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Roadside tragedy Monday's horrific accident on Trafalgar Road serves as a stark reminder that tragedy can strike anywhere, anytime and without warning. What began as a typically cold late winter morning, turned into a day of despair for several families and undoubtedly changed the lives of many in an instant. In very short order gusting winds and snow turned a short stretch of Trafalgar Road, between 5 Sideroad and 10 Sideroad, into a treacherous piece of roadway, catching drivers off-guard and starting a chain of events that would end in the deaths of two people and seriously injuring a third. When a minivan, carrying a woman and her young daughter, left the road and landed in the east ditch Richard Pyman, of Ballinafad, and Elyse Schultz, of Acton did what we hope most people would do-- they attempted to lend aid to the driver of the minivan. According to police reports, Pyman, Schultz, a police officer and other citizens helped the pair escape their overturned minivan, and ushered them to the back of a police cruiser. Seconds later, as Pyman, Schulz, a Fonthill woman, another man and the officer stood behind the cruiser, the driver of a Ford Focus, unaware of the havoc ahead, struck three of the citizens, killing Pyman and Schultz and seriously injuring the Fonthill woman. This was a tragedy for all involved. We wonder how, if at all, this accident could have been avoided. Conditions further south on Trafalgar Road were much better at the time of the accident. Drivers heading into the stretch between 5 Sideroad and 10 Sideroad, literally drove into a blizzard, not knowing how bad the conditions were until there was no turning back. One driver, heading south, narrowly avoided hitting a police cruiser which had blocked off Trafalgar Road at 10 Sideroad and wound up stuck on a metre-high snowbank-- just yards from our photographer's vehicle. While we urge all drivers to use extra caution in winter conditions we can't but think that sometimes, accidents simply happen. That, however, is little solace to those who must now deal with the aftereffects of this tragedy. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Litter-Free group gearing up for busy year Dear editor, I would like to thank Bill and Karen Gerrie for their recent letter regarding litterbugs at work in the countryside. The thoughtlessness of so many drivers is difficult to understand. It seems to be an epidemic and many of us are grateful for the snow that is now masking the ugly accumulation in the ditches. The Town Litter Free Committee was created to address this situation. We encourage everyone to take pride in our community and keep garbage in your car until you can dispose of it in a proper manner. The anti-litter signage that the Gerries mentioned is one of several initiatives of this committee. Thanks to the Gerries also for participating in the annual spring clean up. Plans are now under way to make the 2007 spring Clean Up Events larger and more successful than ever before. Letters have just been sent from the Litter Free Halton Hills Committee to community groups and leaders asking for assistance. This year we hope to have groups and individuals take a leadership role for each of our litter hotspots. We will publish this information in advance so that everyone can join in at any of our locations and know that a leader is there with bags and gloves. The 20 Minute Makeover that targets businesses and schools is set for Friday April 20th and the Community Wide Clean Up is scheduled for Saturday April 21 with a rain date of April 28. We hope that all participants will register with the town well in advance to assist us in the organization of these events and for the collection of the litter at the end of the day. Any group or individual wishing to participate is asked to call the Town Works Department for further information at 905-873-2601, ext. 2610. Jane Fogal, Chair Litter Free Halton Hills Task Force Youths thanked for returning phone Dear editor, I wanted to send this letter to thank two young men at the MoldMasters SportsPlex--Mike Brown and Scott Beedham. During the crazy drop off and pick up for hockey practice I jumped out of my car to help my son put his hockey bag in the trunk. There were cars waiting behind me so I was trying to hurry. Not until a few hours later did I realize that I lost my cell phone. I called the arena and they did not have it in their lost and found, so my husband and I drove over and looked around to no avail. My husband went inside the arena and asked around, in the meantime he kept calling my cell number from his while he was there. The final time he tried someone picked up. I'm not sure which boy-- the two work at the arena and call themselves "arena rink rats". They had enough sense to take out the "sim" card from my phone and put it in their phone. They told my husband they were just about to call the "home" number. Well, they met up and my husband got my crushed phone (which must have been run over by the car behind me after I went to the trunk), but luckily the sim card still worked and these two young men were kind enough to keep it and follow up. Funny part is I was worried because I use this phone for business and of course as we all know our phones are like a lifelines. So a great big thanks goes out to these guys. I love it when young people do great things as I know so often they get a bad rap. Christine Conte, Georgetown Was Turner fooled? Dear editor, Did Garth Turner not go to the Liberals because he said Stephen Harper controlled his caucus too much? Liberal leader Stephané Dion is now saying "vote my way on the anti-terrorism measures or I won't sign your nomination papers" Sounds like controlling your caucus to me! Don Sargent, Caledon