Local Paper Carrier Celebrates One Year on the Job
August 20, 2025
By:
Emma Lee Conyer
While some 13-year-olds may spend their after-school hours scrolling through phones or playing video games, Blake Nance of Colville has spent his Tuesdays over the last year delivering newspapers.
This month marks Nance’s first anniversary of delivering papers for the Statesman-Examiner, a job he calls “the best first job.” At just 13 years old and heading into eighth grade at Colville Junior High, Nance has already built strong connections across town.
“I like meeting everyone and seeing their businesses,” Nance said. “I’ve gotten to know people and have conversations. It’s fun seeing places I might want to work in the future.”
Nance’s route stretches across Colville; he said it takes him two to three hours each week to complete, depending on the weather, which can be the hardest part of the job.
“There was one week in December I had to go through a snowstorm, and this week it's been super hot,” he said.
His motivation is a mix of short-term treats and long-term goals. “I’m saving for my first car,”
Nance said. “And I like being able to buy gifts for people with my own money.” Along the way, other perks of the job have also given him more motivation. “I get fun tips sometimes, like cookies, fancy coins, candy, and pizza slices,” he said. “Sometimes I feel like a celebrity. People even gave me cool stuff for my birthday and Christmas.”
Nance’s route has also opened his eyes to places in Colville he was not familiar with. He said that living outside of town, he hadn’t spent much time walking through Colville. Now, he said, “I like walking around town. I see old businesses close and new ones open. It’s cool.”
He said he’s even learned a bit of local history along the way. “Some people didn’t know there were still paperboys. They tell me how they used to do it on bikes and throw the papers on porches. I think that would be fun.”
Nance said he first heard of the paper carrier job from his grandmother when she noticed him working hard at yard work and asked if he’d be interested in a paper route. He said he was nervous on his first day, especially walking into businesses to hand deliver papers to people he did not know, but now he moves with confidence and curiosity.