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PAGE 4. WEDNI-SDAY, OC'IOBEI 5, 1986, Vli rI3YiidIPI wh t yPublished evory Wednoaday DOUG ANDERSON yw ~ w hibyBy 677209 Ontario Imc. Pubilsher *K m p m.à.a BILL MCOUAT àT eFree Press Bu ilding KEN HT HAW 131 Brock Street North KNHTAA VOICI 0F THE COUNT TOWN P.O. Box 206, Whilby, Ont. Advertising Manager The uni>' Whidby newspaper independenjI gtiN > iid on periied Im..Wliiid» rc,4fidens for Whiiib remidellis Where are those letters? You may notice an inordinate amount of empty space here on this week's editorial page. This vacant space is not what is sometimes referred to in the business as "creative use of white space" but rather an extravagant ploy on our part to make our readers sit up and take notice. Normally this portion of our editorial page would be turned over to the Letters to the Editor. Un- fortunately, as of our Tuesday deadlije the Whitby Free Press had not received a single let- ter. In the past when we have run short of Letters to the Editor we have run canned copy such as the columns by Global television personalities Peter Trueman and Bill Bramah but it was always with the sinking feeling that we had let our readers down. The Whitby Free Press is a community newspaper and depends on the opinions of its readers to round out its coverage. Because of this the Letters té the Editor section is, in our opinion, the most important section of the newspaper. Without your input we can only haif fulfili our obligation as the "Voice of the County Town" and a job haîf completed is little better than none at ail. Is it possible that there were no letters this week because life in Whitby has finally arrived at total perfection? We suspect not. There are always a few issues boiling just under the sur- face of this otherwise idyllic community and iL is these issues that make the stuff of the Letters to the Editor. There are the more obvious bones of contention such as the Bluegrass Meadows ver- sus the Durham Region Non-Profit Housing Cor- poration affair or the growing concern of down- town residents who want to stop the conversion of downtown properties into group homes. Surely there are stili a few stones left unturned in these more obvious issues and what about ahi the other local concerns that always seem to be conspiring against us. Alternativeiy, perhaps you are thrilled beyond words with the quality of life in Whitby. If this is the case why flot try to find the words to express your undying gratitude to Whitby Council or whom ever else might bave had a hand in creating this littIe heaven on earth. There is no iaw stating Letters to the Editor must be negative although for some general rules of thumb regarding same you might want to refer to the policy statement below. The Whitby Free Press has aiways prided it- self on being the one newspaper in town that reflects the concerns of Whitby residents and Whitby residents only. Ours is rather like the job of a politician. We are here to serve you but if we don't hear from you we are, essenitiaily, working in a vacuum. If you eiminate the editorial car- toon and the policy statement, a vacuum might look something like this. THE POLLS Poliey The Whitby Free Press la always looking for letters to the editor and welcomes letters on any issues that concern its readers. While the paper reserves the right to rejeet or edit any letters for publication, a ietter that ls short and to the point Is most likeIy to appear on our editorial page In- tact. Aithough not al Issues can be addressed ln a short letter, the best is one of about 300 words or less. Ail letters to the editor must be signed and accompanied by a phone number for the editors Information. Letters may be sent to: The Editor, Whitby Free Press, 131 Brock Street Nor- tWitby, Ont., LIN 5S1.