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____ ___ ___ ____ ___ ___ WEAT ER, TAINTEID WATER, WEST NILE A leap in crime starts VRSAITAT with these baby steps SURPRISEN'T A recent release issued by Halton Regional Police plays good cop/bad cop witb regional crime statistics. The bad cop notes the region's crime rate has increased for the first time in a decade, while the good cop adds Halton is stili the country' s safest community with a population of more than 100,000. But there's an unwelcome trend developing. Though robbery, theft and break and enters are down, sex offences are up almost 20 per cent, or 85 occurrences throughout Halton. And offensive weapon charges have ,~ shot up by a whopping 61 per cent, to 134 occurrences across the region. The overaîl increase amounts to a 1.5 per cent -hike in the crime rate. It's not a crime wave, exactly, but troubling nonetheless. It's easy to overlook these incremental increases as the cost of modem life, the cost of growth, or even, as some letters to the editor seem to posit, the cost of being young with nothing much to do. I But there's no justification for lowering the standard of living of resi- dents.- -- A Ieap in crime begins with baby steps, lîke these. If Halton wants to stay the safest community of its size in Canada, criminal behaviour can't be tolerated. SO UR READERS WRITE nlitr ho-rtfàol thnnks tw evervone Corne out and see what cadets are about wouldn't mun as smootflily sait dme. I peBBOnaily would like to congratulale the committee members for their tremendous involvemnent in organizing the tossmament. It's a year of hani wontc and theyre some of Use finest people doing thoir boss for the good of ail of us. Finally, may our thouglsts go out to thse faniiliea of Use people Usat we ail know who have no( sîarvlved thia dis- case, andB bo thankful that we as agroup ame able to try and assist in aornie smatI way those wbo have thse disease now. Mike Doughton and Golng4 CcnwCotntt» Dear Editor. Ive been'aitting bore eonstructing a letter of thanka hopîing to express Our appreciation to many businesses, dons- tors of prizes, and licence plates. But we vo had so much help froni so nY people, linm sure I would niaie a big mialake by leaving aone people or husi- nesses off Bise liai So pleaso aceePt Our thanka to everyooe who bas helped out However. we as a consmittee would be remisa If we didn't moognize the vol- unteer= wlso have comre out for tiseIast seven yoars and given their titue. Without their Ù'siatancc, thse day THE CANADIAN CHAMPION Box 248, 191 Main St. E. Thie Condion Champlon, publisied eveny Tuesday and Fr day ai il1 Main St. E., Milton, Ont., L9T 4N9 (ion 248), is one of The Melnoland Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 Prnsng, Pubitofling & Distniituting Lud. group ot subunban companies wtncb mcludes: Aax/Pickering News Advedtisen, Allistoni Hnrald/Courien, Banni (905) 7 8 -24 1 Advance, Bannys Bay Tihis Week, Boume Entnnprise, Brampnon Guandian, Buttmngton Post, Bulngon Shoppint News, Cit Panent, City of Yonrk Guandian, CoilingwoodiWasaga Connection, East Tank Minnon, Ern Editorial Fax: 878-4943 Advocate/Countty Boutes, Etobicoke Guandian. Fiambotougit Post, Ponevet Young, Geongetown lndependentlActon Finie Press, tiononia Business Advertising Fax: 876-2364 Times, Kngston Titis Weetî, Lindsay Titis Week, Markitam Economiot & Sun, MidandlPenetanguishene Mittot, Milon Shopping News, Mississauga Classified: 875-3300 Business Times, Mssissauga Neas, Napanne Guide Nassaaweya Neas, Ian Oliver Publisher S:kville mente, Oaltaitte Shtopping Nias, Otdfim:ns Hockey News, Otillia Today, itsiaaWhitty/Clanington/Ponl Penny Titis Week, Owen Sound rNeil Oliver Aa.ituciute Pubt,.ther Tîtiune, Peterbortougit Titis ae, Piston County Guide, Richmnd IBull Begin Genertil Manager Hiih/ThornhillNaugtiait Lîhetal. Saatbotougit Mittot. Stoultvilin/lUxbridge Karen Smaith Editoir Advertisiitg is accepind an the condition titat, in thn nanot ai a typo- Stev Croier ircuatio Man ger iapiîsl enta,, Suat portion ut tite adventising space occupind iy the enta. SteveCrooer Crsiuiiliio Mniui enous item, tagnihot nith a inusotable uaaan fot signatute, wiii non be Teri Casas Office Manaoger charged foi, but tht balunce ai te adeniitsemnit wiii Se paid for ut tne applicaule nain. The publishef testions the tigit la catenQaia advunise- Tien Coies Proiducioin Mamnaoger mentit an destine. Dear Editor: I'm an avid reador of The Canadian Champion and for the past few woeks I have noticed arti- cles dealing with such headlines as ".not much to do for our teens in Milton." There have also been arti- cles about the vandalism with Milton teenagers as suspects. Weil, 1 have a solution to the pmoblemr and would like to share it witls parents and teens alike. I'm a mother of four children between the ages of 12 and 18 years. Six years ago my eldest son came toi me and wanted to joîn the army cadets. I had nover been exposod to the cadet program and ao had no ides what to expect. Weil, ho wias adamant about joining so my bus- band and I wont ahead and gave him permission. St was one of the best decisions we ever made. Ho bas now been in the army cadets for six-yoars. Ho bas leamned discipline, leadership and physical fetness. Ho has also learned how toi manage other teens. He has been to a number of sum- mer courses in Borden and Banff, Alberta. Ho bas also, been to Florida for an adventure canoe week. It ail bas been absolutely fiee for my son - paid for by the cadet program. In fact, they psy teens a training bonus for each week they're at these camps. My son bas juat retumned from the army cadet camp near Banff where ho made close to $3,200 for seven weeks of supervising other cadets on course while surviving on the mountains of Aiberta and climbing'glaciers. Several years after my oldest son joined the cadet progran, my sec- ond son also joined. Ho now bas been a cadet for three years. This surmmer he was pais of a teamr that went to Nijmegen, Holland for 10 days psid for hy the cadet programt. Ho even got a training bonus to go. My husband also got involved with the cadet program about five years agio, just to help out. Now ho is a reserve officer in thse Canadian Pud WELTBAPDJ 0UP2 that trains and providos the olfers toi non the program. He also went to Holland this summer as an oscoit officer with the cadet team. He fends working with the teens per- sonally fulfilling and extremely rewarding. My youngest son has just tumed 12 years old (the minimum ago toi join cadets) and is waiting somne- wbat impatiently to join cadets when they start up this month. My point here's simple. There are things for teenagers in Milton to do that are fuin, rewarding and don't cost parents anything. As far as I'm concemred the cadet pro- grami is one of thse hest kept secrets. il'm glad my family discovered it. If this sounda appealing to you or your teen, why not cornte out and sec what it's ail about. They meet every Monday night at 6:30 at Milton District High School sait- ing September 11l. Fran Cranley Cox. Boulevard by Steve Nease J