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•T h e IF P • H al to n H ill s •T ue sd ay , F eb ru ar y 12 , 2 01 3 6 OPINION Well, that certainly was a wake-up call, wasn't it? Last week's storm that buried most of southern Ontario in 20-plus centimetres of snow was a blunt reminder to area residents of what to do (and not to do) when Old Man Winter decides to fl ex his muscles. We haven't seen that kind of snow activ- ity in fi ve years and, by the time the fl akes stopped falling late Friday, Halton and other regions were left under a blanket of white stuff that left many with aching backs from shovelling. However, the storm certainly reinforced the fact that, yes indeed, we live in Canada (despite the recent mild winters) and there are certain precautions to take when it comes to a storm of this magnitude. First, when weather forecasters are sug- gesting driving in a storm is not a wise choice and police are urging residents not to drive unless absolutely necessary-- heed their ad- vice when possible. Unnecessary vehicular traffi c only adds to the problems a storm brings-- specifi cally it makes the job all the more diffi cult for snow- clearing road crews. And as for those road crews, here's a tip of the hat to the beleaguered workers we are quick to blame when roads aren't cleared fast enough to our liking. They did a stellar job last week, for the most part, both in prep- ping for the onslaught of snow and dealing with it when it came. Most streets were pass- able by early Saturday. As we said, there are little things that can be done during a snowstorm that make a big difference: digging out any fi re hydrants near your property, ensuring your outside dryer vent area is clear of snow, helping to shovel out an elderly neighbour's driveway/ walkway or ensuring your vehicle isn't in the way of a snowplow. For your own sake it's also important to make sure your vehicle has an emergency kit in the event you do get stranded in a storm. The Independent & Free Press is published Tuesday and Thursday and is one of several Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Edi- torial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Independent & Free Press Storm reminder Steve Nease Letters to the editor Dear editor, From time to time we, as Georgetown residents, are urged to 'Shop Local'. I have had several unfortunate experiences doing that at local retail shops. Today at a supermarket I select- ed French fries from a bin marked $1, which was the price advertised in their weekly fl yer. I was charged $2.29 for them. Also today I tried to buy envelopes, and saw a packet on the shelf marked $1.67; the cashier tried to charge $6. Last month I wanted to buy a two-slice toaster and saw one in a fl yer of a local store advertised for $14.99. The cashier tried to charge me $29.99. The assistant who checked this for me, agreed that the price on the shelf was as advertised, but they still insisted that the price of $29.99 was correct. I didn't buy it. In each of these cases the excuse offered by the store employees was the same-- the products had been placed in the wrong bin, or on the wrong shelf. I pointed out to them that, as a customer, it is not my responsibility to put things in the correct places, and they should check to ensure that their products are in the correct places. Needless to say the supermarket has lost a customer and so has the store selling toasters. 'Shop Local' by all means, but be on your guard and don't get ripped off. Terry Brown, Georgetown Letters policy 905-873-0301 Publisher: Dana Robbins 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) Classifi eds Kristie Pells (classifi ed@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) The Halton Region Waste Guide and Calendar was sent out to homeowners this week. How often do you use the Guide? • 6 or more times a year (75%) • 1-5 times a year (14%) • Never (11%) WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.theifp.ca) 'Shop local'... but be on guard Acton displays hometown spirit 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 Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. Dear editor, Last year, after a successful concert in January, an "Artist Assistance Fund" was set up at Knox Presbyterian Church (in Acton) for the free will dona- tions received. Darrelle London was the featured performer, and many other local individuals and groups entertained us. We later chose applicants who received monetary awards to further their artistic endeavors. This year, we were pleased to feature James Franczek from Acton and his ensemble from the Georgetown Celtic Fiddle Orches- tra. Also on the program were Rylea and Olivia Wilson, Aiden Hammond and her Failed Magi- cian's League, Total Dance Inno- vations, vocalist Kevin and Jake Hazzard, gymnast Emily Boycott, Cheryl DaPonte with Staying Alive Fitness Dance group, vocal- ists Marie Zions Fryer and Earl Burt, and the Knox choir, led by Sharon Dutton. There was an impressive dis- play of paintings and artwork by Carla Snels, Janet Holdridge, Lois Bugala and Maria Sallay, and woodworking projects by Bill Mainprize and Ken Petty. Thank you to everyone involved in this concert, our MC Bruce Graham, technicians, Bob Jeffries and Kevin Hazzard, and Cathy Gerrow for the advice, Sobeys and Giant Tiger for the contribu- tions of food for the lunch, and The Independent & Free Press and Acton New Tanner for the great publicity. And, thank you to this commu- nity for supporting and showing your hometown spirit, and again generously donating over $1,000 to the Artist Assistance Fund, and for encouraging local talent, as they strive to achieve their dreams. 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