About the Tortoise

Where we came from
The Apalachee Tortoise had its origins in the Tallahassee Green Party, a political party that holds among its dearest values decentralization as well as individual and community empowerment. It became clear to the TGP leadership that Tallahassee's media mix was not broad enough to facilitate those values. True, Tallahassee has college and public broadcast media, but since the Florida Flambeau faded, Tallahassee has lacked a broad-based, alternative newspaper for people to read in a park or coffee house or at their desks or workbench. It is the Tortoise's mission to provide that newspaper for our region.


Our Future Course
First and foremost, the Tortoise is a community newspaper. To be that, it must be an independent organization and continue to have an open door to everyone who seeks to empower each individual, to enhance community cooperation, and to enrich diversity and diversity of possibility: organizations with those ambitions, welcome. We encourage you to participate with the Tortoise in the drive for a livable, sustainable, and diverse community. Not only can you share the wealth of your particular knowledge, you can also learn from your fellow community members. Best of all, we can develop a great contribution to the building of a better, more equitable city and region.

And now...
Let's work together (and lets try to have fun while we do it!) to create a Tallahassee that other communities will use as a model of exemplary excellence.

(Written by Clayton Macdonald, one of the founding members of the Apalachee Tortoise)

The current Tortoise board of directors:
Jack Clifford
Louise Ritchie
Mary Jane Ryals
Amber Smith
Teresa Youngblood

Regular contributors (writers, copy editors, artists, online editors) to the Tortoise:
Jeremy Barnett
Jesse Bullington
Ed Deaton
Rachael Dumas
Todd Gauvin
Kitty Kerner
Kristin King
Bill Matturo
Bill Otersen
Joe Ritchie
Diane Roberts
Christopher Stolle
Donna Cay Tharpe
Sydney Weaver-Bey

Board of Directors Emeriti:
Kitty Kerner
Clay Macdonald
Ravinder Singh
Karla Wood