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•T he IF P• H al to n H ill s •T hu rs da y, S ep te m be r 1 8, 2 01 4 66 OPINION Here we go. Mark your calendar as the election is set for Monday, Oct. 27 and the candidates will be busy vying for your support. Don't sigh or groan about another election. Look at a trip to the polls as a great time to get to know the town you call home, whether you've moved here recently or are a long-time resident. Ask yourself: 'How well do you know your municipal government?' Then use the election campaigning, door knocking by candidates, all- candidates' meetings and our media coverage to answer your questions. It's the municipal government with whom residents have the closest association, wheth- er it's paying their property taxes, obtaining a building permit or trying to get their local road cleared of snow. However, this election covers so much more than town council. This is also the ballot on which people vote for public or Catholic school board trustees. Again, an ideal time to talk to people inter- ested in school-based issues. We can't forget regional government -- the folks who provide local policing, public health services, recycling and waste, regional roads and more. All-candidates' meetings are an important way to meet those asking for your vote and to find out who they are and what they stand for. These meetings are a forum at which to learn of local issues that are of concern to others. If you're not one of those interested in seek- ing office, but you are interested or concerned about a particular issue, the election campaign is a good place to do some homework and ask some tough questions. If you're a new resident, the campaign can offer a plethora of knowledge about who's at the helm of your hometown, what the key is- sues are, both now and moving into the future, and what your neighbours consider to be im- portant. The Independent & Free Press is published Thursday and is one of sev- eral Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copy- right. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Independent & Free Press is a member of the Ontario Press Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ ontpress.com or call 416- 340-1981. The Independent & Free Press Here we go Letters to the editor The municipal election campaign officially begins this week. Do you care? • Yes (50%) • No (50%) WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.theifp.ca) 905-873-0301 Publisher: Dana Robbins General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@theifp.ca) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@theifp.ca) Managing editor: Chris Vernon (cvernon@metroland.com) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@theifp.ca) Classifieds/Real Estate Kristie Pells (classified@theifp.ca or realestate@theifp.ca) Classified Call Centre 1-855-415-8237 haltonhillsclassads@metroland.com Accounting 1-866-773-6575 Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@theifp.ca) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@theifp.ca) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@theifp.ca) Get the latest headlines delivered to your inbox by signing up for our twice weekly electronic newsletter. Go to www.theifp.ca and click on 'Newsletter sign-up' at the bottom of the homepage. I am calling all candidates run- ning for various positions in this upcoming municipal elections in Halton Region to come forward and share their platform as well as agenda in brief (two to three lines only) in referrence to a youth i.e. what do you have for youth in your agenda? I am writing an article focusing on this issue and I take this oppor- tunity to help spread the message so that an independent, non-biased platform can be provided where candidates can convey their mes- sage and residents can make their wise decisions. Please note that more than three line answers will not be considered. Info: http://www.facebook.com/ PeaceWelcomeClub Harnoor Gill, Peace Welcome Club I have been a resident of Halton Hills for 16 years and my family tries to go to the fall fair every year, and usually have a good time. This year I couldn't help but notice the overabundance of police officers. They were roaming around the fair in groups of five. It is my understanding that the police would like help from the public in reporting impaired driv- ers, distracted drivers, or anything out of the ordinary or suspicious. It appeared to me, after seeing these groups of miserable unfriend- ly officers, that if they smiled it would crack their faces. If they want our assistance in preventing crime, a smile or 'hello', 'what a beautiful day today,' would go a long way to achieve this goal. Out of the hordes of police that were present not one of them could muster enough energy to smile. There is an old saying that you get more flys with honey than you do with vinegar. Maybe this should be their motto. J. Ferguson What's in store for youth in Halton? Reader says police officers need to smile Thanks for the support Letters must include the author's name, address and daytime phone number. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 150 words and may be edited for con- tent and/or length. Publication is not guaranteed. Email: cvernon@metroland.com Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 77, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. Letters policy Halton Families for Families would like to thank the George- town Fire Department for attend- ing our Family Night Ice Cream Social, which was held on Aug. 5. Halton Families for Families Advisory Committee