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OPINION It may not be an easy subject for some people to discuss, but your rump requires attention. According to the Colorectal Cancer Associa- tion of Canada, about 23,300 people across the country-- 13,000 men and 10,300 women-- will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year. That's an average of 448 Canadians every week. In addition, statistics suggest about 9,200 people will die from the disease in 2013. Screening for colorectal cancer can reduce both the incidences (by identifying and remov- ing pre-cancerous polyps) and mortality. Despite the obvious advantages of potential- ly living longer and with a greater quality of life, screening rates remain low. Perhaps that has to do with the uncomfort- able nature associated with that particular region of the body-- largely the product of at- tempts at humour. But there's nothing funny about dying before you have to. While the causes of colorectal cancer aren't known, a number of risk factors have been identified. They include age (it's more common at 50- plus); having a history of polyps, inflammatory bowel disease or other forms of cancer; and anyone with Type II diabetes or is obese. It's also more prevalent among smokers, heavy drinkers and night shift workers. Progress has been made in treating colorec- tal cancer, decreasing the associated death rate and increasing the quality of life for people di- agnosed with it. Don't stick your head in the sand -- book a screening appointment today. The Independent & Free Press is published Tuesday and Thursday and is one of several Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Edi- torial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Independent & Free Press It's no joke Steve Nease Letters to the editor Dear editor, I couldn't agree more with snow- plow operator Brian Magee (Feb. 26 letter The view from inside the snow- plow) While some citizens of this town have points, others simply do not or at least haven't expressed it maturely yet. I just want to send a huge thank you to all of Halton Hills snowplow operators. Not only is my street always safe to drive on but I was one of those "lucky" people coming home from the last severe snowstorm after midnight from Acton and couldn't believe how well plowed even the back roads were which helped get me home safely. If anyone knows me I'm very timid of harsh weather condition driving. Lastly, these dedicated workers DO in fact work around the clock and miss life events. Regardless if they knew about this being part of the job description, while we're sleeping in warm beds these people are out there making sure we have a safe drive to work the next day. Shame on the critics for saying its not "good enough". By all means, step up to the plate and let's see you do a better job if you think you have it all figured out. Sarah Hayward Georgetown • • • Dear editor, I have been reading the letters con- cerning snow removal by the Town. Mr. Magee (Town employee) is correct in his observation that the snowfalls these past weeks were more that we have had for a good number of years. It does seem as though some people have forgotten that winter used to be like this. I live on a very insignificant rural road. I have found that the snow plowing (and sanding) has been satisfactory and as prompt as ever given the amount of snow that fell over such a short period of time. Un- like Ms. McConnell in the Glen who was plowed out by 10 a.m., we were plowed out by 2:30 p.m. that Satur- day. The same thing happened after the last storm with the plow com- ing up our street mid-afternoon on Wednesday. Considering the all-day nature of the storm, I felt this to be more than reasonable. It is very unfortunate that some citizens feel that paying taxes has earned them the right to insult and of- fend. The only thing missing from the diatribes in the paper was the phrase 'gold plated pension'. I am quite sure that all these very concerned citizens have been out to clear the fire hydrants on or near their properties of snow and, when the snow melts, they will also be sure to clear all storm drains to prevent flood- ing. After all, the Town employees are too overpaid and under-worked to bother with these menial tasks. Thank you, Mr. Magee, for both providing us with a 'view from inside the plow' and for doing a job that few would do. It takes courage to stand up to bullies, you and your colleagues deserve better. Annette Graydon, Terra Cotta Letters policy 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 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) The Memorial Arena is scheduled for demoli- tion this fall. What should the Town do? • Find a way to keep all or a portion of the building (68%) • Demolish the building, but sell bricks and interior elements for the arena fundraising campaign (27%) • Demolish the 91-year-old building and sell the land to developers (5%) WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.theifp.ca) Readers respond to snowplow operator 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 Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. •T he I FP • H al to n H ill s •T ue sd ay , M ar ch 2 6, 2 01 3 6