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•T he I FP • H al to n H ill s •T hu rs da y, O ct ob er 1 0, 2 01 3 6 OPINION For many the kitchen is the most popular and welcoming room in a home. Aside from being the go-to room for a snack it's often the place many families share a meal and discuss the day's events. It's also potentially the most deadly room in your house. This week is Fire Prevention Week and this year's theme is preventing kitchen fires. Kitch- en fires due to cooking oil or grease igniting into flames cause the fastest-spreading and most destructive type of residential fire. Here are a few kitchen safety tips to remem- ber from the Insurance Bureau of Canada: • Keep a pan lid or cookie sheet handy in case grease or oil catches fire. The lid or cookie sheet should be slid over the top of the pan to smother the fire. • Never attempt to move a flaming pot or pan away from the stove. The movement can fan the flames and spread the fire. • Don't leave anything cooking unattended. Turn off the stove even if you leave the room only for a few seconds. • Use a safety-approved fryer. • Keep your oven clean. Grease and food splatters can ignite at high temperatures. • Ensure that you wear oven mitts when remov- ing cooking containers to avoid serious burns. • Wear close-fitting clothing that won't catch on pot handles. • Turn pot handles inward to reduce the risk of accidentally overturning the pot and to pre- vent children from grabbing it. • Do not let children get closer than one me- ter (three feet) when you are cooking. Knowing in advance how to handle a fire emegency can save your home and your life. The Independent & Free Press Be prepared Letters to the editor Dear editor, The aftermath of this summer's road construction in Glen Williams is gut-wrenching. Not only has the rural village at- mosphere of this special place disap- peared under asphalt, but the Credit River now gets more contaminants than ever from stormwater runoff. Is black asphalt the Town's idea of "new decorative sidewalks and curb- ing"? More importantly, the gravel street allowances that have been paved over actually helped absorb water runoff. This is a time when enlightened local planners, developers and elect- ed officials all across North America are addressing water quality by reducing impervious surface areas; they encourage homeowners to pave as little of their properties as possible and use gravel, interlocking stone or brick instead of concrete and asphalt. Yet the Town of Halton Hills has done completely the opposite. How ironic that the main purpose of the work along Main Street, which was to install storm sewers with a water quality control chamber, is defeated by all that asphalt. When it comes to the village of Glen Williams, the Town has truly paved paradise and put up a parking lot. Sandy Gillians, Ballinafad 905-873-0301 Publisher: Dana Robbins 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/Real Estate Kristie Pells (classified@theifp.ca or realestate@theifp.ca) Accounting 1-866-773-6575 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) A campaign was launched recently to have the line "in all thy sons command" removed from 'O Canada' to make it gender neutral. Should the anthem be changed? • No (91%) • Yes (9%) WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.theifp.ca) Town turns Glen into 'parking lot' Hats off to crew Return of watch was appreciated Such a kind and dignified act from total strangers would surely have brought a smile to my moth- er's face, as it did my family and I. Charlene Aitchison, Georgetown Get the latest headlines delivered to your inbox by signing up for our twice weekly electronic newsletter. Go to www.theifp.ca and click on 'Newsletter sign-up' at the bottom of the homepage. Dear editor, On August 12, family and friends of my mother, Violet Coburn, a 60- year Georgetown resident, gathered at the Jones Funeral Home to say farewell to our beloved matriarch. Upon conclusion of the service the procession moved onward toward Greenwood Cemetery, and while traveling down Maple Avenue we were all taken aback by a most uplifting and respectful sight. Upon approach, a construc- tion crew, working in front of the Civic Centre, caught sight of us and immediately halted their activi- ties, stood up, promptly removed the hard hats from their heads and held them to their chests in salute. Letters must include the author's name, address and daytime phone number. Anony- mous letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 150 words and may be edited for content and/or length. Publica- tion is not guaranteed. Email: jmcghie@theifp.ca Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 77, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. Letters policy Dear editor, I would like to thank the person who handed in my watch to the customers' service desk at the Su- perstore on September 12. The watch means a lot to me and I am so very grateful that it was returned. It was evidently found in the parking lot of the store. Georgetown people are the best. B. N. Carter, Georgetown The Independent & Free Press is published Thursday and is one of sev- eral Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copy- right. Unauthorized use is prohibited.