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6 Independent & Free Press,Thursday, October 6, 2011 OPINION Don't get burned So far this year 69 people have died in 59 fires in Ontario. That's 69 people who could possibly have been preparing to sit down this weekend with family and friends to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner. In some case those 69 people are no longer with us because they were careless when it came to leaving an unattended pot on the stove, forgot they left a candle burning, failed to keep matches out of the reach of children or chose to not ensure their smoke alarm's battery wasn't dead. Now they are. When it comes to dying on our roadways some times it is unavoidable. The same doesn't hold true when it comes to a house fire death. If not all, certainly the vast majority of house fire fatalities are preventable. Here in Halton Hills, we are fortunate that there have been no deaths from a house fire since 2004. But that certainly doesn't mean there haven't been close calls. With Fire Prevention Week running Oct. 9-15, the Halton Hills Fire Department wants to ensure that local residents avoid becoming a statistic by offering a free, voluntary home inspection program as part of a pilot project in two neighbourhoods-- one in Georgetown and the other in Acton. (See page 13 for details). With the owners' permission, firefighters will conduct an inspection of the home using a checklist specifically focusing on items such as smoke alarms, heating equipment, electrical, home escape planning and household hazards. Firefighters will use the inspection as an opportunity to educate the homeowner on corrective measures to alleviate the fire safety issue. If during the inspection, smoke alarms are found to be missing or require replacement, staff will install new battery-operated smoke alarms. Should there be a more serious fire safety issue or the homeowner would like a follow-up, fire prevention staff will contact the homeowner. This is not a punitive program-- it's a preventative one-- and one homeowners would be wise to volunteer for. 905-873-0301 Publisher: Ken Nugent General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@theifp.ca) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@theifp.ca) Managing editor: John McGhie (jmcghie@theifp.ca) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@theifp.ca) Classifieds Kristie Pells (classified@theifp.ca) Accounting Rose Marie Gauthier Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@theifp.ca) Ted Brown: Photography (tbrown@theifp.ca) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@theifp.ca) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@theifp.ca) 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@theifp.ca Steve Nease Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. Letters to the editor Rotary thrilled about Playspace Dear editor, The Rotary Club of Georgetown and the Town of Halton Hills are thrilled with the recent announcement from the Ontario Trillium Fund adding its support to the development of a Universally Accessible Children's Playspace in Georgetown. With a Trillium grant of $102,000 added to the contributions of the Rotary Club, the Town, and many other local businesses and organizations, this Playspace is quickly becoming a reality. To be located at the Dominion Gardens Park, the Playspace will be developed by adding equipment and accessible ground cover to make it a playground for all children. The Rotary Club of Georgetown, with an inital commitment of $20,000, is also engaged in fundraising activities to enhance the Playspace to the max. A unique fundraiser is the "500 for a 500"-- with 500 tickets being sold at $100 each for a chance to win a 2012 Fiat 500 POP. This wonderfully trendy car can be seen at Georgetown Chrysler and around town as Rotarians sell raffle tickets for the Fiat 500. Tickets are going fast so order yours today by e-mail at uacp@rotarygeorgetown-on.ca. The draw date is October 15. Construction of the Universally Accessible Childrens Playspace is scheduled to begin in April 2012 with a grand opening set for the long weekend in May. "This initiative to provide a playspace for the children of Georgetown is a dream come true for all Rotarians," says Club past president Tom Bentley. "We have done the necessary research, locally and beyond, and have seen first hand how these playspaces bring children of all abilities together through that wonderful common denominator-- fun." For more information, contact The Rotary Club of Georgetown at uacp@rotarygeorgetown-on.ca Barry Edington, president, Rotary Club of Georgetown to thank you for once again covering the event. Many of the 510 participants were from this area and the numbers more than double when you consider local spectators and volunteers. Even Dave Borrett, who contributed to the atmosphere at the start of each of the five events by playing the bagpipes, is a local resident. The day features races for everyone from beginners to elite, youth and adult from ages 8 and above. With vendor's exhibits, kid zone and a barbecue by the Enbridge Community Events Team, there was something for everyone. In addition we'd like to thank the numerous businesses based in Georgetown that provide much of the incredible support that makes this event a growing success every year. These include longtime supporters such as Saputo Dairy Products, Prosperity One Credit Union, McDonald's Restaurant, Tim Hortons, Dairy Queen, Terra Cotta Cookie Company, R&B Construction, Terra Discovery Ltd. and Markal Industries to name a few. Platinum, Gold, Silver & Bronze support was provided by Desjardins Financial Security, Dimpflmeier Bakery, James Dick Construction Limited and Cavalier Transportation Services. Donna Cragg, LTDTC Race Committee WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.independentfreepress.com) Do you think the Town is doing enough to attract business to the 401 Corridor? No (69%) Yes (31%) A Tour de force Dear editor, On behalf of the seventh annual Le Tour de Terra Cotta, Ontario's largest non O-Cup race sanctioned by the Ontario Cycling Association, I would like The Independent & Free Press The Independent & Free Press is published Tuesday and Thursday and is one of several Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. 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