By ARIADNE WILL
Sentinel Staff Writer
For the Edwards family of Sitka, staying busy this summer has meant staying in print.
Phineas and William Edwards, ages 10 and 8, have been publishing a weekly newspaper via email with the help of mom Valerie.
“There was one night we were like, ‘How are we going to keep up writing this summer?’ And we were like, ‘We’ll make a family newspaper,’” Phineas said.
The paper has grown since the first edition, published on May 15.
The Edwards Times now has readers around the world, from Boise, Idaho, to South Pole Station, Antarctica.
It also functions as a sort of newsletter for the Edwards’ extended family.
“It’s a way to connect with our families, and then they connect across to each other, too,” said Brent Edwards, father of Phineas and William.
Brent says he enjoys the paper as a substitute for Facebook.
“I think social media is a hard way to connect these days,” he said. “You don’t see pictures of your family and friends as much as you used to.”
Phineas Edwards, left, writes a book review as his brother, William, creates a crossword puzzle recently for their newspaper, the Edwards Times. (Photo provided to the Sentinel)
The newspaper also allows a bigger platform for the younger voices of Phineas and William.
Brent says the paper also provides a way for the kids to stay busy and continue writing since school is out.
William makes a puzzle page with a comic each week. The page includes a Far Side-style comic and a small crossword puzzle.
Phineas writes a section called the Book Nook, where a different book is reviewed each week.
The brothers also write articles outside their sections.
In the most recent issue, Phineas and William teamed up to write a special report and interview with Cappy, a pet dog living in Chicago.
The section is more than a fluff piece, however. It begins: “We have been thinking about Cappy and his family during the COVID-19 pandemic and wondering what life is like these days in a big city like Chicago.”
It is in sections like “Cappy Hour” that the brothers address the pandemic, though they do it in a lighter fashion.
“I think, looking back, it will be fun to have this chronicle of our existence during this time,” Brent said.
Although the pandemic is present in the paper, the Edwards try to keep their online journal upbeat, he said.
Brent, whose column appears on page 2 of each paper, calls himself the “domestic engineer” because he’s a stay-at-home dad.
He uses his column to try to teach things to William and Phineas, and simply enjoys writing for the publication.
“It’s fun to write,” Brent said. “This week I have something about how many sides are on a circle. The kids will learn something about that when they read it – they’ll internalize that there are infinite points on a circle.”
Brent said that this is the other goal of the newspaper – to encourage the kids to stay busy and keep learning.
He mentioned an “advertisement” in the fourth edition about a rhodium toilet.
According to research done by the Edwards Times, rhodium is the “most expensive metal in the world.”
“You got (the kids) looking at elements, which in our house is not terribly odd or unique,” he said, “but they’re going to learn that. They’re going to walk away learning something about this element.”
Phineas and William are experiencing lifestyle changes because of the publication.
On a recent camping trip, the family brought special supplies so that they could work on this week’s edition of the paper.
“We actually hauled out a college dictionary so (William) can work on his crossword,” Brent said.
