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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 4, 2007 - 3 Work continues despite peace centre closing By Andrew Fruch SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER For the last 15 years, anyone walking down Kerr Street was sure to be intrigued by a storefront labeled the Oakville Peace Centre. This familiar staple of the community, which is the home of the Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights (OCCPEHR), is now gearing up to close its doors. From its Kerr Street location, the centre has organized countless initiatives and events across the region such as the Halton Eco Festival, the Oakville Earth Week Clean Up and the annual Oakville Peace Concert. The decision to close the centre was made for financial reasons. The OCCPEHR could not maintain the Kerr Street location without sacrificing the quality of its ever growing campaigns. The organization is now hoping for a donation of free office space. "The campaigns have grown to such an extent that they demand the full-time attention of at least two people," said Stephen Dankowich, OCCPEHR Executive Director. "So the board had to make the decision of keeping the centre open or keeping the campaigns running." The centre was founded in November of 1992, when the organizers of the Peace Concert wanted to do more than promote peace in the community and worldwide. "We got started as a group of local peace activists, who organized the peace festival in Oakville," said Dankowich. "But the people wanted to do more then organize one peace festival per year, they wanted to work for peace every day." Throughout its years of operation, many of the centre's campaigns have grown to incredible proportions, most GRAHAM PAINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER OFFICE CLOSED: Stephen Dankowich the executive director of the Oakville Peace Centre, prepares to post the closed sign on the Kerr Street office for the last time, amidst the 'Thank You' messages that adorn the front window in recognition of 15 years of community support. notably the Earth Week Clean Up. "They started cleaning the creeks in town," said Ann MacNaughton, a longtime volunteer with the centre. "Now the centre sponsors the largest Earth Week clean up in Canada. Stephen has done a huge amount of work." The work that the OCCPEHR has done throughout the years has made a permanent mark in the community and in the minds of its residents. "The centre has done a fabulous job on consciousness raising," said Oakville MP Bonnie Brown. "The centre has expanded environmental awareness, world peace and threats to world peace. It's a difficult job to get people involved on big issues. The issues that everyone is talking about now are the same issues Stephen was talking about 25 years ago. " The centre has been unique in Oakville, the GTA and the whole province. With its open door policy, anyone could drop in and learn what the centre was all about. "There are so few places in the world like this," said Bev LeFrancois, a former board member with the OCCPEHR. "It's been Stephen's spirit and determination that have made the centre what it is today." The centre had been operating with a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, but the grant has run out, limiting the available finances for the OCCPEHR. Although closing down the Peace Centre is necessary, Dankowich hopes they will find a space from which to operate. "We are going to do our best to keep all the campaigns running, but it's easier if you have an independent place to work out of." But he also added, "it is the people who have accomplished things." One last initiative is being considered to save the Kerr Street centre. The OCCPEHR may look for 300 people to contribute $100 each, which would allow the centre to stay open and continue operating campaigns at the current level, although the plan has yet to receive final board approval. The OCCPEHR is appealing to the community to help save the centre by donating free office space or aiding in fundraising efforts to save the Kerr Street Centre, which will stay occupied by the OCCPEHR until the space is rented. Donations can be sent to 148 Kerr St., L6K 3A7, or inquiries can be made by contacting the OCCPEHR at 905849-5501 or via email at volunteer@oakvillepeacecentre.org. Bangkok Thai Cuisine Authentic Thai Food Board balances budget Continued from page 1 The 2007-08 budget will cover the hiring of 37 new elementary and 28 new high school teachers to match the anticipated 2.7 per cent increase in student enrollment (1,260 more students) and the opening of new schools. Another extra 42 primary teachers (JK-Grade 3) are being hired through government funding to address the capping of class sizes in those grades. The board approved use of the entire $1.2 million in the special education reserve fund in order to fund $2.8 million in increased costs to programming for special education students for 2007-08. Included in the new budget is $1.2 million in first-year money for several new student program, staff and system initiatives such as: ensuring 80 per cent of Grades 3 and 6 students reach the Ontario standard in province-wide testing by 2008; enhanced support for students to improve Grade 9 math and Grade 10 literacy testing; making new and existing schools more environ- mentally friendly and cost-efficient to operate; and enhanced wellness programs and services for board staff, raising the number of counseling sessions to five from one. The board's top administrator likes the look of the budget. "The budget document represents the priorities and objectives of trustees and administrative staff, and is responsive to the diverse requirements of the students we serve. This budget has been developed with a focus and emphasis on the board's Strategic Plan, which clearly states the board's commitment to students," Education Director Wayne Joudrie said in a press release. The chair of the board is also happy with the budget. "As a result of the additional time spent providing trustees with a comprehensive overview and responding to our comments and questions, we were able to approve the 2007-08 budget with confidence," said Gillian Tuck Kutarna, a Halton Hills trustee. NOW OPEN Take-out and Delivery Available* Come in today and try one of our freshly prepared Thai masterpieces! Open 7 days a week for Lunch and Dinner *Delivery available within 5km, over $30.00 DORVAL DR. (between Kerr and Dorval) 905.849.6663 KERR ST. 171 Speers Road, Oakville SPEERS RD.