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•Th e IF P• H al to n H ill s • Th ur sd ay , A ug us t 2 8, 2 01 4 6 OPINION Sadly the last long holiday weekend of sum- mer is here, and while we will take a moment to remind motorists to be cautious this long weekend, it's equally important to remember that children will be back to school next week. Drivers love the road congestion respite summer brings to our roads but Tuesday the vacation for students is over and will bring the start of another academic year. Police want to remind motorists that we all share the responsibility to ensure the safety of children while travelling to and from school. Police will be out during the first week of school providing extra patrols near school zones, and routes that students take to and from school. Officers will be looking for offences such as speeding, failing to stop at stop signs, failing to yield to pedestrians, and parking violations. Officers will also be patrolling the highways and ensuring that drivers are stopping in both directions for school buses when red lights are flashing. Drivers are encouraged to: • Be aware of school zones and respect the speed limits and do not pass other vehicles; • Be prepared to stop at any time; • Obey traffic signs and rules of the road; • Do not be a distracted driver; • Look to have eye contact with pedestri- ans; • Take your time when leaving or entering a driveway; • Stop when directed by a crossing guard; • Watch for school bus flashing red lights and STOP arms, and do not start moving until the red lights have stopped flashing, the STOP arm folds away, and the bus starts to move. For some, returning to school is a joyous time and others a sour time. It should not however be a time of tragedy. 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. The Independent & Free Press is a member of the Ontario Press Council, 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 School days Letters to the editor The Club at North Halton would like to thank the Town of Halton Hills for assisting us during the Golf Association of Ontario's (GAO) Men's Amateur Championship held in July. This tournament draws 160 of the best amateur golf players in Ontario, along with spectators and without a doubt, our parking was at a premium. Stephen Hamilton and Grant Har- ris were exceptionally considerate and accommodated our temporary street parking needs for our staff with grace and ease. Halton Hills is truly a special com- munity and it's refreshing to see that the community spirit starts at the top. Too often we forget to thank those that help us and I wanted Mr. Ham- ilton and Mr. Harris know that they contributed to our event being a great success. Melanie Frazer Marketing Manager, The Club at North Halton Have you taken the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? • No (79%) • Yes (21%) WEB POLL RESULTS (Go to www.theifp.ca) The club says thanks a lot Library service was superb Swinging senior I thought my swinging days were over. That was until last week when I went to the playground with my daughter and my grand- son Thomas. That's when I saw this very comfortable looking chair that was supported by four very strong chains and hanging beside the other swings. So I thought I'd give it a try and wow. I thought it was great and I even had the pleasure of being pushed by my grandson. My daughter tells me it's for handicapped kids so that they can have the thrill of a swing. Glenn Lloyd My wife and I are from Peterbor- ough, and we were in Georgetown for three months visiting my daugh- ter and her family, helping take care of our newborn grandson and our three-year-old granddaughter. During our stay we made a weekly visit with our granddaughter to the newly renovated Georgetown library. From our very first visit we were given a very warm and friendly welcome from a lovely lady named Maria. She was genuinely kind, cheerful and very helpful. Every week we were greeted with a warm smile. Each week I'd watch this lovely lady as she smiled and greeted each and every person that entered the library and ensured their visit to the library was a pleasurable one. The service she provided was ex- ceptional. It's nice to see that friendly service with a happy, helpful attitude still exist. John Barrett 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: cvernon@metroland.com Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 77, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. 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: Chris Vernon (cvernon@metroland.com) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@theifp.ca) Classifieds/Real Estate Kristie Pells (classified@theifp.ca or realestate@theifp.ca) Classified Call Centre 1-855-415-8237 haltonhillsclassads@metroland.com 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.