I am not going to write about new beginnings, resolutions, exercise, or fitness. I am not going to tell you what to eat, what not to eat, or how to prevent those extra holiday pounds from sabotaging your body this season. Relieved?
I want to talk about letters to me, or really, letters to you.
This month we have a letter to the editor from Steve Kesten, a University of Kentucky-area landlord. Mr. Kesten shared with me, and now all of us, his views regarding campus housing concerns (you can read it on page 9).
I recently read a magazine that had four pages of Letters to the Editor. Now that's a dialogue with your readers! Granted, that publication was a national one and a bit more controversial than ours, and there were some pretty strong opinions voiced on those pages. As a result, I suspect the next issue will have a similar number of responses.
In my tenure as editor, I have been accused of not being willing to print letters or critical commentary (that person was pretty surprised when I called them personally!) The fact is, we don't get many letters to print. When we do, we move quickly to get them on the page.
To date, nothing has generated letters like stories about Smiley Pete. That is one popular dog, particularly considering that he died over 50 years ago.
But beyond Pete, if you have a letter you'd like to share with us, whether it is a thought about a past issue, or a concern about something going on in our community, this is your personal invitation to share it with us. If you simply have a story idea, maybe that communication won't end up in print, but the story might. You see, we rely on our readers for story suggestions. After all, only 16 people work at Smiley Pete Publishing, but we are fortunate enough to have nearly 100,000 readers between all three of our publications. So obviously, there are a lot more ideas out there than in here.
We are constantly seeking familiar faces, notable neighbors (for our annual issue featuring them in September), and any additions to our regular Neighborhood News and Pete's Pics. So share with us your ideas, events, photos, and thoughts. We're listening.