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•T h e IF P • H al to n H ill s •T hu rs da y, O ct ob er 2 , 2 01 4 6 OPINION The United Way of Halton Hills is aim- ing to raise $400,000 this year. When you look at the big picture-- it's a lofty goal. But break it down into smaller parts, and it can be achieved-- it's true that every dollar counts. The goal is up from last year's target of $370,000. United Way Executive Director Janet Foster said that's because "our commu- nity continues to grow and the needs also grow." She said money raised stays local to fund programs that change lives here. "The programs that are run by the fund- ed agencies are used by one in three resi- dents in our community," said Foster. United Way of Halton Hills funds 21 agencies delivering 28 programs locally, such as providing grief support to a child, a mentor for a little brother or sister, ad- ditional support for a senior, or nutritious food to a family to help them make ends meet. "The United Way relies on the generosity of our community residents and our local business donors-- they are the real cham- pions of change," said Foster. "With your help and commitment to making Halton Hills a caring community we can achieve our goal." Donations can be made through the United Way Halton Hills website www. unitedwayofhaltonhills.ca or by contact- ing the United Way office at 905-877-3066. Foster reminds residents who work out- side of Halton Hills for a company that has a United Way Campaign, to make sure "to give where you live and designate your do- nations back to Halton Hills!" Together, we can make a difference. 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 United we all benefit Letters to the editor The United Way of Halton Hills has set its highest campaign goal ever-- at $400,000. Do you contribute through a company program? • Yes (25%) • No (75%) 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. The CBC evening news on Sept. 17 had a report that artifi- cial sweeteners were very bad for your health. So what went wrong? After years of ignoring the vid- eos, reports about aspartame, and all artificial sweeteners, why would the CBC finally tell the truth about these dangerous products? I have no idea, but one could ask why Health Canada thinks they are great, and tells people with diabetes to use them instead of sugar. I wonder who pays for that il- lusion. Your guess is as good as mine. It would be nice if Health Can- ada did its job, and protect us from some of this terrible stuff. John Shadbolt, Acton Today as I walked my dog with my husband at Cedarville Park we came across an injured cat. He/she had been laying in the grass for a long time. I bundled it up and took it to the Georgetown Animal Clinic. They did a scan of the cat to see if it had a microchip, which it did not. They examined the cat and said it was in very bad shape. They told me that they were going to put it down. This cat was an older tabby cat. So to anyone who has lost their pet cat he is not suffering any longer. Kelly Horwood, Georgetown Re: Airport noise is ruining this town, Letters. I want to take the time to publicly thank Mayor Rick Bonnette for his help with a recent issue. Turns out the GTAA has seen a sharp spike in noise complaints since they made some mi- nor adjustments. When contacted about this issue, Mayor Bonnette responded to my emails quickly and provided any and all information I required. He has also kept in touch on an ongoing basis. Even though this is not a town issue (more federal), he stayed connected. I also want to recognize Michael Chong, MP for Wellington Halton- Hills, who called me personally to dis- cuss this issue. Kathryn Gennatos, Halton Hills How sweet it was Thanks a lot Feline isn't suffering now 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