By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON. June 9, 2013. The letter set out below came from a reader. To the best of my knowledge I never dated the woman before I moved to Burlington. I moved to Burlington to marry the love of my life.
I didn’t pay Donna Zaffino for writing the letter and to the best of my knowledge I’ve never bought her a drink. I’d like to say “I owe you one” but that might result in a flood of letters and my bar tab at the Queen’s Head is already outrunning my allowance.
I LOVE the new name!!! It is simple, identifies your purpose and rolls nicely off the tongue.
You choice of name perfectly reflects all that I have come to love about your paper. I grew up with the Montreal Gazette but played Word Search in the Star as a 60′s Irish Anglo kid in Montreal. And later in high school the Gazette was the paper to read.
Ever since I accidentally discovered your paper I look forward to seeing each new article show up in my virtual mailbox. It is actually your paper that launched a whole new exciting and exhilarating life for me. Through your articles and announcements of upcoming events I have since linked up with some extraordinary people and groups here in Burlington.
Your articles are in-depth, well research and teach me so much about my new home of only 4 years. All this is why I adore your paper. Your paper and passion for community ranks right up there with the other Gazette. The fact that there was once a paper of the same name speaks to your love and passion for Burlington by choosing a name from our history.
By the way. This is coming from a pretty critical newspaper snob. I only read two Canadian papers. The Burlington Gazette for regional news and another for national and foreign news.
I also like the name change as now, when I quote where I learned something, people will know to what I am referring.
Keep up the great reporting. And I welcome Mr. Rivers as a new addition to you staff.
Aw shucks Donna, you shouldn’t have.
On the contrary Mr. Parr I had to. It is in my nature. I simply believe in giving credit and support whenever it is merited. Even to strangers.
Just to keep the record clear and head off the rumour mill. I know how people love rumour mills and loitering beside water coolers.
I clearly state that Mr.Parr and his staff have been and remain strangers to me.
I received, nor will in the future any monetary in kind reward nor any other form of patronage for writing the aforementioned letter.
The facts of this matter are;
I do not drink,
I have only ever been to the Queen’s Head once in my life, several years ago. I did not make any new acquaintances. So, unless Mr. Parr was a waiter or bus boy I did not meet him.
I did not even know Pepper Parr was a Mr until I saw a recent picture, in his paper, with a caption referring to his ” lovely” wife and assumed Pepper is a Mr since I have not seen any indication of otherwise.
To my knowledge I have not met Mrs Parr either unless we crossed paths standing in the same cashier line up. So no patronage from Mrs. Parr either nor is one expected in the future.
I do not stalk journalists not even for monetary gain. I enjoy reading and learning. Mainstream big media only focuses on our biggest cities,unless we have a murder or a big drug bust, and those are rare, I appreciate the Burlington Gazette’s focus on local issues.