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PAGE 2, TIIURSDAY, MARCH 29, 1973, WHITBY FREE PRESS EDITORIA L CLANDENSTI NE? Special mneetings dealing with municipal matters be- hind closed doors are placing both the council and media in a somnewhat less than convenient situation. Indeed the entire matter of Whitby's in camnera mieet- ings has grown by this time, a littie out of proportion. During civie elections we had both Reeve Tom Edwards and Deputy Reeve John Goodwin crusading for open door policies on meetings. At Ieast as far as the press was concerned, that is. The resolute Des Newman, as the third part of the municipal cloverleaf, carried his flag ail the way for discretion and closed sessions when necessary. Wth the role to report, the media, of course, is in a position where access to these meetings is flot only desir- able but necessary. The whole affair, however, is not nearly so clandestine as it appears to be on the surface. Somnetimies the press lias its access to report cut off for reasons more due- to technicalities than to politics. Take for instance, the situation posed last week Miîen council held a special meeting Wednesday nighit and agreed to provide funds within this year's municipal bud- get for the reconstruction of Coronation and Lyndbrook Roads. While the council deenmed to take this action Wednes- day, the Media wasn't înformed until Thursday. Council's Operation Committee during a regular session voted to go into a special meeting to deal with. the rural roads prob- lem. But this was aIl carried out in a matter of moments and it wasn't feasible to notify the media. Clandestine or not, it would be advantageous to media and public alike if somneone could conie up with a work- able solution whereby the press is notified and permiitted access to important municipal meetings. Hooray for Reeve Edwards Reeve Tom Edwards on last Monday's Council meeting carried out last December's election promise to have more council and committee meetings open to the public by introducing a motion that ail council and General iMotors of Cainada's car ini the GM line-up. Here is to extrai-large drivers. wL w lm .0 E CD C c on *FAIVILY PACK ROYALE CHOCOLATE .BATHROO 5 x15e bars TISSUE (Snickers, Munch, M&SM's) TWIN PACI m.57 1 .27 committee meetings be open to the press and public except when council is dealing with confidential matters, negotiations and personal matters. Reeve Edward's motion passed without a dissenting vote. optional tilt steering wheel is avcailiable on nearly every Arnold the St. Bernard shows hiow useful the tilt-wheel :. . . . .~..*....-R CRESI .m Une otthe STRIPE STORES shwaropTHROUGHOUT ONTARI O Store Hours Mon. Tue. Wed. Sat. pe 9am'-6pm DISCOUNT STORES Thurs. Fr1. 9am .9pm 121 Brock Street West WHITBY, ONT.