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Of course. there héve been some sketchy weather days. especially last year when the ice turned one neigh- The boys pay no attention to his reminiscing. They've got jobs to do and it has to be done quickly tonight â€"- there’s hockey practice later. They’ve been doing this for over a year. delivering to 109 homes, and neither rain nor sleet nor snow stops them fmm getting the papers out. lefi Melnychenko is happy his sons want to be carriers, something he did as a boy. too. teaching him much about life and hard work. Of course, back then it was the daily paper and he had no days on“ except New Year’s and he had to col- lect subscription money (and it was always a blizzard and uphill both ways, he adds with a laugh). Behind him, Dylan rblls the par- cels with elastic bands, dad keeping a watchful eye in the background. With a stack of water bottles and two upturned buckets as his “desk”. Matthew acts as foreman. sorting through seven stacks of flyers. prepar- ing his parcels for delivery. youm '2: 0f tgargm’i swr mow/51w: somenvuu and it doesn't mm {0 have a pair of Brothers Parker and Tristin Cespite (above), with dad, Joe, and mom, Mary. good. weather-proof boots sort throughflyen inside their home. Matthew, (below, left) and brother Before you set this newspaper aside to leaf through your flyers, take a quick peek at the journey it took to get to your door. It's one of those cold and wet early winter days that chill your bones The Melnybhexiko brothers work quietly and quickly. Or do you spare a thought to what it takes to get your paper and flyers to your door â€"â€" especially in these dark. dreary days of December? The subdivision in north Rich- mond Hill is quiet and lifeless-looking. but behind one of those closed garage doors is a hive of activity. Matthew. 1 l. and Dylan. 10, have their own little assembly line going. You pull out the tightly bound par- cel of papers from its plastic sack and watch the colourful goodies unfurl: sales flyers, special offers and com- munity stories delivemd right to your doorstep. Or maybe you frown because the parcel landed in a driveway puddle. Maybe your favourite store flyer is missing or maybe you didn‘t receive your paper at all and that's messed up your shopping or weekend plans. Do you curse the carriér? Call to complain? BUSINESS Newspaper carrierjob has its rewards, perils BY KIM ZARZOUR kza rzour@yrmg.com 3.... It means they can't enjoy video games Thursday nights. but it’s worth bour’s front porch steps into an awe- some slide. It takes the brothers up to three hours to sort the flyers, count and wrap them and deliver. starting as soon as they’re home from school. Or do you spare a thought to what it takes to get your paper and flyers to your door â€"â€" especially in these dark, dreary days of December? Paper assembly takes place in the main living room. a busy. family- friendly place; phone ringing, cook- ies baking, dog doing its thing in one comer. pet turtle in another. and in the centre three girls sorting weekly As for most carrier families. this is day two of sorting. Extra holiday A few miles to the north. in New- market, the DeBeer family is also hard at work. Mth the weather and holiday sales making papers thick and heavy. this is the toughest time of year, but the boys take it in stride. "We just power through it." Dylan says with a grin. BMX bike in the gamgé his earnings helped him buy. it. Matthew proudly points to the STAFF PHOTO/KIM ZARZOUR The first few weeks were a scram- ble because their swimming lessons were scheduled for Thursday nights Tristin. 12. explains with pride how he has earned 1,000 points in the six months since he took on this route. pan of a Metroland program that rewards young car- riers for such things as community service. good grades and zero lates at school, praise from customers and collecting newspaper bags for re-use. In Oak Ridges, the Cespite broth- ers are just beginning their careers as carriers and they’re brimming with enthusiasm. All three girls recommend this job â€"â€" not just for the .spending money. but the activities offered to carriers such as movie nights and reward points. “It's taught them work ethic and gets them out in the fresh air." Judy says. “a chance for some chit chat and a little exemise." For the DeBeers. it has been bonding time and even though Nicole has to attend col- lege and work other jobs, she still helps out in a pinch. as does their father on Sundays when they have homework to do. 1n the dimming light the girls fan out onto the cul de sac. dog Sam traipsing alongside in the blowing leaves, as familiar with the routine as the sisters. Streetlights flick on and a few neighbours reach out their doors to take the paper and say a quick hello. Now that she is tall enough to reach the mailboxes. Kristen. the youngest. is keen to take over. Homes are a little further apart here in northern York Region. They are grateful to neighbours who keep driveways clear of ice and front entryways well lit. A dark house can be intimidating. their mother, Judy DeBeer. says. flyers make more work, and it can take even longer when they have to be squeezed into bags to protect against the weather. With the short days of December. they try to start deliveries before the roads get dark and busy with com- muters' cars driving home. This has been a family affair for several years. beginning with Nicole» who delivered from Grade 6 until she reached Grade 10 and passed the torch on to younger sis- ter Hanna. Today they're assisted by their friend Juliana. a frequent guest and ready helper. ~Mostcarriersarestudentsa9ed10to i4who do their routes after school; adult carriers, many of whom are stay~at-home parents or seniors, may start deliveries early Thursday moming - Mid NovembertoChristmasisthebusiest time for carriers, (papers can weigh 7 lbs each) with April and batk-toâ€"school days second busiest times. - Delays can happen due to weather, machine breakdownsdelays in flyers/papers arriving at‘the warehouse; even a carrier’s mom or dad detained on way home from work - Each weekYorir Region Media Group news- papers are deiivered to more than 300,000 homes, from condominium to farmhouses. ° 25 drivers start delivean flyers to carrier homes Tuesday; newspapers are delivered to carriers Thursday between 5 am and 3 pm. ' More than 4,000 carriers have until 7 pm. Thursday to deliver papers in normal weather While the boys see the fun in the job. their mother, Mary, reminds them customers come first. She. too. likes to spread her flyers (m the table to comparison shop and she likes it when they arrive dry. and on time. “I tell them you Could do a good job. but why nm do a great job?" But there are other rewards. 'l‘ris- tin says: the neighbours who make a point of saying thank you and praise them for being on time. and a brotherly competition to beat deliv- ery records. Now they're careful to keep that night free and have a sorting system that takes just 20 minutes. the entire family working together in their cozy family room. with pizm dinner as their weeklv reward. Today. 'D’istin is showing young,- er brother. Parker. the ropes. 'me lO‘year-old has just been hired as cam'er: he‘s keen to save up for an iPddAirZ 640. and dad, lue, got stuck with the job. \Mth his bad knees. it took two hours to sort. “It’s taught them work ethic and gets them out in the fresh air. A chum‘efln some (hit that and a little GOOD TO KNOW: CXCY'CISC’.