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6 Independent & Free Press,Thursday, June 2, 2011 OPINION Put calls on hold This editorial is directed at the 207 selfcentred people fined last month for either talking on their mobile phone or texting/emailing on a similar device-- while driving. These motorists-- an average of 53 per day over a recent four-day safety blitz campaign conducted by Halton Police-- apparently haven't clued in about the now 20-month-old law that forbids anyone in Ontario from using a hand-held device while driving. We completely agree with Halton Police Deputy Chief Bob Percy's assessment of the situation on our roads. "The public needs to take the impact of using these devices while driving seriously. When you are using a hand-held device, you aren't paying attention to the road or the hazards around you where a momentary distraction can be a life-altering decision. No phone call or text message is important enough to risk your life or the lives of others." Among the 207 motorists recently caught breaking the law, the most common excuse was that they were making an important call to a doctor or their kids. What call or text message is worth your life? If you don't believe the worst can happen, think again. Last year, 7,733 collisions on OPP-patrolled roads involved drivers deemed to be inattentive/distracted. These preventable crashes caused 35 deaths, 1,040 injuries and significant property damage-- not to mention the impact on everyone's insurance premiums. Think of how many families and friends of those needlessly killed or maimed have been ruined -- all for the sake of an `important' phone call or text message. 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) Letters policy Letters must include an address and daytime phone 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 Anonymous letters will not be published.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. Email: jmcghie@independentfreepress.com Steve Nease Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. Letters to the editor Support bakery to defy Province Dear editor, The on-going saga of Miller's Scottish Bakery in Georgetown grows more idiotic. The provincial government has become an overbearing bully in this and many other instances and, rather than concede that this instance of rank stupidity was as infantile as it was stupid, have dug their heels in like a group of petulant children and flatly refused to reconsider their position. Dalton McGuinty promised to create 500,000 new jobs by instituting the HST. Apparently he has kept his word and hired a myriad of petty bureaucrats who consider it necessary to harass small businesses in Ontario to the point of extinction, purely to justify their own existence. Miller's Bakery has been inundated with various levels of parsimonious inspectors at all levels of officialdom, each one of which disagrees with the previous one and make inane suggestions as to what can be done to rectify a non-existent problem. Phil Miller sells a host of delectable treats from his establishment, one of the finest being his renowned Scottish meat pies. The saddest part of this whole thing is that Phil and Wendy Miller and Frank Abraham have been one of the most generous and giving businesses in town. They have supported numerous meetings, sporting events, soccer clubs and get togethers in town by supplying large quantities of foodstuffs and treats. Their record of volunteering, and just being good citizens, has been rewarded with this despicable behaviour by the Ontario government. It is time to show our frustration by supporting Mr. and Mrs. Miller by buying from their store and proving that we can survive in spite of this government's overlying desire to suppress all levels of private enterprise by overtaxing and overgoverning the ordinary citizens who pay their exorbitant wages and bloated pensions. John Tatham, Georgetown named Joanne who spotted me money for lunch on Saturday May 14 at Subway in Georgetown South. I was doing a part-time gig at the grocery store that weekend, and for lunch decided to go to Subway in Georgetown South. As soon as I got up to the cash register, I realized I forgot my wallet at home and would not be able to pay for my sandwich until after my shift. Embarassed, I told the cashier I didn't have the money and wouldn't be able to buy the sandwich. Then a nice lady behind me in line, named Joanne, offered to spot me the money until I was done work. I was very moved by her kindness. I recently just moved back to town from Toronto and forgot how nice it is to live in such a nice town with trusting, nice people. So thank you Joanne for your kindness and for allowing me to have lunch that day. It is people like you that make the world a little easier to live in! Natasha Pavlovic, Caledon WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.independentfreepress.com) Town council last week voted to pay $2.6M towards the $4.5M needed for the hospital renovation project and pressure the Province into paying the remaining $1.9M. Do you agree with this strategy? ·Yes. The Town should continue to pressure the Province to pay a portion (66%) ·No. The Province isn't listening so the Town should not waste time and provide all the funding now. (34%) 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. Samaritan thanked for lunch `treat' Dear editor, I just wanted to write in a thank you letter to a woman