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6 OPINION Peggy Rayner could be anyone's grandmother. The kind, gentle 88-year-old Georgetown se- nior looks like she couldn't have an enemy in the world. But someone viewed the tea-drinking oc- togenarian as nothing more than an easy mark, prey, if you will. On Feb. 26 Rayner received a call from a man claiming to work at Rayner's local CIBC branch. The caller said $4,400 had been withdrawn from her account and a bank teller was suspected. He asked Rayner to withdraw $4,400 from a "dummy" account that had been set up in a bid to catch the teller in the act. He told her not to touch the money but ensure the money was put in an envelope so that the teller's fi ngerprints were on the cash. Rayner complied and returned home. The man later called and asked to meet her in the mall parking lot, outside the bank. Rayner drove to the parking lot where a man calling him- self "Mr. Price"approached her, took the money and said an arrest would be made. Rayner returned home and discovered the money was missing from her bank account. "I wasn't thinking," said Rayner, who said she feels like an "utter idiot" but came forward to share her story in hopes of preventing another se- nior from being victimized. To their credit, CIBC has stepped forward to help out Rayner. Anyone can fall victim to a slick-talking fraud artist and that's why it's vital that all residents-- especially seniors-- be aware that scam artists abound and that they should be extra cautious in dealing with people they don't know. They should also never give personal information to a strang- er either in person or over the phone. Police are looking for a short man with a slim build around the age of 60. Rayner offered a warning, "He'll be a senior one day." Hopefully he'll celebrate that milestone... be- hind bars. 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 Scams abound Steve Nease Letters to the editor (The following letter was sent to Mayor Rick Bonnette. A copy was made available for publication.) Dear Mr Mayor, We are writing to express our con- cern regarding the proposal to install the Helson collection in the Gallery in the library to the possible exclusion of any other artwork or functions. The Gallery has been a vibrant out- let for shows and exhibitions which showcase the work of local artists and artisans, as well as functions related to the community such as theatre group galas, concerts and lectures to name a few. These events are compat- ible with the library and theatre and are well-attended, bringing people into the Cultural Centre who other- wise may not have done so. The shows usually change monthly so people can visit often, knowing they will see a variety of artwork with the possibility of buying a piece for themselves. All these events provide income from the rental fees, which presumably will cease once the collec- tion is installed. It remains to be seen how often people will visit the Gallery to see one collection. Whilst it is generous of Mr. Helson to give his collection to the Town, a gift should not cost the recipient money. This "gift" will cost taxpayers $86,000 to hire a curator and carry out the initial set-up. The ongoing an- nual cost, possibly to include security, has not even been mentioned. Are the taxpayers also to be responsible for the cost of the suggested (totally unsuitable) moving racks to display the work of local artists? As taxpayers and supporters of the arts, we would prefer that the Gal- lery continue to be used for shows, exhibitions and events and that the works in the Helson collection, as well as the works in the stored collection the Town already has, be displayed in other locations around town. Roger and Zyta Daykin, Georgetown (Editor's Note: The $86,000 is for a part-time curator, promotional materi- als, marketing, storage, contracted ser- vices (security) and insurance). 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) How would you rate the job done by the Town's snow plowing crews this winter? • Good, not great (35%) • Fantastic (34%) • Less than adequate (22%) • Terrible (9%) WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.theifp.ca) Everyone should have use of the Gallery 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. •T he I FP • H al to n H ill s •T hu rs d ay , M ar ch 7 , 2 01 3 Dear editor, Ray Eckert's Feb. 21 letter to the editor goes to show how the local art- ists' issue, the Town withholding the Gallery, has been obscured. The artists have been merely ask- ing for the shared use of the Helson Gallery. Previously local artists had been notifi ed they would no longer have any access to the Gallery. That very decision would have put a stop to their annual large scale shows and opening galas that they have held there for decades. After several meetings to ques- tion this, the Town has apologized and will now allow the local artists' shows back into the Gallery and will share the space with the wonderful Helson donation, as was requested by the local artists all along. It's that simple. The local artists have not been 'fussing' or 'impatient' and have always appreciated and supported the acquisition of Mr. Helson's art donation. Susan Little, Georgetown Artist clarifi es issue