A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke I got an unsigned Letter to the Editor in the mail. It happens on a fairly regular basis. I don’t know what the letter was about because I didn’t read it. When I get any mail without a return address I’m wary. When I open it, I look to see who it is from, regardless of what it is, especially if my address is handwritten. I tend not to give mail without a return address much time or thought and I’ve debated about just throwing it all away. But I haven’t done that because sometimes, in our busy lives, it’s easy to forget to put a return address on the envelope. So I opened it, saw that it was a letter and looked for a signature. There wasn’t one. Into the trash it went.  I wish the letter had been signed. Maybe it was a fantastic letter that told me everything I’d ever want to know. I’ll never find out because if a person isn’t brave enough to sign their name to their opinion, I don’t want to know what they have to say. I’m not alone in that. No respectable newspaper would ever print a letter without knowing who it was from. That’s just the way it is. So if you wrote a letter to the Home News and didn’t see it in the paper, it’s because you didn’t sign your name. I also need a valid phone number and real address, which won’t be included in the paper. Please, whoever you are, try again and sign your letter this time. I’d really like to know what you wrote.  Having said all that, I do understand that there may be a case where someone has something important to say to the community in a letter but can’t sign their name for fear of reprisals. If that’s the case, call me and we can talk about it. I would need to know who you are, the circumstances would have to extraordinary, but I could maybe think of a way for a letter to be run anonymously.  The full letter policy appears at the bottom of this page.   As long as I’m reminding you about letters, here’s a couple other reminders: We usually have early deadlines when there is a holiday. It’s always advertised weeks in advance. Monday holidays, for example, have deadlines 24 hours (in business days) in advance of the normal deadlines. Keep an eye out for deadline information if a holiday is coming up. Subscription rates for the printed Home News are $46 per year for subscriptions in Wisconsin or $90 for two years. They are $90 per year out of Wisconsin and $120 for two years. For subscriptions on our website, homenewsrv.com, the cost is $22 for one year and $44 for two years. The cost for both the print and online subscriptions are $47 for one year in Wisconsin and $82 a year outside Wisconsin. Newsstand copies are still $1 for “The only newspaper in the whole, wide world that cares about the River Valley area.” The Home News website has information about contacting us and advertising as well as the news. The Home News charges for obituaries. The cost is a minimum $60 charge for a 50 line or less obituary and $1 per line for each additional line. (If this were an obituary, the cost from here up to the beginning would be about $65.00 - a bargain compared to many publications.) There is no charge for photographs. A $5 photo fee applies to birth announcements (who’s new), engagements, wedding, anniversaries, family generation photographs, etc., although the words are free. You can email me events for the Community Calendar or send a note in the mail. There isn’t a special format, just tell me who, what, where and when. I can’t include prices in the calendar but you are more than welcome to buy an ad for that.  I get Campus Notes – news of local college students – from most colleges. They usually come in weeks if not months after the semesters end. If you don’t see one that you’d like in, please let me know. It’s always great to read about how River Valley High School graduates are doing. Send news, too, of everything you do and see in the Valley. In this digital age it’s easy for you to get pictures of all the wonderful things. And I can meet you if email isn’t your thing.  One other reminder for everyone that has nothing to do with the Home News: Please shovel your sidewalks. I don’t care if you shovel your driveway – that’s between you and your car. But shovel your sidewalks. A lot of people walk our sidewalks every day. It’s great exercise and the fresh air really helps us all mentally. Sidewalks covered in snow and ice are dangerous hazards. It’s no fun to slip and fall, especially for our elderly neighbors. So shovel. If you aren’t up to the task, ask for help. Call the River Valley Volunteer Corps at (608) 588-7428 or fill out the form at https://www.rivervalleycommons.org.  Stay in touch. My number is 574-3159. Email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588. The news deadline is 12 noon on Mondays.