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Pa ge 6 T hu rs da y, M ay 1 4, 2 01 5 - T he IF P - H al to n H ill s - w w w .th ei fp .c a The Independent & Free Press is published 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. The Independent & Free Press is a member of the Ontario Press Coun- cil, 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 Play safe this long weekend Letters to the editor 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 (realestate@theifp.ca) Classified Call Centre 1-855-415-8237 classified@theifp.ca 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. Fishing line can kills birds Give a senior a break As we sit on the verge of the first long weekend of the summer season the anticipation for many is palpable. The cottage, the beach, or just grilling in the back- yard-- most of us can't wait. However, sadly the Victoria Day weekend can be one of the most tragic times of year for carnage and death on our highways and lakes. Police will be targeting high risk driving behaviours during Canada Road Safety Week that kicked off May 12. The national campaign, which runs through Mon- day (May 18) is aimed at making Canada's roads the safest in the world. It is a collaborative effort by Canadian police ser- vices to remind people that an essential part of the enforcement job is to save lives and reduce injuries on our roadways. The focus of the campaign will be on behaviours that put drivers, passengers and other road users most at risk-- such as the "Big 4 Killers" impaired driving (by alcohol or drug), failure or improper use of seat belt, distracted driving and aggressive driving. As part of the campaign, and new this year, there will be a National Enforcement Day for impaired driv- ing on Saturday (May 16). The road worthiness of passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles will also be a focus of the cam- paign. The annual blitzes have become a local tradition and emphasize both enforcement and education, ac- cording to police. The OPP will also be patrolling the 400 series of highways. Safety, however, starts with each and every one of us. We encourage you to act responsibly on the high- ways and waterways. If you drink, don't operate a vehicle or a boat. Use a designated driver or stay over at a friend's house if you've had a bit too much to drink. Also, stay sober whether you're boating or swim- ming. Whatever you do, please don't become another statistic. The last thing we at The Independent want to be do- ing on Tuesday is writing up stories about Halton Hills residents being injured or killed. My daughter and I go down to Wil- low Park in Norval quite often to catch snakes and wade in the water. This Saturday we were there and we saw a bird trapped in fishing line that was snagged in the bushes. It was wrapped around the bird's neck as it was flapping trying to get out. My daughter Cheyenne ran to the nearby house and asked the owner for scissors. We were able to free the bird and release it. Anglers need to know that some birds use spider webs to help build their nests and a tangled line looks a lot like that. Please let them know they should remove any tangled lines because the bird would have died for sure had we not seen it. Mike and Cheyenne Cormier, Halton Hills OPINION In praise of the police Letters must include the author's name, ad- dress 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 guar- anteed. Email: cvernon@metroland.com Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 77, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. Letters policy I requested weekly mail delivery to my door for the winter months. I gave my age and explained the difficulty of walking from Pauline Street, all down Margaret Street and across Edward Street to the box in winter with high snow banks and no sidewalks. Yesterday I received a four-page form with one page to be filled out by my doctor explaining my disability. So I trundled across town to my doctor with the form. Her secretary will phone me when the form is ready to be picked up. My disability is that I am pushing 90 and live alone. Wouldn't it be simpler and cheaper to automatically grant weekly winter delivery for all applicants over 85 who live alone? Saloma Smith, Georgetown We had an occasion to call for help from the Halton Regional Police Service recent- ly. We wish to tell you how great and swift their action was in networking to find a lost member of our family. Their networking was superior. Their treatment was kind, understand- ing and compassionate. Our family mem- ber was returned to us safe and sound. People in Georgetown, we have an amaz- ing police service. I am incredibly grateful. Jacqueline Barnes and Morley Barnes, Halton Hills