THE Border Watch will publish its final edition of 2020 on December 24, hitting newsstands and its online platform 24 hours earlier due to Christmas Day.
The 72-page edition, filled with the latest news, sport and community issues – as well as the usual 20-page Real Estate Guide – will be the last until January 8.
Despite a break in publication, The Border Watch will continue to deliver news and updates via its online platforms – www.borderwatch.com.au and The Border Watch Mount Gambier Facebook page.
Helping to distribute the December 24 edition amidst the festive flurry is Chapmans Newsagency, which receives thousands of copies around 3.30am each publication day and distributes them to businesses across Mount Gambier and the broader Limestone Coast.
Christmas Day is the only “day off” for most newsagents and the Commercial Street West business is prepared for paper deliveries during its busy period.
“It is a very well organised process actually,” Chapmans Newsagency owner Colin Martin said, adding papers would be delivered as normal to clients from 5am Thursday.
“We distribute around the town and go as far back as Port MacDonnell and we also do deliveries through Australian Post to farms and rural properties around the coast.
“The system works very well and has been refined over the years and has been a similar process forever.”
Mr Martin said the return of The Border Watch in October, following its unexpected closure in August, had been well received by the public.
“The public was very disappointed that it actually stopped because the local paper is the fabric of our community and holds us together,” Mr Martin said.
“It tells us what’s happening, grandma can see Johnny kicked a goal in football and we can see who comes into the world and who leaves.
While The Border Watch is now owned by a partnership of key newspaper industry figures, including Balaklava resident Andrew Manuel – owner of regional South Australian publication The Plains Producer – Mr Martin said The Border Watch “belongs to us and that’s how people feel about it”.
Fosters Newsagency will also only close on Christmas Day and has been inundated with people shopping for festive gifts and wrapping, as well as back to school items.
Owner Rhonda Foster said the business had increased its home deliveries this year for newspapers, which she attributed to COVID-19.
“I think people still see the newspaper as important as it helps keep them up to date with everything that is happening in our community,” Ms Foster said.
“We are busy this time of year and we have already had people in collecting their back to school bags,” she said.
The Border Watch managing editor Brett Kennedy thanked supporters across the Limestone Coast, western Victoria and further afield for embracing the return of the trusted community watchdog.
“COVID-19 has dominated headlines in 2020 but I believe the resilience of our community is the big story of this year,” Mr Kennedy said.
“It has been a privilege to continue sharing the news that matters to our region and highlighting the achievements within our community,” he said.
“My local team has been outstanding these past few months and we are all eager to continue serving our region in the new year.
“2021 signifies 160 years in publication for The Border Watch and it is a milestone we look forward to celebrating.”
