Pubdate: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 Source: Salem News (MA) Copyright: 2005 Essex County Newspapers Contact: http://www.salemnews.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3466 Author: Sandra Kaplan COVERAGE HAS BEEN SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY To the Editor: Excellent job! Your recent series about opiates on the North Shore has been the best coverage, reporting, writing, editing and "package" that I have ever seen in the 17 years I've been reading The Salem News. You are exceeding all expectations in covering such an important topic so well. You've provided local coverage of a horrific problem with the depth, breadth and dexterity of a much-larger paper. You have exceeded larger papers in your ability to focus on only our community. Thank you. The huge turnout at the recent meeting in Salem was in response to this eye-opening series of articles. People are talking, people are scared, and I think the community as a whole is concluding that this scourge needs everyone to face it squarely in order to deal with it. While I realize that you cannot be "all opiates all the time," I hope that you continue to keep this issue in the forefront of the news, not simply relegated to the crime log and, sadly, the obituaries. LINDSAY MORSILLO Salem - --- MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFLorida)