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6 Independent & Free Press,Thursday, October 21, 2010 OPINION Do your bit The rest, it is said, is now up to you. The 19 candidates seeking election in the various local municipal election races will undoubtedly be making last-minute pitches this weekend to get their message across to Halton Hills voters. Please give them your time. Listen carefully to what they have to say. Ask them questions. Challenge them. But most importantly on Monday take the few short minutes needed to cast your vote. When this campaign began early last month, we urged voters to learn what they could about the candidates running for the Catholic school board, public school board and Halton Hills town council. That was especially difficult this year with only one (Monday's debate among the two Catholic board trustees) all-candidates' meeting. That meant voters didn't get a chance in a public forum to see the candidates in action, to think on their feet, to offer their views on the issues and to challenge their opponents. We certainly hope the lack of all-candidates' meetings this year is not a precursor to a poor turnout on election day. Halton Hills is facing some tough choices over the next four years-- choices the 11 men and women elected to sit on Town council-- will be forced to deal with. Businesses are not knocking down the doors at Town hall to locate here. That's worrisome. Water for future development is still scarce. That's problematic. Growth-- and lots of it-- is being foisted upon us by the Province and our elected officials have to be ready accept that growth-- but not at any cost and certainly not without a viable plan. Now and in the coming years the Town has to find ways to maintain the current services, build new facilities as they are needed and keep one eye on the growing debt. The 19 people who put their names forward for election are to be commended for their desire to make Halton Hills a great place to live. They have worked hard in recent weeks to convey their ideas and concerns. The very least you, as a voter can do, is cast a ballot Monday. 905-873-0301 Publisher: Ken Nugent General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@independentfreepress.com) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@independentfreepress.com) Managing editor: John McGhie (jmcghie@independentfreepress.com) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@independentfreepress.com) Classifieds Kristie Pells (classified@independentfreepress.com) Accounting Rose Marie Gauthier 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) WEB POLL RESULTS Have you already decided who you will be voting for in the Oct. 25 municipal election? · Yes (75%) · No (10%) · I won't be voting (15%) Steve Nease Go to www.independentfreepress.com Letters to the editor Candidate says edit `disappointing' Dear editor, I can't tell you how disappointed I am about the editorial today (October 19) however, it is just an opinion. What I do have issue with is the letter to the editor that appears to reinforce your opinion that you do not need to live in the ward to run. My website shows the platform I am running on and makes no mention of living in the ward to be a credible candidate like Waldo Paquete's website. To lump me in with him was not well researched. Also, I have advertised in your paper Tuesday and today and the website address on my ad is incorrect. I paid $300-plus for one ad in a paper that told their readership I am a one-trick pony and my website is incorrect. I question your impartial view on this election. Print this letter to restore your credibility with me and my supporters. Ross McDuff, Town of Halton Hills candidate for Ward 4 (Editor's note: Readers are allowed to voice their opinions through letters to editor during election campaigns as long as they are not actively promoting a candidate. The issue of not living in the ward a candidate hopes to represent was raised by Mr. McDuff in his response to this newspaper's candidate profile published Oct. 14. In it he states, "Our councillors do not live in the ward and I believe that is wrong. You need to live in the neighbourhoods you represent to have a better feel for what is needed within the ward." An incorrect website address was printed in Mr. McDuff's ad. A corrected version appears today on page 5.) were quite proud of our scarecrow. We were the first group to attach their scarecrow on October 1, and although the face had been punched, it stayed intact for one week. On Saturday Oct. 9, I attended the Farmers' Market and noticed our scarecrow and a couple of others were missing. I would like to express the disappointment I felt at how someone can destroy another person's property. We had taken the children for walks on Main Street to look at our scarecrow and fix him up. The children have been asking all week where their scarecrow went, when others were still there. We have had to explain to them that someone took it. It makes me angry that someone had no respect for the time and effort it took to make the scarecrow. Main Street looked great with all the scarecrows displayed. I always felt that Georgetown was growing, but still had that hometown feeling. Now with the disappearance of our scarecrow I don't feel that way anymore. I just want the person or people who took our scarecrow to understand how sad and disappointed the children and staff are and maybe next time, stop and think about their actions in the future. Leah Washbourne, Halton Hills Child Care Centre Saddened by theft Dear editor, Downtown Georgetown's BIA is having a scarecrow contest for the businesses around town. The businesses that choose to enter were assigned a light post on Main Street to attach their scarecrow to. The scarecrows are to be displayed from Oct. 1-Nov 1. Customers were to vote for their favourite scarecrow until October 15. I work for Halton Hills Child Care Centre and we entered a scarecrow. The staff donated materials and put it together. The children and staff Letters to the editor policy Letters must include an address and daytime telephone number. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 150 words and may be edited for content and/or length. Publication is not guaranteed. E-mail: jmcghie@independentfreepress.com Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. The Independent & Free Press The Independent & Free Press is published Tuesday and Thursday and is one of several Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.