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6 Independent & Free Press, Friday, January 1, 2010 OPINION Hello, 2010 Well, now that we've kicked 2009 to the curbside how about we take a look at what 2010 could bring us. For starters, Halton Hills residents will likely see some new structures, if not completed, at least under construction this year. Unfortunately, none of them will be the much-needed new ice surfaces local ice users are clamouring for but many will be sports-themed. Construction of the new Acton library branch should also be well underway this year while the multi-million dollar revamping of Georgetown District High School is expected to be completed sometime in 2010. Speaking of GDHS, the Field of Dreams-- a community-driven project to put an allweather rubberized track and artificial turf sports field on the site of the current GDHS sports field-- is likely to become a reality in 2010 thanks to an aggressive and highly successful fundraising campaign. Not to be outdone Christ the King may see a new all-weather track installed by September courtesy of the Halton Catholic District School Board and, of course, local taxpayers. Of course, the poor taxpayer will be hit hard again, thanks to Premier Dalton McGuinty's promised harmonized sales tax. The tax suggests anything but harmony. The HST merges the current eight per cent provincial sales tax (PST) with the five per cent goods and sales tax (GST) into a 13 per cent HST, which would translate into an extra eight per cent tax on everything from hair cuts to hydro. Luckily, that cup of coffee and newspaper that you so enjoy escaped the dreaded tax. The HST is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2010. Unless the Liberals have another resolution for grabbing more tax money, we bet Ontarians will have to spend just a little bit more starting Canada Day. After an election-free year, residents get to go to the polls Oct. 25 to elect their municipal leaders. Could a federal election also be in the cards for 2010? After a close call in 2009, will the poll-leading and suddenly emboldened Tories force the opposition parties' hands? Stay tuned... it could be an interesting year. 905-873-0301 Publisher: Ken Nugent General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@independentfreepress.com) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@independentfreepress.com) Managing editor: John McGhie (jmcghie@independentfreepress.com) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@independentfreepress.com) Classifieds Kristie Pells (classified@independentfreepress.com) Accounting Rose Marie Gauthier Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@independentfreepress.com) Ted Brown: Photography (tbrown@independentfreepress.com) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@independentfreepress.com) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@independentfreepress.com) WEB POLL RESULTS Did you, or do you intend to, donate to a charitable organization this holiday season? · Yes (46%) · No (54%) Steve Nease Go to www.independentfreepress.com Letters to the editor Angel gala was the best ever Dear editor, On Saturday, November 14, we held the fourth annual Angel Gala for SMA at Glencairn Golf Club in Milton. It was the best Angel Gala ever. We raised $75,000! Every year for the past four years, we have had a sold-out crowd of 250 people. Members of our community have rallied around our cause, which is to find a cure for Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Spinal Muscular Atrophy kills more babies than any other genetic disease. SMA is incurable, untreatable, fatal and underfunded. The gene is carried by seven million potential parents, unknowingly. It is a neurogenerative disease characterized by the dramatic loss of spinal motor neurons, resulting in muscle weakness, atrophy and in the worst cases, the loss of the ability to swallow and breathe. The mind remains unaffected while the body wastes away. Our little girl, Rebecca, is affected by SMA. She is now 10 years old and attends Grade 5 at St. Joseph School in Acton. Although Rebecca is in a wheelchair, she is a happy child with many friends. Since Rebecca was diagnosed eight years ago, we have raised $1.5 million in her name through the Rebecca Run for SMA held every July in Newmarket, the Angel Gala for SMA and various other fundraisers put on by our wonderful community. We have a dedicated volunteer committee which contacted many local businesses for donations for this year's Angel Gala. And, what a response! Local merchants gave so generously that we ended up with more than 200 items in our silent auction. Please help us to thank our sponsors by patronizing their businesses. You will find their names on our website www.angelgala,com. To find out more about SMA, you can view our video on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=U0Rr1uJrV14 or go to www.curesma.ca. Theresa Van Fraassen, Acton definitely went above and beyond. He not only provided the servicing but educated me on how often to change the filter and how to maintain the furnace room. He also pointed out that the screws attaching the dryer piping should be removed and special tape applied covering the joints so dryer lint doesn't get caught on the screws. The staff at Asbuilt must be handpicked, not only for their skill set, but being the type of people who care and go above and beyond expectations to ensure customer service excellence. Asbuilt are my heroes and I will always "pay your company forward" Cathy Clark, Georgetown Service was great Dear editor, In these challenging economic times, it's easy to overhear people criticize, condemn and complain about this and that. However, we should remember to always applaud those who help us everyday and be thankful. I applaud the Asbuilt Climate Care staff, who recently provided duct cleaning and furnace servicing at our home. Cynthia, a maintenance technician, offered and came on her lunch hour to help me locate the correct size filter for the furnace. She also informed me it was best to have duct cleaning done before the furnace service. Gregory, the duct cleaning staff member arrived and completed the procedure with a smile on his face the whole time. The next day Ken arrived to service the furnace and he Thanks for the support Dear editor, We would like to thank our generous community in support of the Upper Credit Humane Society this past year. The donations of dog and cat food, kitty litter and cleaning materials, etc. have been appreciated. In particular, we would like to thank the ladies at Curves (Georgetown) for the very successful canned dog food drive last spring, Real Canadian Superstore, Metro stores, Price Chopper, Shoppers Drug Mart, Canadian Tire, Walmart and all the individuals who have donated various items we needed. Our staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure the animals at our shelter have a clean, comfortable and loving experience while they are here. Your continued support makes this possible. Sue Wood, Upper Credit Humane Society Letters to the editor policy Letters must include an address and daytime telephone number. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 150 words and may be edited for content and/or length. E-mail: jmcghie@independentfreepress.com Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. The Independent & Free Press The Independent & Free Press is published Wednesday and Friday 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.