I walked into the waiting lounge of a local automobile dealership’s service center a few weeks ago and saw a welcome sight.

A man about my age holding the local newspaper was immersed in one of the stories inside.

It was early and the smell of complimentary fresh-brewed coffee wafted through the air.

For me it was a win-win. Free java with a dose of newspaper on the side.

The man, it seemed, was going to have control the lone copy available for a while, so I did something I’ve done in a pinch over the last few years.

I pulled out my trusty cellphone and logged into the same edition the gentleman to my left was reading. Same headlines, same stories … just delivered in a different way.

A few minutes passed and the man finished, folding the paper and placing it on a nearby table where another customer snapped it up.

I put away my phone and headed for a second cup. A quick sip later, the reader and I struck up a conversation.

After the usual pleasantries, my focus turned to what was my life’s work – the local newspaper.

I asked if he was a regular reader.

Letting him do most of the talking I listened as he assured me he’d had his nose in a newspaper for as long as he could remember.

We talked about how the print edition made it easy for readers to get what they wanted in basically a one-stop shopping experience.

International and national news, opinion, some sports, community events and obituaries were all there, in one neat package.

One thing the man pointed out was the local government meeting coverage. He mentioned the newspaper was his “go-to” source for what was happening with his municipal government.

Having sat through more than my share of what appeared to be the most mundane, boring ways to spend time ever invested, I realized then that it wasn’t all for nothing.

Those bid openings, contract awards and general complaints about potholes or weeds all meant something to someone – somewhere.

Newspapers tell readers what their government is doing. Information on approving a business, moving a liquor license, paving the streets or raising taxes is available in most papers of general circulation in any given community.

He wondered how reporters could sit through all that stuff, admitting he was glad they did since their work sometimes brought new light to issues that affected him.

I responded, saying that in these high-tech days of instant news coverage, he could’ve sat through one of those meetings himself, whether in person or via social media or an internet page.

“Who has the time?” he replied. “That’s what newspapers are for.”

He continued, telling me that his wife kept scrapbooks of news clippings about their children and grandchildren. He said his mother did the same for him and his siblings.

“Where can you get that stuff today?” he mused.

He told me stories about relatives and their accomplishments. He talked about weddings, anniversaries, births and deaths of friends and family.

“Without the newspaper, where am I going to find all that stuff?” he asked. “And how do you put that in a scrapbook?”

A service manager interrupted our talk and the man thanked me for helping him pass the time. His car was ready. It was his time to go.

The coffee – by now a second or third pot – drew my attention, and yet another cup.

For a few minutes, I thought about the conversation I’d just ended.

The guy had a great argument about the value of a daily newspaper.

It is, indeed, a community talking with itself. At the same time, it’s a history book of the community it serves. Every day it publishes, a new chapter is written.

People can read about their community no matter the platform – print or digital. They can learn to become active, productive people who serve where they live.

And it’s all in one place. No visiting one site for one thing and another site for something else.

I didn’t know how much longer my wait was going to be, so I checked that nearby table for the paper.

No luck. A woman who just arrived already picked it up.

I just reached for my phone.

ED SOCHA is a retired newspaper editor with more than 40 years’ experience in community journalism. He shared this column about a newspaper’s connection to the area it serves as part of National Newspaper Week. Reach him at tneditor@tnonline.com.

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.