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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, May 16, 2012 · 6 Opinion & Letters 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 --Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Oakville Beaver THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award Neil Oliver Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The OakvilleBeaver is a division of David Harvey Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief Daniel Baird Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN Managing Editor Riziero Vertolli Photography Director Sandy Pare Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production Manuel garcia Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution Sarah McSweeney Circ. Manager Staying safe As summer approaches schools will be reviewing with students safety rules, be it on the road, bicycles or water. The Halton Regional Police Service will also be reminding residents, young and old, to review and remember safety rules. These rules are not designed to curtail anyone's fun, but to ensure everyone has fun by staying alive and well. Halton police held its annual police day event Saturday. It is exciting for young people, educational for adults and a good way for police -- long touted as being a friend of the public -- to drive home that point. Often police are seen at a distance -- a siren wailing en route to a crisis, armed officers prepared to diffuse potential danger, a watchdog on the roads, a stranger to a new immigrant accustomed to beware police. As police cast that open arm and door to the public, it's important to help them in their job. We don't want an officer at our door with bad news or turning on a siren to get to an accident involving anyone, never mind a child. For generations, Elmer the Safety Elephant from the Canada Safety Council has been offering his Traffic Safety Rules to children as follows: 1. Look all ways before crossing the street. Cars drive very fast and you must be very sure it's safe before crossing. 2. Keep away from parked cars. People driving cars can't see people in between other cars. 3. Ride your bike safely. Obey signs and signals. Use proper signals to turn and stop. Cyclists must obey all Highway Traffic Act traffic laws including stop/traffic signs, traffic lights, right of way, etc. 4. Play in a safe place away from the street. Streets are for cars. Parks are for playing. You can also play safe in your yard with mom or dad. 5. Walk when you cross the street. It's easier for drivers to see you. It's also safer so you don't fall down. 6. Where there's no sidewalk, walk on the left, facing traffic. For more tips, visit www.haltonpolice.ca. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Letter to the editor Appreciating everyone in our schools In today's world we only have to pay attention to daily news headlines to remember the wise saying that, "It takes a village to raise a child." What we sometimes forget is that it also takes a team to educate a student. Ensuring a child has all the skills, resources and supports he or she may need to build a successful future, requires a team effort in our publicly funded schools and universities. On May 9, Support Staff Appreciation Day, we gave special thanks to all the thousands of educational support staff working throughout our publicly-funded school system and our post-secondary institutions. We need to express our gratitude to the custodians, the secretaries, the technicians, the cafeteria supervisors, the bus drivers, the psychologists, the administrative assistants, the speech and language pathologists, the social workers, the childcare workers, the educational assistants and all the other team members for the contributions they make to our students' success. On behalf of the Halton District School Board's Support Staff, a donation was made to the Halton Women's Place in recognition of the dedication in supporting the students of our community here in Halton. Taking time today to thank those who make a difference to our students only takes a moment but can make the day special for someone who makes a world of difference to your child. Celebrate Support Staff Appreciation Day and celebrate the excellence in our publicly-funded education system. Debbie Majka, Milton Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Townhouse plan warranted Re: Lakeshore townhouse plan gets a thumbs down, Friday, May 4, 2012, Oakville Beaver I think that the proposed development of three single, detached houses and 42 semidetached dwellings is quite reasonable for such a large property. It is unreasonable to think that all future development in southwest Oakville must consist of single, detached dwellings on large lots and that anything else is unacceptable. Neighbourhoods, dare I say it, change and evolve through the years. You cannot expect the same type of development that was done many years ago to be the only acceptable blueprint in the present day. Alan Price, Oakville Cycling and texting not cool or safe As I was driving home from work on Tuesday, May 1, at approximately 4:40 p.m., I saw a young lady in a yellow top and brown slacks riding her bike near Appleby College, east of Fourth Line, on Lakeshore Road. The first thing I noticed was that her helmet-less head was down and her bike was wobbling from side to side as she rode on a very busy Lakeshore Road at rush hour. Then... I noticed the phone in her hand. We are all aware of the dangers of driving and texting, but I can't help but wonder what kind of logic lies in texting and cycling? Are the clever quips really worth the perilous position in which that cyclist was putting herself and the drivers rushing home beside her? I somehow doubt it. Sharon Charlebois, Oakville