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12-The Canadian Champion, Friday, May 11, 2001 Se. Attention Previous news article about Richard Sykes on Feb. 20 and advertisement on May 1, 200 I concerning him, about being a Shaman in a traditional sense is not true. I wish to make perfectly clear that a traditional Shaman under goes initiations and heals through plant medicines and is full native indian, for which I am not. I am though a gifted energy healer, clairvoy- ant and tarot reader. with these gifts, I-help to heal people through spirit and creator for which I am able to call myself a Shaman in a pure non traditional sense. I apologize for any inconvenience I have caused amongst the true Shamans in this community and others. This comes from my heart with love, respect and honour. Richard Sykes. POLICE DAY , Family Festiva Sat., May 12 10am4pm Region of Halton Facility 1151 Bronte Rd. at QEW, Oakville D)nc u il'>n<alrso>n tllect K ils o >n e aui l l <> 1t1th e l;Il \il lal14), Harey'HabrueiN & H ot Dogs;" for sale! All (n,(I%< P, to > t ery\llme anl lob <rN / >m Region launches new, revamped web site featuring a modern look By ANGELA BLACKBURN Special to The Champion As Halton residents go surfing this sea- son, Halton Region staff want them to make a pit stop at its web site - www.region.halton.on.ca. To entice visitors to tour, last Friday the Region launched a brand new look and feel to its site. Regional Chair Joyce Savoline was on- hand at the launch to extend a personal invitation to surfers. More modern feel The site boasts a new, more modem look and a new navigation system that also links to the web sites of Halton's four munici- palities. "It's a one-stop shop. It makes our gov- ermment more transparent and definitely more accessible," explained Ms Savoline. The man at the helm of the new venture is Halton's director of technology services, Ralph Blauel. He expects the web site's new design to bump its 800 daily hits to 1,000 "user vis- its." "Ours is the most visited web site in Halton," said Mr. Blauel, who noted other regions, such as Peel, don't yet offer links to aea municipalities. Halton Region surveyed users last fall as it prepared to update its web site, which dates back to 1995. "We found that people were interested in more e-government," said Mr. Blauel. He also noted the prevalence of comput- ers, both at home and in businesses in Halton, as a reason for the Region to update its operation. Getting lots of visits I get e-mails from a lot of people, some- times those that are sent in the middle of the night, so there are a lot of night-owls out there," said Ms Savoline, noting com- puters allow people to do business at any hour of the day. The update was also needed to keep the Region "up-to-speed" with provincial and federal govemment web sites, said Mr. Blauel. Some provincial and federal govemment information is now available through Halton's new web site and more should come on-line in the future, explained Mr. Blauel. Halton's web site now offers a more user-friendly alphabetical index of its serv- ices for surfers to search. "Halton is committed to improving cus- tomer service," said Corporate Services Commissioner Jane MacCaskill. Latest info on site The latest news, announcements, media releases, as well as Ms Savoline's recent speeches and newspaper columns are on- line. Council documents are also available on- line. Agendas for upcoming meetings have always been available on-line, but now an archive of council agendas, staff reports and decisions are available. E-payment and e-delivery of bid docu- ments should be welcomed by local busi- nesses looking for regional contracts. A heritage service promotes Halton's history and connects visitors to the Halton Region Museum. An 'About Us' category provides infor- mation about Halton's history, population, economics and job opportunities. "With more people using the Intemet to do business or to find information, we felt the time was right to provide added value to our site," said Mr. Blauel. The Region's new web site went on-line April 30. Volunteers needed Burlington Counselling and Family Services is looking for vol- unteers to help with the Custody Access program located in Milton and Burlington. At the Family Visiting Centre, volunteers are needed to assist with supervising visits between non-custodial parents and their children, monitoring exchanges for weekend visits, setting up and cleaning up the visiting area and helping to create a warm and friendly environment. Orientation and training are provided. For more information, call (905) 637-5256. THIS SPRING'S HorrESTTRIACTOR: Live Harness Racing Exciting Gaming Spring Buffet Special Spring Buffet Special only $19.95* per person. Includes Shrimp and Prime Rib Buffet, Free Program and a $5 Betting Voucher. Offer available Mondays and Tuesdays until May 29. Cal 1-888-675-RACE for reservations. Hwy 401 Yat Guelph Une. *Program and betting voucher only available wiIh reservations. Price does not include beverages, taxes or gratuity. Feel You Don't Have Control Of Your Investment Portfolio? There ARE Alternatives to Mutual Fund Investing. Are You Ready To Learn? Call: Rob Rubino 876-3466 R3C DOMINION SECURITIES rob.rubino@rbcinvestments.com - - ' ---- - - ' - -- - %- . - , - - - - - ., - -., , -,- . - . - - - , ---- - -- - . - P, - --qq