In 2007, the Register launched a feature that has highlighted the lives of hundreds of heretofore unsung Napans.

We did this despite the fact that none of those profiled ever would become subscribers, advertise or even read our paper. They will never parrot any of the witty lines we publish about them, will worm out of criticism stemming from publication of their own bios and will duck responsibility for the unsavory acts revealed.

Yet even if we note that they’ve been prowling near empty homes or lying like snakes in the grass, their family members will keep the news clippings about them until they are dog-eared.

I refer to Pic o’ the Litter, which appears on Mondays and offers pictures and profiles of local pets, submitted by dedicated readers such as yourselves.

From nearly the minute this feature launched, it proved so popular that we had a substantial backlog of material.

In response, we’ve decided to double the number of beasts that make it into the Register each week. Pic O’ the Litter, which now appears on page C1 on Mondays, will appear on page C1 on Thursdays, as well.

Meanwhile, two other light-hearted elements come to the Register in the new year. One begins today, with the appearance of Parade Magazine in the Sunday Register. Parade offers a mix of light-hearted features and unusual takes on the news. It is perhaps best-known for its annual survey of what Americans make, in which roustabouts from Roanoke, secretaries from Schenectady and lawyers from Lansing reveal their annual salaries.

This week’s issue shines a light on the anonymous men and women of the Secret Service. Every week’s issue includes a puzzle, celebrity gossip and the wisdom of the aptly-named advice columnist Marilyn vos Savant.

USA Weekend, the magazine that formerly arrived with the Sunday paper, is now folded in to the Saturday Register.

Finally, we are in the process of launching a cartoon contest, in which readers will have a say in which of three competing cartoon strips will join the Register’s daily roster.

We’re still working on the details of the contest, and hope that we can queue things up in the next week or so, now that the holidays are over and people are returning to their desks and telephones.

Meanwhile, the first entry, “F Minus,” a single-panel strip by Tony Carrillo in the tradition of Gary Larson’s legendary “Far Side,” begins on Monday.

Carrillo grew up in Tempe, Ariz. “After twenty five years, he lives almost a mile away from his birthplace,” states his Web site. “This lack of travel and life experience gave him a chance to do a lot of drawing, reading, watching television, and playing miniature golf.”

His strip debuted in his college paper at Arizona State University and is now in 125 daily newspapers, including the Register.