The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

No butts about it A report released last week from the American Cancer Society offered some encouraging news on the war-on-cancer front. In comparing the number of cancer-related deaths between 2004 and 2003, officials found a drop of more than 3,000 deaths in 2004 from the previous year. That marked the second year in a row since 1930 that a decline in cancer-related deaths occurred. U.S. experts are attributing the success to a reduction in smoking and early detection-- particularly colorectal cancer. Figures indicate the lung cancer death rate in men has been falling. Unfortunately firm figures for 2004 from the Canadian Cancer Society are not available but the Society suggests deaths here haven't diminished. That said, we're hoping it is only a matter of time before the pattern in Canada begins to mimic that of the U.S.-- and giving up smoking is the best way to start. With this being National Non-Smoking Week (Jan. 21-27) Halton Region is again encouraging smokers to take those initial steps towards becoming smokefree. The municipality offers Stop Smoking Clinics that provide free counseling at locations in Acton, Burlington, and Milton. For individuals who need help to quit smoking but don't have time to attend one of Halton's Stop Smoking Clinics, the Smokers' Helpline (1-877-513-5333) may be of assistance. Halton is partnering once again with the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion, Canadian Cancer Society and Halton Council on Smoking or Health to promote the annual Driven to Quit challenge, which will be launched today (Wednesday) and is open to all Ontario residents who smoke. The winner in this year's contest will receive an Acura CSX provided by Johnson and Johnson. There will also be a regional prize of a 32-inch Sony LCD high-definition TV. Individuals can register online for the contest from now until February 28 at www.driventoquit.ca. Then, participants will have to go smoke-free for the month of March. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Litterbugs making a mess of the countryside Dear editor, My wife and I live in the country just outside Georgetown and have participated in the local cleanup of the roads, etc. for a few years now (Earth Day). It is amazing the amount of garbage that people throw out vehicle windows. We have no trouble filling the back of a pickup truck each year. What really makes us angry, is that after cleaning up the road, not even four hours later there is more. Coffee cups, fast food containers and anything else you can think of. Since the major cleanup my wife has been picking up a plastic bag full of litter on her walks with our dog almost every day. We have a beautiful country here, but why do some individuals continue to treat our country roads as their own dumping grounds? Maybe we need signs everywhere like the ones that Christ the King High School students made up, to constantly remind certain individuals to take your garbage home and dispose of it properly. We don't want it on our road. Take pride in the place we live in. You wouldn't like it if I dumped garbage at your place. Bill and Karen Gerrie, Limehouse MPPs not deserving of pay hike Dear editor, I don't normally respond to readers letters, but the one from Benjamin Atkinson really got me going (Jan. 3 MPPs deserve `reward' of pay hike). I can agree with Benjamin on one point: I too, am not crazy about politicians. I do have a certain degree of respect for people who choose to run for political office, but "opening up their lives to public scrutiny"-- only if they do something WRONG. As for doing what they feel best for `their little part of the world'... that is true it is THEIR little part of the world which seldom resembles the real world we live in. I know that every decision I make while doing my job is very much under the microscope of my boss, who, should I perform below the standards expected of me, has the right to fire me. Do politicians, voted into office, face that? I think not. As for not being able to go home to families at night, what about the millions of commuters who choose to live and work where they do, but can't afford the luxury of a second residence close to the workplace? Politicians choose to be voted into office, wherever that may be. What about the millions of people in industries who have no choice but to work nights and weekends? Police officers come to mind, nurses, retailers, the list is endless... and let's be honest, these people do more directly for our community than any politician has ever done or will everdo. Politicians could easily choose to work for large companies and make well in excess of $100,000 per year. Why don't they? Simple, political office is guaranteed income, from my hard-earned tax dollars, with possibilities of giving themselves raises well in excess of what some people earn in a year. I can't even give myself a raise. Perhaps Benjamin's dad is an MPP. Hans Tunney, Acton Dead-ends for Glen? Dear editor, An open letter to the residents of Glen Williams: Your traffic problems can be solved by closing Erin and Beaver Streets at Wildwood Road so vehicles can't turn onto Wildwood. I am sure it wouldn't be that inconvenient as it would make your streets dead-ends like so many other streets in Halton Hills. You should also petition your local council to convince the provincial government to build a highway from Bovaird and Mississauga Roads in Brampton to the top of Silver Creek hill which would pick up traffic from Mayfield Road, thereby eliminating the need to go through Glen Williams. I am sure most traffic on Guelph Street in Georgetown and Wildwood in the Glen is going to Acton, Hillsburgh and beyond. In my opinion a bypass on 10 Sideroad in Georgetown South may be cheaper to produce, but will never reduce the traffic through the Glen. Frank Spingola, Erin