The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

6 Independent & Free Press, Tuesday,October 18, 2011 OPINION Mixed messages Take Vitamin E. Don't take Vitamin E. Drink red wine. Don't drink red wine. Take Vitamin D. Don't take Vitamin D. Smother yourself in sunscreen. Don't smother yourself in sunscreen. Take a multivitamin. Don't take a multi-vitamin. Men get a regular PSA test. Men don't get a regular PSA test. Women get a mammogram every year. Women don't get a mammogram every year. Run, don't walk. Walk, don't run. No wonder we are left shaking our collective heads when it comes to lifestyle choices. Every time we think we are doing something good for ourselves there is a study that suggests otherwise. Recently a report said older women who took a daily vitamin supplement -- even just a multivitamin -- had an increased risk of dying of cardiovascular disease and cancer. That latest revelation should send many of us scurrying for cover. It's also among one of the reasons why the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation may be facing an uphill battle with the launch last week of its "multiyear campaign encouraging women to take action to reduce their risk of breast cancer." "When we asked women about breast cancer risk we learned that many women are not aware of many of the risk factors for developing breast cancer," said Sandra Palmaro, CEO of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation-Ontario Region. "Some women are misinformed about what causes breast cancer and some believe that there is nothing we can do to reduce our risk of the disease." According to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation website, the "campaign addresses established lifestyle risk factors, including alcohol, which research shows few people relate to breast cancer risk, as well as known and potential environmental carcinogens." While we applaud the work of the foundation and its message about reducing the risk of this brutal disease, it will be difficult for many women to wrap their head around the ability to reduce that risk. When there are so many studies out there open to interpretation, women (and men) are left to flounder in a sea of conflicting data. We suggest that anyone wanting information on how to reduce the risk of disease that they seek out reliable sources, including speaking to your family physician, on a regular basis. 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 Liberal candidate deserved better Dear editor, Re: Oct. 11 editorial, Election post mortem. What was Moya Johnson thinking? With over 35 years of nursing experience and six terms as a municipal councillor, a mother and grandmother, why would this woman consider running for the Liberals in the last provincial election in this area? Maybe she wanted to continue her service to the people of Halton Hills. You complained that the turnout was "the most dismal turnout in the province's history" but go on to say that "Johnson was little more than bug splatter on Arnott's windshield". Which candidate deserves the greater thanks and gratitude-- the Conservative candidate who sees the long history of Conservative voting in this area or the one who looks at the past voting record but goes out anyway, day after day and campaigns to be the next Liberal, NDP or other party MPP for Halton Hills? Your comments were offensive. Moya has given years of service to this community and deserved better from the only media voice in the area. I realize that The Independent & Free Press has always been a very Conservative supporting newspaper, but maybe you could recognize the efforts of all candidates in the past election and thank them for their service to the community. Without candidates from different parties we don't have a democracy. Do you really think that voters will show greater interest in the importance of an election when the local newspaper belittles the results and the unsuccessful candidates. You owe Moya an apology! You owe her supporting voters and campaign workers an apology. I am proud of Moya's efforts and proud to have voted for her. I hope that she continues to serve the people of Halton Hills as a municipal councillor. Maybe The Independent needs to reflect on its service to the people of this area. Dan Harmer, Georgetown vale, Ontario in 1886. For the first 10 years of the last century she achieved some success as a church soprano and concert soloist in Toronto, and touring around the U.S. and across western Canada. But her career really took off when she went to Europe in 1911 where she studied opera and went on to perform on major opera stages in Eastern Europe in Russia and Poland. She came home to Toronto in 1934 and died in 1937. Bertha never married and so I am looking for the descendents of her sister, Lucia Maud Crawford (b. 1883) and brother-in-law Ernest Pearson (b. 1881). Ernest Wilfred Pearson was born in Acton and was a very early electrician, involved with setting up municipal electrical systems in various places around Ontario. He married Lucia in 1914 in Port Arthur (Thunder Bay). I would be most interested to hear from descendents of this couple. They can contact me at r.a.coon@bell.net. And, of course, I would love to hear from anyone else with information about Bertha May Crawford and/or souvenirs from her career. Jane Cooper, Metcalfe WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.independentfreepress.com) In order to accommodate future growth in Georgetown do you think lake-based water (i.e. The Big Pipe) will be needed? · Yes. There is not enough groundwater available (77%) · No. There will be enough groundwater if people use water more efficiently (23%) Looking for Pearsons Dear editor, I am an Ontario historian researching the life of a little known Canadian opera singer, Bertha May Crawford who was born in Elm- 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.