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Pa ge 6 T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 3 , 2 01 5 - T he IF P - H al to n H ill s - w w w .th ei fp .c a We all win if you shop locally Letters to the editor 905-873-0301 Publisher: Dana Robbins General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@theifp.ca, 905-234-1011) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@theifp.ca, 905-234-1012) Managing editor: Chris Vernon (cvernon@metroland.com, 905-234-1020) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@theifp.ca, 905-234-1019) Classifieds/Real Estate Kristie Pells (realestate@theifp.ca, 905-234-1016) Advertising Sales Jenny Hawkins (jhawkins@theifp.ca, 905-234-1014) Jennifer Spencer (jspencer@theifp.ca, 905-234-1013) Rachael Scutt (rscutt@theifp.ca, 905-234-1015) Kelli Kosonic (kkosonic@theifp.ca, 905-234-1018) Classified Call Centre 1-800-263-6480, Fax 1-866-299-1499 classifieds@metroland.com Accounting: 1-866-773-6575 Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@theifp.ca, 905-234-1021) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/photographer (emaher@theifp.ca, 905-234-1023) Kathryn Boyle: Staff writer/photographer (kboyle@theifp.ca, 905-234 -1022) Production Shelli Harrison (sharrison@theifp.ca 905-234-1017) 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. We, as the local paper of record, are encouraging residents who are spending money this Christmas to make sure their dollars stay close to home. Now more than ever, local retailers, car deal- ers, specialty shops, services and restaurants, to name but a few, need consumers to open their wallets here in Halton Hills. Our local economy is no longer as strong as it once was and local retailers are placing their hopes on a good holiday season. We can't let them down during the upcoming Christmas season. While shopping, you can pause awhile at a café or restaurant. You can take in old-fashioned Christmas dis- plays and appreciate store owners who are proud of the goods they sell and who spend the necessary time intelligently answering custom- ers' questions. By spending your hard-earned dollars here you are helping to keep the town running smoothly. The spin-off effects are tremendous. There are so many unique gift ideas hidden in the stores and galleries of Halton Hills. Canadians are cutting back this season, according to a poll from business analytics pro- vider SAS. According to the data, about one in five Canadians plan to spend less this year than in 2014. That's not good news for retailers and it's even harder to swallow for local independent retail- ers. So if you do plan to shop till you drop, at least keep the money in our community. After you are done your shopping, don't for- get to put a local restaurant on your shopping list. And before we forget, when you are out shop- ping, don't forget the local charities that need assistance. Set aside some extra dollars -- or spend less -- and give generously to all the groups and organizations that work so hard to ensure everyone has a happy Christmas. OPINION 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 The Optimist Club of Halton Hills would like to extend a very special thank you to everyone who contributed to the annual Santa Calls Program. A great big heart felt thank you to the volunteers whose efforts are inspiration- al and have made a lasting impression on many children in Halton Hills. In this busy world, it's wonderful to know that there are individuals like the Optimist members and many, many others who take the time to bring joy to children. To Halton Hills parents, principals, and kindergarten teachers, thank you for participating in this year's program and helping make it such an incredible suc- cess. Special thanks to the Town of Halton Hills Recreation and Parks Department for providing the space and facilitating Santa making his calls. Thanks for making Santa program a success Final thanks, goes to Georgetown Subway, Golden Fish and Chips, and the McGibbon Hotel for providing Santa with the fuel he needed to call so many chil- dren. Due to everyone's hard work, Santa was able to wish more than 1,000 kinder- garten children and their families in Hal- ton Hills a very Merry Christmas. All the best in the New Year. Rick Chambers, Program co-ordinator Thanks for the good deed Two weeks ago my wife left for work in Georgetown at her usual time on Sat- urday morning. Twenty minutes later I received a phone call asking if she was home. I explained that she was at work and the caller told me he had found her wal- let in the middle of the road. Concerned, I asked where he had found the wallet and as it turns out it was near her place of em- ployment. The finder told me he would happily walk it over to her and return it. I called my wife and told her to expect a visitor in the next few minutes bearing a gift. True to his word he returned the wal- let and all its contents. Sir, you went above and beyond. It is truly refreshing to have crossed paths with a person of your calibre. Thank you Mr. Bob Grasby. Bill Ford Halton Hills Recycling idea abused When our new community mailboxes were installed, the Town and Wastewise provided containers for the flyers and other papers we didn't want, thus saving our landfill site. After a few months, they disappeared. Why? Because some people were put- ting their dog poop and garbage in them, when there were green barrels nearby for that too. Thank you people for spoiling this profitable initiative. June Longstreet Georgetown