OUTLOOK - From the staff of The Outlook:
We work in a world of deadlines. Once the previous week’s newspaper is in the hands of readers, we turn around and begin work on the next. Ads, copy and layout all happen on a strict timeline so the new issue can be sent within our publishing window. It gets printed at an assigned time to get put on a delivery truck and arrives at our door where distribution can begin.
Occasionally there are obstacles to be overcome; computer issues, blizzards, even breakdowns of delivery trucks. But we have never missed a publishing deadline — until this week.
The same scene plays out in our office each Tuesday morning. Final content is placed, a double check of pages is completed, and at our appointed time it is uploaded and sent to be published. On June 20, as the clock ticked down on our publishing window, Delwyn was being loaded into an ambulance and taken into Saskatoon after spending two days in the hospital here. A few hours later he was in the operating room undergoing emergency surgery.
Our small team has certainly faced bumps in the road before but we have been able to juggle and help each other out in our various tasks. We delight in the fact that we have crossed some rather tough bridges successfully and no one would ever have known the behind-the-scenes activity to ensure the deadline was met. But this one occurred without warning and there was no time to put any other plan in motion.
Delwyn has been in the hospital for several days and we are so grateful for the amazing care he has gotten and continues to receive. What he has needed at each juncture has been noticed by a talented and observant surgeon, nurse or anesthesiologist.
Our attention was focused on him while being fully aware we had a paper to put out. We are grateful to Sheri Lovrod who devoted her time to The Outlook and helping Derek and Shelley with the necessary steps in getting this issue in your hands. We hope it is one you truly enjoy. It is filled with stories of a talented artist, an award-winning teacher, an unforgettable young man living with ALS, impressive fundraising efforts, a community celebration, political thoughts, end of the year school news, pictures of this year’s grads, wisdom from valedictorians and more.
With Delwyn needing considerable time to recover, a decision was made in consultation with our regional manager that we will begin our two-week vacation period now. This means there will be no issue of The Outlook on July 6 or July 13, but we look forward to bringing you the latest in events, news and pictures on July 20. We apologize for the inconvenience this causes. The flipside is that when we return in July, we will be bringing uninterrupted coverage of the people and stories that make up this amazing community and beyond.
Major news in our area can be accessed by going to sasktoday.ca. A strong team of reporters keeps the province covered.
Thank you for the outpouring of support for Delwyn. It means more than you can possibly know. We will see you July 20.
