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MILTON PUBLIC LI!3RARY 'I ~ («n ____ abt«u (b mptau____ A Metroland Community Newspaper Vol. 140 No. 30 Tuesday, June 29, 1999 48 Pages 75~ 0GST includied) I V'Family affar Mom Ness Kuhn-Ornelas tempts daughter Hannah, 3, wlth some Uc. creamn and berries durlng the ennual Milton District Hospital Strawberry Fair Saturday. Meanwhile, aider sister Emma, 5, enjoys her own bowl. The hospital fundraiser was another great succesa. Se. another photo on page 9. ..wn will begin clea ning up pond By KAREN SMITH The Champion The weed-choked. Mill Pond is a step dloser to getting a major faceiift. After a commnunity-driven effort to get to the bottom of the pond's demnise, the Town has confirmed its plans to dredge the historic Martin Street iandmnark in an estimnated. $700,000 restoration project. Expected to begin late next month, the work will get underway with the draining of the pond and re-location of fish, according to a press release issued by the Town Friday. The plan of action meana good news for bringing the pond back to ita normally eye- pleaaing state, said Pat Duignan, chair of the Milton Jnie Miii Pond Committee, whicb initiated the pmoject. "I'm pleased with the Town's response and willingness," she said. Over the last -few yeara, the pond has been overcome with weeds and sediment. Originally five metres deep, it's now only two metres at its deepest point. Fish populations are depressed, amphib- ian life is largely absent and native aquatic planta have been taken over by the invad- ing Eurasian ,ùilfoil, according to the press release. Now the major aquatic plant in the small lake, the Eurasian milfoil is like purpie loosestrife on land. It takes over and chokes out the native species. "Thse aesthetic nuisance is severe, with plant densities s0 thick they lîmit fish reproduction and spoil viewing and educa- tional opportunities," said thse Town's director of leisure services, Jennifer Reynolds. "Thse pond ecology can, however, be rebuilt and tisai is tise goal of tise Milton Mill Pond Committee and thse Town of Milton." Technical testing of the pond's sediment will follow tise draining of tise pond, according to tise Town, and tisen options for restoration will be explored. Dredging wîll begin after that to allow for tise rebuilding of fisis and witdlife habi- tat. Ms Duignan said tise committee plans to launch a major fundraising drive to keep the Town's cosi for the project minimal. The commitiee will start as early as tis week by setiing up information bootiss ai ject, she said. Another option may be 10 seek community members wîll- ing to provide free labour in exchange for a charitable tax receipt equal to tiseir work, Ms Duignan said. 'We know wisat we're going to do, now we have 10 decide how we're going to do it." nls Ms Duignan said it will be ynda inîeresting t0 see wisat's at tise bottomn of tise pond. Rumour has it a team of isorses fell througis tise ice in tise 1930s. Woman burned A badly bumed Main Street woman fled her home for help atter acciden- tally setting her clothes on f ire Friday night. The 46-year-old woman, who doused the flames in her bath tub but flot before suffering bums to 40 per cent of her body, waa taken to hospi- tai by a passing motonist. She had called 911 f rom a pay phone at.Main and Bronte streets before the help came along, Haiton Regional Police said. The woman was cooking when her ioose-fitting clothes caught on f ire at 9:45 p.m. She waa transferred to Hamilton General Hospital and trea.ted for burns. Her condition had improved fl rom senious to fair at press time yes- terday. Gakirue Bapils ChiuOa Millon Pihota