This week’s issues of The Arlington Times and Marysville Globe feature a number of changes — some readily apparent, some not — intended to help us better meet the needs of the communities we serve.

We’ve eliminated a few things, added some new features and changed a couple of things in our continuing efforts to provide the best source of local news and information.

Probably the first thing noticed is the change in design. Our goal is to not only make the papers more visually appealing, but also easier to read and navigate through. It’s been nearly a decade since our last redesign so an update was sorely needed.

Additionally, we’ve moved sports into an independent section. The new section will help us provide the very best local sports coverage available.

We’ve also added two new premium advertising spots to help local businesses get their messages to the community. The spots on Page 1 are prime locations and should prove to be very popular among local businesses and readers.

We are also in the process of upgrading our Web sites — www.arlingtontimes.com and www.marysvilleglobe.com — to enhance the services they provide. In the meantime, we are adding daily updates to the current sites so check them out every day for the latest news and information. We are also providing stories from The Times and The Globe to Sound Publishing’s Web site at www.pnwlocalnews.com which focuses on the news of the north Puget Sound region.

And we’ve refocused on efforts to provide stories only about local people, local events and local issues.

And more changes are on the way. We encourage you to tell us what you think — what you like and what you don’t like. You can call me at 360-659-1300 or e-mail me at sfrank@marysvilleglobe.com. Your input is important to us and we value your suggestions.

To contact a member of The Marysville Globe/Arlington Times editorial board — Stuart Chernis or Scott Frank — e-mail forum@marysvilleglobe.com.