Once a Paperboy, and Still Delivering News

I never had a paperboy job, but I substituted a lot for my friends. I enjoyed pinch-hitting because it made my father proud; he spent 10 years as a paperboy in Indianapolis, from age 8 to 18.

A few times I delivered papers on a bike, but mostly I was of driving age when I subbed for friends on vacation. I drove the family's 1969 Volkswagen pop-top camper at the time (identical to one I see in Novato all the time). I would slowly drive the route with the camper's sliding door open, tossing out papers from a laundry bin sitting on the camper floor behind me.

Today, I'm still delivering the news, only differently.

We live in a digital world and only a fraction of news consumers subscribe to print products that are thrown on their driveways. They read their news on their PCs, laptops, smart phones and other hand-held devices. With Patch, the paper boy comes in the form of a nifty electronic newsletter that's delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning at 6.

The newsletter is populated with the daily edition of Novato Patch and is a good way to start your day off "in the know," so to speak. Once signed up for the newsletter, you will also be notified when news breaks in Novato — whenever there is an emergency or essential information to pass along.

The newsletter includes headlines of all the best content placed on Novato Patch the previous day. It's not just the so-called hard news but also events,  announcements and Local Voices blogs added by Patch readers. If you see a headline that makes your eyebrows rise, click on it and you'll be taken to the story on the Patch site.

The best part? The newsletter is free.

If it sounds good and you haven't signed up for it, you can do so by clicking here.