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6 Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, August 29, 2007 OPINION A class in caution In six days nearly 80,000 students will return to class within Halton's public and Catholic schools and area roads will become noticeably more chaotic. School buses will begin their daily routes and school crossing zones will become active intersections where pedestrians and motorists must co-exist. According to Young Drivers of Canada, more than 4,000 children are hit by cars each year while playing outdoors or walking to school. As drivers, the new school year reminds us to re-familiarize ourselves with safe driving practices. Young Drivers of Canada offers the following advice to all drivers as we approach the start of another school year: School zones/school bus safety · Look well ahead to spot school buses and school zone signs. · Reduce speed in school zones (40 km-h) and wait for children to cross completely before proceeding. · If you are driving your children to school drop them off in a safe area away from traffic (most schools now have designated drop off zones). · Stop at least 20 metres behind a school bus when the upper red lights begin to flash. · Motorists travelling in both directions must stop for the school bus except if the road is divided by a median. · Do not proceed until the school bus `stop sign' is closed and the red lights stop flashing. · Use the ground viewing technique by scanning under parked vehicles for the feet of children approaching traffic. · Lane change early to make room for children on bicycles, skateboards or roller blades. In the car · Child seats-- children under the age of 13 are safest in the back seat away from passenger air bags, and it's the law. Have the correct type of seat that corresponds to your child's weight and size. A booster seat should be used for a child weighing between 18-36 kilograms (4080 lbs.) and less than 145cm tall (4-foot-9). The child may be ready to use a seatbelt alone once they exceed either one of the above criteria. · Avoid driver distractions such as using cell phones, eating or drinking, and personal grooming which impact on how effectively you drive. Give items such as books or toys to children to occupy their attention so that your focus is on the road. For more road safety tips, visit www.yd.com. www.independentfreepress.com Phone: 905-873-0301 Fax: 905-873-0398 Steve Nease STAFF DIRECTORY Publisher Ken Nugent Advertising director Steve Foreman (sforeman@independentfreepress.com) Retail advertising manager Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@independentfreepress.com) Managing editor John McGhie (jmcghie@independentfreepress.com) Distribution manager Nancy Geissler (distribution@independentfreepress.com) ADVERTISING Advertising co-ordinator Jennifer Christie (jchristie@independentfreepress.com) Retail Sales: Jennifer Spencer (jspencer@independentfreepress.com) Adam Spinney (aspinney@independentfreepress.com) Andrew Key (akey@independentfreepress.com) Amy Sykes (features@independentfreepress.com) Real estate: Sue Spizziri (realestate@independentfreepress.com) Classifieds: Kristie Pells (classified@independentfreepress.com) ACCOUNTING Rose Marie Gauthier, Michelle Wimmer EDITORIAL Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@independentfreepress.com) Ted Brown: Photography (tbrown@independentfreepress.com) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@independentfreepress.com) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@independentfreepress.com) PRODUCTION: Mary Lou Foreman, Kevin Powell, Shelli Harrison, Dolores Black, Debbie MacDougall LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dogs should be banned from Farmers' Market Dear editor, I believe the time has come to ban dogs from the Georgetown Farmers' Market. Dogs should not be allowed near fruits and vegetables and other foods offered for sale. Dogs are not welcome in any of the local grocery stores, so why are they at the market? The dogs can be dangerous to the many small children and most dogs are not muzzled. Dogs `do their business' on the sidewalks and owners shun their responsibility of cleaning up-- this is repugnant. There also have been incidents of "near dog fights" and this is totally unacceptable in a public market. Of course, working dogs should always be allowed to assist those who need it. The Farmers' Market was created for all to enjoy, whether it be socializing with friends or purchasing fresh products from our local farms-- it was never intended to be a dog show. Thank you to all for your consideration in leaving your dog at home. D. L. Harding. (and others) Georgetown Owners should keep cats indoors Dear editor, I am writing to you regarding the letters that were printed in the August 1 paper regarding cats. The first one by K. Leslie regarding bylaws struck a chord with me (Town needs bylaw to control felines). When I moved here from Peel Region a lot of people told me that I had to get my cats registered. It costs $10 to register your pet. There are a lot of bylaws regarding all sorts of pets, including cats. However, they don't seem to be enforced. A lot of government officials "assume" that cats will stay indoors so therefore they don't need to monitor this. The second letter from Leona Arnold struck a chord too (Owner laments loss of Mittens). I am very sorry for her loss, but it goes to show everyone that there a lot of outdoor cats. Even if it's an indoor cat, they have an instinct to be outside; they will try to get out whenever they can. I want to urge everyone to get your cats fixed. That will cut down on their instinct to be outside and they should get their shots annually for the better of everyone in your community. There are a lot of cats out there just roaming around and I think this is very sad. A cat can provide a sense of comfort and companionship for someone. If you treat them properly and take care of them that comfort can last a very long time. Please take care so that doesn't happen, and try to keep them indoors. Jennifer Gerrard, Acton Something bugging you? Send us a letter! Letters to the editor must include an address and daytime telephone number. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 200 words and may be edited for content and/or length. Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1 E-mail: jmcghie@independentfreepress.com THE INDEPENDENT & FREE PRESS The Independent & Free Press is published every Wednesday and Friday at 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown Ont., L7G 4B1. It is one of several newspapers published by Metroland Media Group Ltd. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for signature will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the acceptable rate. In the event of typographical error advertising goods or services at wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell which may be withdrawn at any time. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Price: Store copies 50¢ each; Subscriptions $26 per year by carrier; $92.50 per year by mail in Canada; $130 per year in all other countries. Plus G.S.T. Second Class Mail Registration Number 6869. The Independent & Free Press is a member of The Canadian Community Newspaper Association and The Ontario Community Newspaper Association. Accident victim asks, `What happened to considerate town?' Dear editor, What happened recently to my wife is what Georgetown is sadly turning into. After picking up some food on a Friday night at the Pizza Nova in Georgetown South she returned to our new car and saw that someone had sideswiped it and left. The sad thing is that she was gone less than five minutes. No one saw it and the person who did it had no sense in owning up to it! Our car was all alone in that area of the parking lot. Was it done on purpose? Who knows? What happened to the small, considerate town where people looked out for one another? I hope the person who did this realizes that it might one day happen to them and wouldn't it be a shame if the guilty party just drove off with no sense of guilt to the damage they had done? Our town is growing into something I dread... into another inconsiderate city! Ken Montag, Georgetown