As you read through this edition of the South Whidbey Record, learning what’s happening in your local community, please take a moment to consider what it takes to get that newspaper into your hands.

Normally, we wouldn’t even expect readers to think about all of that. However, the week of Oct. 6-12 marks National Newspaper Week, and Saturday, Oct. 12 is International Newspaper Carrier Day.

Carrier Day is a salute to the hundreds of thousands of people who deliver more than 44 million newspapers to more than 100 million readers every day.

Getting that newspaper into your tube or onto your doorstep is the culmination of a lot of hard work. It’s a vital step in the process of keeping you informed.

From the reporters and advertising consultants who hit the pavement doing their jobs, to the staff that designs and builds each edition, to the folks in our offices who greet every customer who walks in the door, a newspaper is a dynamic machine dependent on each part working in concert with the others.

So each year we celebrate those who are part of the newspaper industry.

Whidbey Island readers have three community newspapers: the Whidbey News-Times, the Whidbey Examiner and the South Whidbey Record. Each covers a unique region and demographic.

Among these three newspapers, the Whidbey News Group employs 21 carriers who are awake in the dead of night and on the roads ensuring readers get their news on time.

Depending on the size of a route, some carriers are on the go until the wee morning hours.

Each carrier takes pride in their role, and we are proud and appreciative of each and every one of them for their dedication and hard work.

So again, as you read letters to the editor written by your neighbors, articles about your local government, school news, people features and more, please pause for just a moment to join us in honoring our dedicated newspaper carriers.

We are grateful to have them as part of our team.