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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1987-02-04, Page 5Reader concerned al Dear Editor: W hat is happening to our localpaper? Whether you count the pages, measure the thickness, or weigh it, anyone can see that in the last: few years the paper has shrunk. W hy? Our town may appear to be a sleepy little community nestled inthe middle of nowhere to the passerby, However, anyone with clear eyes and clean ears soon becomes aware of the many things going on every day. These newsworthy events occur seven days a week 24 hours a day and cover the gamut from sports to church news, to Diamond wedding anniversaries. I realize our local paper is a weekly and I certainly don't expect the same type of news found in major dailies or in otheynnedta. d However like many from our area I do expect items of local interest to be included with lots of pictures and feature articles. ` it seems to me that the age of computeriza- tion has not only helped the publishing industry but' also hurt it. Computers 'tell publishers. that there must be a certain ratio , of advertising to` copy in order to "break even." The result is that when. there 'is a bad week for advertising sales the feature articles, photos etc,.get: cut, leading to an even smaller paper, which fewer people will. bother to buy, causing retailers to think twice about advertising, causing the price of ads to go up, causing even less sales and on and on and on until we end up with the "Huron Pamphlet." Computerization and centralization has also resulted in staff cuts leaving. our local paper with fewer. reporters and support staff. It is difficult if not impossible for one person to cover a community where events run Simultaneously and at all times of the day and, night. it is difficult to get a community feel when few remaining employees are from the area or have lived here long enough to establish the necessary networking to come up with the inside stories. Computers don't • know this. Nor do they know how. to talk to locals about politics, economics, . sports or • whatever. I've yet to. see a computer: taking a picture: at a special event, . Small town weeklies should be "people papers." People have to want to read the paper; before they'll stop at the newstand or renew their. subscription. Local news will sell the paper and then with some good follow up the ads will sell too. Let's get our local paper back on track before it's too' late. Yours truly, Carolanne Doig EDITOR'S NOTE: In many respects Miss Doig's letter reflects concerns that many at The Expositor have had over recent months. Some of the problems cited are currently being looked at,. and solutions sought, others have already been solved. W e realize the newspaper has over the months been shrinking in size and are taking steps to amend that situation and present the public with the best paper we can produce, given our resources. Unfortunately the newspaper is a business, not unlike many on Seaforth's Main Street, and like other businesses our main object is to serve the public as best we can, without bankrupting ourselves.' TO THE EDITOR': • It is true that there must be a certain ratio of advertising to copy in order to ``break even." And while that figure can be adjusted somewhat it is still necessary to carry a for certain percentage of advertising, to ensure making W ages' ofe o for employees and that costs of producing the paper on a weekly . printing. g ExP basis,.are-met, ancl=thP newspaper continues the incidentals involved in running a business to exist. Advertising is what pays the bills at • on a day-fi3-daybasis-have-tot-even ;been any newspaper.. _ included in this breakdown. Those expenses To explain further — some persons, with are met through the Money raised through less understan ing of how a newspaper advertising. The public is aware, that these are tough times for The Expositor, but we are making a genuine effort to improve. To do that we will need the help of the public. Anyone with any suggestions on ways to make The Expositor more appealing, or, anyone with feature and -or story ideas - even tidbits of information which will help. The-Expositer be that "People. Paper" is invited to drop in or call The Expositor. Thank Kcal paper 'Then we need to talk about ink. The pressroom` calls for approximately 600 kilos of black ink per month to produce the Expositor. At $2.35 per kilo, the cost of black' ink for The F tpositor in one ' month is approximately • $1,600; That cost -doesn't include colored ink Which is more expensive at $5, to $12 per kilo. Other costs include approximately $500 per week for film production = or more simply works believe that subscriptions are what pay the freight. This is not true. The value of the subscriptions is the steady, reliable reader- ship they proyide'•the advertisers wire buy space in the newspaper•, Money taken inthrough subscriptions barely covers the costs: incurred by the newspaper each week. For exaniple, at $635 a tonne, the cost of newsprint used by. The Expositor each week, Can total as much as $1,000. At an average of $800 per issue for 52 issues, newsprint to publish The Expositor costs $41,600 'per annum. W ith a subscrip- tion costing $20,. it• takes nearly 2,080 subscriptions just to pay for the newsprint. (For, a further ,understanding of the newspaper, please refer to the article on page, one, and Sense and Nonsense on page 2 ). Jack ,Riddell explains democratic system • RE: HURON COUNTY HILL They too cannot be introduced by. a Cabinet In light ofthe controversial• debate that has minister and either can a Cabinet minister surfaced in Huron County recently over the ' become involved with such bills as they go library 'Bill • (Pr 7) I think it would be through the Committee stage. appropriate at this time to point out how our All bills are introduced