The Item’s production process can be somewhat complicated. Our news staff writes and edits the stories, and our graphic designers lay out the papers, and then send the pages, via a file transfer protocol (FTP) server, to a printing plant in Auburn.
Once the papers come off the press, they are loaded onto a truck and driven here for distribution. One minor hiccup can mean that distribution is delayed — meaning our paper may not get to you at the time you’re accustomed to seeing it.
What occurred Wednesday was more than minor. It was pretty significant. The driver delivering the papers got in an accident in Waltham, and he was taken to the hospital. Thankfully, his injuries were not life-threatening, and he was treated and released.
The result was home-delivery customers did not receive their papers, nor did some stores. Complicating the matter, readers calling to inquire about the situation could not get through because of an overload of calls. All in all, it was a mess.
I apologize to those who were inconvenienced. The Item’s circulation staff worked all day Wednesday, once it received the papers, delivering them to as many customers as possible. Those subscribers who did not receive the paper yesterday should today. In addition, subscribers will receive credit for yesterday.
Also, we are rerunning all obituaries and legal notices that appeared in Wednesday’s paper.
I apologize to our readers. We are not in business to aggravate you, but that’s what we have done. I’m sorry.
Thank you for reading The Item.
— Ted Grant
Publisher
