Frontiersman delivery time to change Dec. 1

WASILLA — It will still contain all the great local news you’ve come to expect, but after Dec. 1, the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman will change to afternoon delivery.

Since home delivery began in 2002, the Frontiersman has been a morning newspaper, arriving in boxes and on doorsteps around 5:30 a.m. on delivery days. But a switch next month to afternoon delivery will bring operational efficiencies that will result in an improved product for readers and advertisers.

At present, the press and mailroom crews work evenings producing the newspaper, often not finishing until well after midnight. With three editions each week, plus two full days of commercial print work, any glitches in day-shift preproduction work can lead to unnecessary delays at night.

“We are looking forward to having all hands on deck at the same time,” said Frontiersman publisher Mark Kelsey. “It will make for a more consistent, delay-free operation and help us be more competitive in the commercial print arena.”

The change in schedule will have the added benefit of allowing formerly second-shift staff to maintain a more “normal” work schedule.

“Working until late at night is a quality of life issue,” Kelsey said. “Daytime delivery of the newspaper will keep our carriers safer on the roads and allow all our staff to have the same time off, hopefully in sync with their families.”

Delivery of the Sunday edition will still happen at night, although carriers will get their papers early Saturday evening, several hours earlier than they do now. The Tuesday and Friday editions will be delivered to homes by 5:30 p.m. and will begin showing up on newsstands around lunchtime.

Frontiersman managing editor Heather A. Resz said that although the new schedule will mean a change in what gets covered for each print edition of the Frontiersman, the latest news can always be found at frontiersman.com.

“Readers have already made our website the most visited in the borough,” Resz said. “This change in the newsgathering schedule just means frontiersman.com will be more relevant than ever.”

Anyone interested in home delivery of the Frontiersman can call 352-2251.