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6 Independent & Free Press, Tuesday,October 19, 2010 OPINION Decision 2010 As we usually do in this space, we offer our view on the upcoming municipal election-- an opinion that is neither right nor wrong; simply another voice. We, again, urge all voters to make their own informed decisions on Monday, Oct. 25 when they enter the voting booth. Wards 3&4 Regional Councillor: Jane Fogal has 13 years behind her of council experience (seven regionally) while newcomer Harvey Anstey appears to be playing the fear card in stating the "city" will "lose its identity" and that the current "Room to Grow plan" does not address the matter of disappearing farmland. Fact: The "Places to Grow Plan" is a fait accompli-- the "Town" of Halton Hills will experience growth in the coming years. The question is: how will it grow? While we'd rather see Fogal more concerned with helping solve traffic woes in the south end than building bike paths, she is a far better choice to help determine the direction of that growth. Ward 2 local councillor: Ten-year council vets Bryan Lewis and Joan Robson are challenged by newcomers James Crammond and former Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce boss Norm Paget. In this case we subscribe to the view that if the incumbents have not done anything egregious, why opt for change? Ward 3 local councillor: Rookie Bridget Rosser is challenging longtime councillor Moya Johnson (16 years) and one-termer Dave Kentner. Rosser is a credible candidate, but the same rule as above (see Ward 2) applies. Ward 4 local councillor: Incumbents Bob Inglis (13 years) and John Duncan (one term) are part of a five-person race that includes challenger Ann Lawlor, Waldo Paquete and Ross McDuff. Of those three Lawlor would appear to be the best choice if an incumbent were to be unseated. Disgruntled residents Paquete and Anstey are basically running a tag-team campaign, and along with McDuff, all are focusing on the fact no Town councillors live in Ward 4. In a larger community that may be cause for concern, but in a town the size of Halton Hills it's a non-issue in our eyes. HDCSB trustee: Incumbent Rosanna Palmieri beat out the late Irene McCauley in 2006 in a nasty fight. Retired teacher Mark Rowe is taking a run at the job and certainly offers a compelling alternative. HDSB trustee: Challenger Mandy Kerfoot is in over her head against past board chair Gillian Tuck Kutarna and current (by virtual default) chair Gerry Ockenden. Kutarna and Ockenden both lose marks for their (mis)handling of the McKenzie-Smith Bennett land sale fiasco, but Ockenden moreso for initially badly misreading his Acton constituents' opposition to the sale. Kutarna could have cast a token dissenting vote but chose not to in an effort to protect projects for Georgetown. She gets a pass on M-SB in the interest of the greater good and should be returned. We commend all who entered the campaign and thank them for putting their community first. 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) Letters 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. Publication is not guaranteed. E-mail: jmcghie@independentfreepress.com The Independent & Free Press Steve Nease The Independent & Free Press is published Tuesday and 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. Letters to the editor Mill development is not necessary Dear editor, In the last couple of months, I have read the few letters to the editor in support of the proposed resort on Barber Mill lands in the Credit River Valley floodplain. As a person with 30 years of experience with river systems, I find the letters supporting the resort seriously lacking in understanding and appreciation of the Credit River Valley as the vital source of biodiversity, animal habitat and clean water. Adding a huge amount of concrete to a sensitive ecosystem will certainly impair this sensitive natural corridor. That can be backed by science, not just opinion. Fifty years from now, the Credit River Valley will be the only continuous ecosystem left after development is finished with Georgetown. Can we not leave just this one last natural area alone? The proposed resort represents the most serious encroachment of any GTA river valley system in recent memory. Halton Hills' reputation does not need that dubious distinction. Development of this kind in a river valley is just unacceptable in the 21st century. Peter Orphanos,Chair Sierra Club Peel mow your lawn. Lois Fraser, Halton Hills Caring community Dear editor, While Georgetown has grown substantially, it still has the closeness of the small town community it had when we moved here 17 years ago. Our daughter Emily recently suffered a dislocated knee during a GU14 semifinal game at Trafalgar Sports Park. From the moment it happened we have been showered with support, care and concern from this great community. Our heartfelt thanks go to the coaches, players and parents from both teams and the referee who all quickly went into action comforting her, getting medical assistance, and directing the ambulance to the field, and who made her smile with e-mails in the days following her injury. We'd also like to thank many others for their help and support, including the EMS responders, Georgetown Hospital staff, Centennial School staff, our friends, neighbours, and Emily's friends. Craig, Nancy & Emily Fisher Georgetown Candidates' home ward is not vital to election Dear editor, Some candidates are making the point that you need to live in a certain ward to be able to represent the people of that ward. I disagree. Decisions that are made at council are made in the best interests of the town as a whole. You need knowledge of a particular ward's issues and you need to be accessible to your ward's residents, but you don't need to live there. I have lived in Georgetown for nearly 55 years and I follow local politics carefully. I have never seen a councillor compromise the views of the ward they represent, in favour of the ward they live in. Good luck to all the candidates and thanks for putting your names forward, regardless of where you