Bringing the positivity to the new year

Juniata Valley Magazine looks for smiles after year of virus

We knew the 2021 issue of Juniata Valley magazine needed to be positive -- after the year of COVID, it's time to smile again.

And what more to bring a smile to our faces than the successes of our children.

I'm proud of my son's accomplishments, and I'm sure everyone with a next generation has that feeling too. My son is a pretty good hockey player. He won a Pinewood Derby when he was in Cub Scouts. He's a seasoned international traveler -- no kidding. He's a pretty good photographer (he even had a sports photo published in The Sentinel!).

And, in a special moment we shared, he and I were published together in a special "Dad Jokes" issue of Readers Digest.

Figure it out yet? Our theme for 2021 is Juniata Valley Kids -- stories about what our kids are excelling at. Submitted pictures and stories about our kids' achievements, talents and awards.

Think your kid makes the cut? Of course you do -- and we need you to tell us about her or him to include in this annual publication.

If you want to take part, email Lifestyles Editor Jeff Fishbein (hey, that's me!) at living@lewistownsentinel.com. Or use our virtual newsroom (click "Submit News" at www.lewistownsentinel.com. Either of those methods allow you to include digital photographs -- read on for picture guidelines. You're also welcome to mail or drop items at our office in Pleasant Acres, at 352 Sixth St., Lewistown 17044.

What's a kid? I feel a dad joke coming on, but it's not the kind you find on a farm. We're looking for children of any age, through high school and even college, up to age 21.

It's your magazine, and you decide what's an accomplishment worth submitting.

We will accept submissions through Friday, Jan. 15. Those that send suggestions sooner will be considered for a feature story written by a Sentinel reporter.

And here are some tips for photos:

If you are familiar with digital photography terms, you can check your picture before you send it to ensure it is ready for publication. Your photos should be 6-by-8-inches or larger at 200dpi when you send them in.

If that makes no sense to you, here's the skinny:

¯ Send us the photo as it comes out of your camera -- no editing of any kind.

¯ Make sure your email program is not changing the size. Some mail software -- especially in phones -- may make your picture smaller so it will send faster. Make sure you send photos at original (or full) size.

¯ Cell phone cameras are generally fine for this purpose. But, older phones may have cameras whose photo size (measure in megapixels) is not significant. A new iPhone 12 is great -- your old iPhone 3, not so much.

¯ Point-and-shoot and cell phone cameras usually have a feature called Digital Zoom. This can also have a negative effect on picture quality.

¯ Video cameras, trail cameras and action cameras (e.g., Go Pro) may not be as good for this purpose.

¯ Do not ever enlarge a digital photo -- it will begin to pixellate (break up) and you will see a noticeable reduction in quality.

Questions? Feel free to call Lifestyles Editor Jeff Fishbein at (717) 248-6741.