DeLand Public Library DSN Collection?

Guy:

It is great to see the DeLand Sun News banner again! But, why not bring the original back to the degree available records would allow? The DeLand Public Library has a wonderful (and rare) collection of microfilm of early editions of the paper or parts of it. These films apparently were passed to the library by Stetson University at some past time. If you could find some way to reproduce that film as a part of your effort I think you would render a very valuable service to the community and to those of us who grew up in the area many, many years ago.

William McInnis (DeLeon Springs native)

William,

This is a great idea. I get requests for back issues and old articles all the time, and I feel bad that I can't do anything about it. While I don't live in Florida anymore, I am going to have some people I know do some recon at the Library and I will try to get in touch with them and see what (if anything) can be done.

GM

A Question About Asa Gray Park

Could you tell my why a park in Lake Helen was named Asa Gray park?
Jack Kinsella

Hi Jack,

I must assume it was named after famed botanist Asa Gray. Information about Asa Gray can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asa_Gray

More Answers to Emails

Hey Guy,

I was a district manager at the Sun News in 1985. Jack Waples had just left and Mike Iannacone was my new boss - in circulation. I have his email address and we still communicate regularly. I sent him a link to your site.....

I took my VHS video camera in the pressroom once and I have some coooool video of the guys running the presses and the large paper rolls squeeking, etc.... awesome stuff. Maybe I will try to get some of that video on YouTube for you... - Bruce

Hi Bruce,

This is awesome, glad to hear the word is spreading.If you have any of the stuff like this laying around, please hook me up.

Answers to Emails

WOW!!! So good to see the DeLand Sun News back. I lived in Deland from 1988 to 1996 and am trying to get back there now. Miss it very much. Thanks for bringing back the paper. - Sean

Hi Sean,

Thanks for writing. I lived in DeLand from 1977 to 1991 myself, looks like we had some overlap. I moved away, but I never get away completely, my parents still live in DeLand and love it, of course. I visit once or twice a year - DeLand's growth is really stunning. As for bringing back the paper, that had to be the easiest decision I ever made. I really miss the style of newspaper that the Sun News always was and that the Internet seems to have destroyed. I'm trying to bring that feel to this site.

I am interested in your archive records for 1990. - Judy

Hi Judy,

Unfortunately, we're not really the DeLand Sun News. I mean we are now, but we're not the old institution made new again - we have no archives. When the Sun News was bought out and subsequently shut down by the Daytona Beach News Journal in 1991, whatever archives there were went with it. If there is anything that remains of what would have been the DeLand Sun News archives, the News Journal would have it - but I wouldn't hold my breath.