Page 122 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2019

congratulations
presented by South Mississ
ippi Living magazine
COAST OBSERVER
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photo by Donn Hupp
ems like time passes in the blink of an eye, but looking back we
can’t
help but see how far we’ve come. Twenty years ago, Cheli Strumila was was working as a cocktail waitress at Casino Magic when she saw a need for a
nightlife and entertainment publication dedicated to the Coast.
“I set out to create one even though I had no formal training or knowledge of the newspaper industry, or of graphic design,”
going and I never gave up.”
Strumila’s hard work and perseverance
paid off. Twenty years later, Coast
Meghan Bailey and Carolyn Philan
THE PASS DAQ AND FROYO SHOPPE
125 Davis, Ave. Suite A1/2, Pass Christian 228.222.4628
The Pass Daq and FroYo Shoppe is a family owned and operated business that incorporates its family roots in its business model. Part of its charm is the creole heritage that the family shares with its customers, whom they treat as friends.
“We love having conversations with our visitors,” said Carolyn Philan. “We enjoy connecting with them and learning about where they’re from all while sharing our love of Pass Christian with them.”
Meghan Bailey offers this advice for others wanting
to follow in their footsteps: “Believe in yourself and get over yourself, girl! You have to take a leap of faith and put yourself out there. Shine your light bright so that others can see you.”
Philan’s niece/partner
t se
said Strumila. “It de nitely wasn’t an easy road, but it was my dream.”
Much like the rest of the Gulf Coast, Coast Observer was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina as well as the BP oil spill. “There
were so many times that I barely knew how I was going to keep it going,”
Stumila recalled. “But through God and the support of my advertisers, fans and readers, I found the strength to keep
Observer is stronger than ever. “I have shared so many great times with the people of the Coast over these past years, and I am thankful to have had this opportunity,” she says. “To my readers, thank you for allowing me to pursue this dream and for your support of Coast Observer.”
Coast Observer
228.215.1760 | www.coastobserver.com
122 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • September 2019 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net