PAGE 14, WEDNESDAY MARCH 2, 1983, WHITBY FREE PRESS PROGRESS EDITION SALUTE To PRýO.GRESS Witby rarely without locally owned newspaper ice its incorpora- tion as a municipality in 1855, tbe Town of Whltby bas rarely - if ever - been witbout ils own newspaper. The Whitby Free Press is proud to be carrying on this tradi-, tion and according to publisher and nmging editor Michael Burgess 'lis striving to maintain the same level of news- paper service* to Whitby that our forebearers dld."p' The Free Press first bit the streets in'1971 and was taken over by Burgess and bis wlfe, Marjorie, a few years later. Since ils inception, the Free Press bas done more than bold its own in the very competitive newspaper field and currently boasts a circu- lation of 22,650 per week. "During the last tbree years, our circulation bas grown. to the point wbere we are reaching the vast rnajority of homes in the Town of Whitby, " Burgess says. The newspaper is now reaching homes in ur- ban and rural Ajax and Pickering, as well as Port Perry. Tbe-newspaper is also delivered to the bornes in Asbburn, Myrtie and Myrtie Station and the outlying areas of rural Wbitby by m ail. Home delivery is carried out by over 10P) boys and girls to bomes In urban Whltby and Brooklin. -The ,day-to-day operation of the news- paper is handled by Burgess, wbo not only publishes Wbltby's newspaper but lives in the communlty as well. ",We are very prouçi of the fact that the Free Press is the only news- paper tbat is operated by Wbltby people for Whltby people," Bur- gess says. "In fact, the Free Press is the only newspaper available to Whitby residents that is actually located in the town and pays .taxes here." "'None of the compet- 'ing publications can make that daim," hie added. The Whitby Free Press is divided into four departments: edi- tonial; advertising; pro- duction; and, circula- tion. The editorial staff is headed by the writer, who holds the formal title of commnunity edi- tor and is responsible for the overail news gatbering functionis. She is also responsible for. the publication's ,egu- lar columnists and car- toonist. Newspapers survive tbrough the sale of ad- vertising and that department is beaded by Elizabeth Noîdryn. Our sales staff is com- prised of: Bull Arnot, Josie Cachia and Deborali Gosset. Anotber 'important Meature of the news- paper is -the classified advertislng pages whlcb are rnanaged by long- tirne Whltby- resident Catberine Harvie who is also responsible for the typesetting of the news- paper. The layout, design and paste-up of the..ad- vertising is bandled by Valerie Cowan and Diane Jankovich. itutreaders, a. newspapers isn't wortb the paper it's printed on and the job of getting th- e Free Press to its sub- scribers belongs to Karen Kulik, anotber Wbitby resident. The Free Press is published every Wed- nesday. The newspaper's. own- ers bave also been very involved in the commu- nity in which they publish. Burgess b as ser ved as chairman of the* Wbitby Central Business District Area Improvement Board for tbree years. He lias also served- on many town boards and service club executives including the Town, of Whitby's property standards conunlttee, and the local brandi of the Ontario Humane Society. He also served as president of the Whltby Chamber of Commerce and the Whitby Jaycees. "Because we live and work here, it is our in- tention to brlng to the attention of our readers ail of the important and relative issues in the town," Burgess says adding that the 'news- paper took an active noie in the figlit to keep the Wbitby police station open a few years ago as weil as lending editorial support to the founding 0f the Wbitby Transit Service. In both cases, the Free Press took up petitions and did sur- veys in an, effort to get the feelings, of the readers across to local politicians. "This newspaper bas- a role to play in the life of Whitby,"P Burgess continues. "Every community should have, its own newspaper and it is our hope to be Whit- by's. only local news source for rnany years to corne." Planning with your needs in mind... For Pîiogress-