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Pa ge 6 T hu rs da y, Ja nu ar y 22 , 2 01 5 - T he IF P - H al to n H ill s - w w w .th ei fp .c a product. Too bad. For a town that likes to pride itself on the number of achievers that have come through Georgetown hockey, I find it strange that not many of you come out to support a Jr. A Raider team that sits at the top of their league, entertains with skilled, well-coached hockey and boasts the league's highest scorer, the league's best goaltender, together with very tal- ented local players. So take a chance and go big. Spend $10 and watch some fine hockey at the Mold-Masters Arena. You won't be dis- appointed. Don Puckering, Terra Cotta Mama and her family were the original owners of Baker's Dozen on Guelph St. many years ago. She applied the simple rules of business-- cleanliness, good food, good service, friendly atmosphere and a great cup of coffee. She decided to pursue other interests and sold Baker's Dozen a few years ago. I haven't spent much time there since she left--it just wasn't the same. The Independent & Free Press is published 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. The Independent & Free Press is a member of the Ontario Press Coun- cil, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns. For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ontpress.com or call 416-340-1981. The Independent & Free Press Stoking the addiction Letters to the editor How do you rate the winter so far? • So, so; better than expected (58%) • Good, bring it on! (23%) • Bad, get me out of here! (19%) WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.theifp.ca) 905-873-0301 Publisher: Dana Robbins General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@theifp.ca) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@theifp.ca) Managing editor: Chris Vernon (cvernon@metroland.com) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@theifp.ca) Classifieds/Real Estate Kristie Pells (realestate@theifp.ca) Classified Call Centre 1-855-415-8237 classified@theifp.ca Accounting 1-866-773-6575 Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@theifp.ca) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@theifp.ca) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@theifp.ca) 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. Emergency workers lauded for efforts Letters must include the author's name, 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: cvernon@metroland.com Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 77, George- town, ON., L7G 4B1. Letters policy When you purchase a lottery ticket or enter a casino, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) mantra is "know your limit, play within it". Words to live by, because who among us wants to develop a gambling problem? Nobody. It's not in anyone's best interest and at the end of the day, provincial healthcare dollars will be spent treating those with a penchant to double down too often. That said, the government doesn't seem to be slowing down on the number of ways resi- dents can access gaming. With the introduction of PlayOLG online gaming recently, anyone can now place a bet or buy a lottery ticket from the comfort of their own home, even play the slots. The only thing they'll need is Internet access. Revenue is bound to grow and that's what the province needs as it grapples with an $10.5-bil- lion budget deficit and debt approaching $300 billion. Though this may benefit the bottom line, government must be cognizant of the risks that come with increased gaming. According to the Ontario Problem Gam- bling Research Centre, 3.2 per cent of Canadi- an adults were affected by moderate to severe problem gambling in 2009. Further, The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry sites 2.2 per cent of youth aged 15 to 24 are af- fected by moderate-risk or problem gambling. Like the government's revenues from gam- ing, these problem gambling numbers are bound to increase. The ease of access to the OLG's new online gaming site is unscrupulous. It's just a matter of time before the media re- ports the lives shattered by this enabler. Mark our words. I got a call from my sister on Monday night saying "Mom and dad's house is on fire." Racing to the scene in a panic, I was met with the greatness that is our Hal- ton Hills emergency personnel-- police, ambulance and especially the fire de- partment -- wow! I, my parents, and my family never felt in safer hands. Incredible job done by incredible people. Thank you. Steven Maltar, Halton Hills You Georgetown people like to tell many that Georgetown is a hotbed of hockey. Well, I don't see much of that in the way of support for our local Jr. A Raid- ers. Their home games are Saturday 7:30 p.m. but I guess some of you are busy watching that over-glamourized TV However, I was pleasantly surprised to pull up to the drive-thru a couple of weeks ago and see Mama standing at the window. I'm am not sure who was more excited-- her or me. I have been in for breakfast many times since then and have enjoyed every minute. I laughed as I heard one man say as he left, "Just like old times." My senti- ments exactly. I think I can safely say that I speak for many in this community when I say "Welcome Back Mama. We're so thrilled to have you. Keep up the good work." Dianne Piché OPINION Welcome back MamaWhere's all the Raiders fans?