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6 Independent & Free Press, Tuesday,August 30, 2011 OPINION Share a pint You never know what's waiting for you around every corner. Life is full of uncertainties. And sometimes, the uncertainty of needing the gift of life­ blood­ may be knocking at your doorstep. For those of you who have been involved in a life-threatening accident or required a life-saving surgery, you'll know well the importance of donating to Canadian Blood Services, especially during the summer months. A person who has been involved in a serious accident may require 50 units or 50 donations of blood, while a leukemia patient may require eight units a week, according to Canadian Blood Services. For those of us who haven't relied on its services, there's always a possibility that you may need to one day. This summer, firefighters, police and emergency service personnel have teamed up and challenged residents to donate. Each year these organizations go veinto-vein in a friendly competition to see which group of life savers can donate the most units of blood. The annual campaign is an important one for Canadian Blood Services, which sees a drastic decline in the number of donors rolling up their sleeves to donate during the summer months. With the Labour Day holiday weekend fast approaching, the need for blood only increases. A clinic is planned for today (Tuesday) from 4-8 p.m. at the Gellert Community Centre's Kinsmen Hall (10241 Eighth Line in Georgetown). However, if you can't make this clinic, others are set for Sept. 12 from 2-8 p.m. at Maple Avenue Baptist Church (177 Maple Ave. in Georgetown) and the Acton Arena (415 Queen St. E.) from 3:30-8 p.m. Lend a hand, or better, an arm. 905-873-0301 Publisher: Ken Nugent General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@theifp.ca) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@theifp.ca) Managing editor: John McGhie (jmcghie@theifp.ca) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@theifp.ca) Classifieds Kristie Pells (classified@theifp.ca) Accounting Rose Marie Gauthier Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@theifp.ca) Ted Brown: Photography (tbrown@theifp.ca) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@theifp.ca) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@theifp.ca) Letters policy Letters must include an address and daytime phone 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 Anonymous letters will not be published.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. Email: jmcghie@theifp.ca Steve Nease Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. Letters to the editor Harris years invoke many bad memories Dear editor; Eric Boles' letter (Aug 23 `Johnson a good fit for Liberals) attacking Moya Johnson sounded like a nostalgic plea for the return of the Harris years, years that were painful for most Ontarians. For the record and a reminder to Mr. Boles, the so-called Common Sense Revolution was to cut the large provincial deficit accumulated under the previous NDP government. One of Harris's first policy decisions was to cut social assistance rates by 22% and then to cut provincial income taxes by 30%. Here are just some of the good old times when Harris and his crowd ruled the roost at Queen's Park: · Harris cut health spending to record levels axing $800 million from the health care budget. · Harris fired 6,200 nurses · Harris closed 28 hospitals while comparing the laid-off hospital workers to the people who lost their jobs after the hula hoop fad died down in the 1960s · He also tried to terminate the only French language hospital in Ontario, Montfort Hospital · The Harris government also downloaded services like homecare onto the municipalities as a cost-cutting measure · Ontario's teachers held the largest walkout in North American history under the Harris government · Walkerton, where hundreds became ill and seven people died, occurred under Harris's watch. · And Harris also gave us the privatization of Hwy 407 for peanuts. The Harris government was one of the most controversial governments the province has ever seen. Is it no wonder the majority of Ontarians where happy to move on beyond the Harris years? Perhaps before suggesting anyone is disingenuous, Mr. Boles would engage in a bit of frankness and candor or inform himself on the true facts of the Harris years. Steve Ferris, Acton tario's next generation of engineers and academic/corporate researchers while attempting to modify our flagrant energy consumption culture. The next generation of Ontarians can be a world leader in green energy research technology because it is so difficult to obtain energy from green in this climate. He is capitalizing on the future. Tom Bentley, Georgetown Neighbours thanked Dear editor, On August 20, my son Michael ran a lemonade stand to raise money for the Toronto Sick Kids Hospital. He helped make flyers, sent invitations and made posters to let everyone on our street, Pennington Cres., know what was going on. With the support of family, friends and neighbours, he raised $280. Our family wanted to say thank you to all those who came and had a glass of lemonade with us and supported this wonderful cause. Because of this money, we were able to purchase toys for children post-surgery. It is heart-warming to know how kind and caring our neighbours are. This is why we love living here in Georgetown Kim Cation, Georgetown WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.independentfreepress.com) The Halton Catholic District School Board is installing video security cameras in all its high schools. Do you support the use of security cameras in high schools? · Yes (85%) · No (15%) Thinking `green' Dear editor, Re: Annual global investment in green energy exceeds that of fossil fuels. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty isn't trying to totally replace nuclear with solar/wind/etc., he is trying to improve the global employment opportunities of On- The Independent & Free Press 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.