Ellen and Michael said they enjoyed being featured in our hometown magazine. “We love the Newtown Edgmont 
community and live in a wonderful neighborhood that has been good to us and our family,” Michael said. Michael and Ellen recently celebrated 25 years in their home and said it was the perfect place to raise their two children. “Sharing in the magazine’s mission of Bringing People Together is what we are all about,” Ellen said. “We enjoyed telling the story of how we met, fell in love and raised our two beautiful children here; it was very special.”
We want you to keep those referrals coming! Who would you love to see on the cover of your hometown magazine? Do you have friends and neighbors who are making a difference in our community? People who work here, live here and make Newtown Square, Willistown and Edgmont a better place? Perhaps you know of a family or an individual who has a great story to tell about their journey or their plans for the future.
Whatever it may be, we want to hear from you!
If you’d like to nominate a family, individual or nonprofit orga-
nization, email me at STurnerHilliard@BestVersionMedia.com.