into the House with democratic system works. • what is called "First Reading", which gives in the Provincial Legislature, which is a them a title and a brief explanation. There is parliamentary form of government, the no debate or' amendment during "first House deals with three kinds of ,Bills: - reading," and if the motion is passed, the bill Government Bills; Private Members' Bills, is printed, assigned a nurnber and ordered for and Private Bills. second reading. ' A government bill, also" called a " ublic ' After at least` several days between first bill" is 'introduced • into the Hots by a and second reading to allow the members of Cabinet Minister. It represents some aspect all parties to study the bill, it comes back into of Government policy, as determined by the the House where the principle of the bill is Cabinet and is introduced only after it has ' debated, with no time limit on "members' been extensively examined by Cabinet, of . speeches. In rare instances, 'the bill may which I am a member. Only government bills proceed directly to third reading but usually may deal with the expenditure of public funds after second reading, the bill is sent to a. or the raising of revenues through taxation. committee for clause -by -clause examination The overwhelming majority of all laws and ' and possible amendment. statutes began as government bills. This committee, which maybe a Standing The next category is the Private Members' or Select Committee of the Legislature or the Bills, which can be introduced by any elected (Continued on Page All ) member of the Legislature, except Cabinet members. These bills deal with a wide range of matters of public policy, but may not involve the -expenditure of -public money. Such Private Members' Bills rarely receive third reading, but many times Cabinet ministers take them into consideration when drafting policy and introducing their own bills. The third category. which embraces the Huron County Libraary (Pr7) bill, is' the Private Bill (pr. ). They are introduced 'by a Member of the Legislature for special private interests, usually on behalf of another individual group, institution, or municipality.. Congratulations Novice To the Editolr• Congratulations to Seafortfi'Novice Hockey Team for a job well doneat the Silver Stick Tournament in Michigan. The boys played fantastic games ,and .I'm sure it's an experience they won't forget. A big hand goes to the coaches acrid the parents for giving the, boys a chance to participate in Such events. The cheerleaders also deserve mentioning. Signed, "Hockey Grandma" WORKSHOPS ENERGY CONSERVATION IN HERITAGE BUILDINGS A series of ten workshops on the careful conservation of energy in heritage buildings sponsored by the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture and the Ministry of Energy . 1111111,11‘,1101111 :•k Y itatil 1 � rseranse� k y�trtn 7... arlormemenome Gravenhurst—February 7 Thunder Bay—February 9 Sault Ste. Marie --February 10 St-Catharines--February-14- Chatham—February 17 Seaforth—February 18 Town' of Vaughan—February 25 Almonte—February 28 Renfrew—March-3— Kingston__—March 7 For further information on the times and locations of the workshops, ` please contact the participating Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) through your municipal clerk's office or the Heritage Branch, MCC, in Toronto, telephone (416) 9654961 Ministry Ministry of Citizenship of and Culture • Energy (Thiarae Lily Munro Minister Minister Vincent G.;Kerrfo,' • THE ,HUROV,EXPQ$ITOI FE81 ,Ally ' 1987, - DELIVER YOUR _-AD1[E MESSAGE TO SEAFORTH AND AREA If youhave something to sell, somethingto tell, don't keep it to yourself. Let your ' customers and potential customers. in on it! Tell the readers of The Expositor: Advertise! THE HURON EXPOSITOR 527-0240 Attention Property Owners and Tenants in the Township of McKillop Your Municipality is Being Reassessed Your New Assessment In response to a request from your municipal council, all'properties will be reassessed under the Section 63 Reassessment Program. The Section 63 Reassessment Program is designed to equalize assessments within property classes, based on 1984 market value. Mailing of Assessment Notices 1986 Assessment Notices will be mailed to all property owners and tenants, The assessed value shown on your Notice will be used for the calculation of your 1987 munibi- pat and school taxes. A full explanation of the Section 63 Reassessment Pr - gram, appeal procedures and a timetable for Open Houses in your area can be found on the information inserts which accom- pany your new Assessment Notice. Open House Sessions Will -Answer-Questions Open House session's have been planned at convenient times and locations in yourmunlc ipality to affordyou the opportunity to review your assessment with staff of the Regional Assessment Office. Assessment staff will be pleased to explain the basis of your property assessment and are authorized to amend all data (school support, assessment, etc. on your Notice. You are encouraged to take advantage of this service. Rolls Available For Review The Assessment Roll will be available for review at•your local municipal office during regular business hours, beginning . February 27,1987. If You Wish To Appeal If you believe you have been improperly assessed in any way, pit May file'-a-forrnal•cornptaint with the Assessment Review Board. The final date for filing an appeal is March 0,1987. information on appeal proce- dures is provided on your Assessment Notice and in the Information' insert, Schedule of Open,Houses ToWnsPui WICKiifeip,....faes. Teeth kb. 1'0, 1 .10,1 p.m. & Sat. Feb. 14,104.m. -4 p.m., Muhicipaf'Ottce, • Ontario Ministry HURON, PERTH REGIONAL ASSESS bf 7 Napier OFFICE A'r Street Box 190 ` h, Ontario N7A 3Z2 Revenue 519) 524-7326, 1-600-265-5132 Cail colleotif'you are located outside of the toll-free area.