User:Nuitetjour/The Miami SunPost

The Miami SunPost is a free weekly newspaper published in Miami, Florida, and distributed in a print edition every Thursday and an on-line edition. It primarily covers the area spanning Miami Beach, North Bay Village, Surfside, Bay Harbor Islands, Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles Beach, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Aventura, Miami's Design District, Wynwood, Upper Eastside, and Miami Shores.

Overview
Current writers, columnists, and contributors include society columnist Mary Jo Almeida-Shore, Alejandro Arce, columnist Charles Branham-Bailey, theater reviewer Tony Guzman, literary reviewer John Hood, Frank Maradiaga, Dan Ricker, film critic Ruben Rosario, Maryanne Salvat, Michael Sasser, society editor Jeannette Stark, Kim Steiner, and David Arthur Walters.

Former staff writers include Erik Bojnansky, Rebecca Wakefield, and Arthur Carl "A. C." Weinstein.

The paper issues an annual "SunPost Top 50 People," recognizing local citizens -- municipal figures, business people, civic leaders, activists, and residents -- for notable achievements and contributions.

History
The SunPost was originally founded by publisher emeritus Felix Stark (1929-1995). Stark, owner of a chain of papers in his native South Africa, bought the Sun Reporter in 1979, rechristening it the SunPost in 1985.

Following his death, the paper's management transferred to his widow, Jeannette Stark, and subsequently to son Andrew and then to daughter Kim.

In the aftermath of its coverage of the "Save Miami Beach" campaign and referendum to curb the size of waterfront construction in the city, the paper was recognized with a "Laurel" by the Columbia Journalism Review in September 1997 for


 * "keeping its beam on a shadowy deal. When, without any public discussion, the city [of Miami Beach] agreed to adjust its zoning regulations on a $321 million stretch of waterfront property owned by a controversial foreign developer who planned to transform it into a towering 'mini-metropolis' of unlimited height, the local power establishment -- including The Miami Herald -- lined up in warm support.  In contrast, when a group of outraged citizens began collecting signatures for a petition that would refer such 'upzoning' requests to a public vote, the SunPost took on the lonely job of reporting on its progress.  The paper staunchly resisted the pressures of real-estate advertisers, lobbyists, and city hall, as well as a million-dollar p.r. campaign of misinformation.  Two years later, on June 3, when the question of who should decide on the development of what's left of the precious waterfront finally went to a referendum, the SunPost was able to report on a tremendous upset in Dade County politics:  the people had won.  (In late July [1997], the developer, Thomas Kramer, was fined $323,000 by the Federal Election Commission for making illegal contributions to the Florida state GOP.)"