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Letters to the editor Who will newspaper kick around next? Dear editor, Re: Election post-mortem (Nov. 15 editorial) Here are some thoughts on your coverage of this municipal election: 1. Congratulations on helping to secure David Kentner's victory in Ward 3. This paper's on-going anti-Mike Davis rants no doubt ensured his defeat. 2. It's against the law in Ontario to discriminate against people on the basis of age, but that did not stop your editorial writers from dismissing the `green' Jason Hilts as being too young for a council seat. Is it any wonder that young people are frequently cynical about the democratic process? 3. Rick Bonnette obviously needed no help from this newspaper for re-election, but you decided to give him the extra publicity anyway. There was Mayor Bonnette helping open up a local business, right in the middle of the election campaign. Where was the free positive advertising for "unfocused" Rob Heaton? Three years ago this paper criticized Mike O'Leary for giving himself free publicity by writing a column in a different newspaper while running for council. Surely routine photo-ops of smiling politicians opening new businesses can wait until after election day to be printed. But then again the electorate no doubt "clearly saw through the sham" of this newspaper's partisan election ploy. Now that this newspaper has the council it mostly wants, I wonder who they will have to kick around or solicit an opinion from for an interesting counter-point? I rather think that deadly dull group-think will become the order of the day at this new council. Of course there is always regional council and the "opportunistic" Gary Carr to write about. Ian McKay, Georgetown Ex-trustee should not stop caring about `her kids' Dear editor, I'd like to respond to the letters to the editor of late questioning retiring Halton District School Board Trustee Ethel Gardiner's choice to support a candidate. The Independent & Free Press has done an excellent job of showing both views on the issue of Ethel Gardiner endorsing her successor. The editorial coverage has succeeded in raising awareness about the school board trustee position. Based on this awareness and the questions it has raised, I found myself seeking to verify the trustee's role: the trustee is not responsible for grooming or endorsing a successor. As usual, Ethel went above and beyond in this regard. Ethel refers to the children of Georgetown and Acton as "her kids". She has worked tirelessly and selflessly on their behalf for almost five decades, suffering scrutiny in the press and taking time away from her friends and family. Only, she doesn't see it that way. She sees it all as spending more time with her family, her extended family, and caring about every child as her own. If somebody wants to fault her for making sure the fate of "her children" are placed in the hands of someone who cares as much about all of them as she does, then I am at a loss to explain this. Her life's passion has been serving our children-- how can she be expected to stop this month? Mike Parkhill, Georgetown School board trustee candidate Wards 3 & 4