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6- The Canadman Champion Fnday, May 10 2002 + COMMENT THE CANADIAN CHAMPION Box 248, 191 Mair Milton, Ont. L91 (905) 878-2 Editorial Fax: 905- Advcrtising Fax: 905: Classified: 905- Circulation: 905- Ian Oliver Neil Oliver il Davis Karen Smith Wendy McNab Steve Crozier Teri Casas Tino Coles Advert Ctrcut Prodi n St. E., The Canadian Champion. publstied every Tesday and Iiday at 191 IT4 9 Main St. E.,Mlton. Ont. L9T 4N9 (Bon 248), s une nf The Metroland T4 9 Pnîtng, Publshing & Distributing Ltd group ot soburinan compars wficti 1 nludes. Ajax/Pickening News Adertiser, Allston Herald/Cnurier Barrie 23 4 1 Adance, Barrys BaynThis Wek, Blten Ernterprise, Bramptor Suardian. Burlngtnn Post, Bnnligtnn Shopping News, City Parent, Cty nt Yoru Goardian, CllingwotlWa saga Cnnrectinr, EastiYork Mrrni Erir ;8784943 Avoncate/Çnuntry Routes, Etobiconen Soardian, FamtnrongO Pst, Frener Young, Georgetonii tdepeniderb/Actor FFePress, Haton Bsiness fimes, i-876-2364 Hronfia Business Timesý Kingston This Week, Lndsay This Weeti, Mariiham -7-30 Econ misi & Son, Mland/PrnntarguisOeiie Mîrorn iloîn Shopping News, 5853M Mississauga Business Tîmes, Mississauga News, NapaneGoide -878-5947 N,sagaweya Sewns, Newrnarket/Aurora Era-Bannier, Northumberland News, Northshe rHn keo Sens, Qottîn Toîtay OsOakva/t5 h ppinrfgONewOr t e rs Weeii Peterborough This Weetî, Pctor Coonty Guide, Richimond <riate Puhliiher- HillffornhilNaughan Lbera, Scarborough Mrrur Stounovillefnbridge TribunIe Editot-rin-Chief Advertising is accepted on the condition fiat, rntthe ruent ut a typo- Editor graphicat error tiat poron othne advenOsîng space occuied by the erro- ýtsn aae-neos Item, together wtb a reasonabte alloîsance for signature, wlInt 0e tiigM ngrcharued ton. but the balancentf the adertsement wilîti e pard Inn athto appli- dation Manager cable rate The pubtsher eserues the rght ou categorine aOertsements or decline Ctions Manager The Miltn Canadian Champnnn ir a ecyetabie Pronnot v There must be some _________________ way to save programs ** OUR READERS WRITE The news coming out of the current Halton District School Board's budget deliberations isn't good. The board is seniously considering cutting the Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE), Celebrating Literacy, and Food for Thought programs. The three programs are aimed at preventing problems down the road by catching at-risk kids at an early age and, perhaps, giving them a nudge in the right direction. The programs might just keep a few chîldren from becoming perma- nient financial burdens on society in the future. Yet, the public school board is considering cutting them. Why? The board dlaims that due to chronic underfunding from the r province, it has no choice. And its dlaims don't appear hollow because the same scenario is being replayed in almost every school board across the province. We hope the school board isn't crying wolf by sendmng out alarmist signais. We also hope the board is seriously looking into its own administrative budgets to find any fat to trim before putting worthy school programs on the chopping block. A valuable part of our children's education will be lost unless a solu- tion is found. Thanks for help with rural clean-up., says event organizer Dear Editor: On Saturday, Apr. 27, a large group of volunteers tumed out to clear the roads around Campbellville, Moffatt and Brookville of garbage. We had a perfect day and a great group of volunteers Thank you to ail for working 50 bard tnd making such a différence on roads from No. 30 Sideroad to south of Steeles Avenue tnd from Town Line to Town Line. Wc had double Uic space in the dumpsters this year tnd we filled 90 per cent of it. We were particularly glad to sec new residents out tnd to have so many high school students out. Their parents and schools 1 was really pleased with their enthusiason and hard work. Tlhank you to Mohawk Raceway for its help. The racetrack had both pick- crs on the road and trucks taking garbage to its containers. Our con- tainers would have been overflow- ing without this help. Mohawk also kindly supplied water for us. Tlhank you to our other drivers of pick-up trucks, who drove miles on the roads and werc still picking up hours aftcr the rcst of us were rest- ing our weary backs. Thanks to the Town and the Region for their help with bags vesto and dumpsters. 1 estimate we had 60 to 70 people out on Our oldest volunteer was 80 tnd the youngesB that 1 know of was 5. Something ncw that 1 noticed was the tremendous number of plastic water boules in the ditch. 1 fond it ironic that people who're concemed about the purity of their water would throw out plastic wherc it could lay for years before it breaks down. Another conccmn is the tremendous number of liquor and beer boules wc found. Theres obvi- ously a huge drinling tond driving problcm in the area. Thank you al for your hclp and we hope to sec you ail next year. Jean Woods Campbellville Pesticide ban would be taking it toofar right now Milton is setting a fine example when it comes to erring on the sîde of caution - at least when it comes to its own cosmetic pesticide use. Over the past seven years, thc Town bas moved away ftom Uic near bîtonket spraying it conducted n some areas and is now ttking a more tempered approach. In fact, Uic past two summrrers have seen those chemnicals used only in cases of large insect infes- tations and in diluted forms to reinove weeds from cracks in paved areas. This boils down to a fraction of I per cent of the town's 400) acres of maintained lands being sprayed. And according to Doug Tlhompson, Milton's manager of operations and community services, there's been no major complaints about the condition of play areas and sports fields as a resuit. lnstead of using pesticides to kecp the grass strong and Uic weedo absent, the Town bas tumed to landscaping methods to do the job. Fertilization and acration are uscd in Milton parks and sports fields to create healthier grass and leave no room for weeds. That being saîd, I-laton Region is now putting pressure on the Town - along with Otkville, Burlington and Halton HuIs -te, do more. Part of a motion approved by regional council Uis week calîs on area municipalities to consider bylaws restricting the use of pesticides on private property. Much like with smoking in decades past, pesti- cides are generally thought to canry detrimental impacts on human health- and there's evidence te, support that - but a direct cause and effect hasn't been proven. Because thc science bas yet to show a direct connection, caution is the bcst approach. From my perspective There are many indivîduals in the community calling for the Town to institute a complete ban. l'on not one of them. Cosmetic pesticide use accounts for less than 4 per cent of the pesticides used in Canada. The majority of pesticides are used by farmers to keep our food growing and safe from infestation. To ban pesticides may hamrper Uiir production. Education around how tond when to use pesti- cides is the way to go. And. thankfully, that appears to be the direction things are heading. lncluded in the pesticide motion approved by regional council is Uic development of an educa- tion tond awareness program. Once people know the risks of pesticide use, as well han how to properly use and store Uiechcem- icals, they'll have the knowledge they need to make a rational decision about whether or not they want to use the products. Like many others, 1 must admit l'm a fence-sit- ter on thîs issue. I agree there's enough informa- tion to exercise caution, but an outrighî ban is taking it too far at this point in itue. 1 encourage everyone considening the use of these products to gather as much informnation as they can and decide for themselves whether its worth the risk. Gat an opinion on a local issue? If Sa, fax your letters ta the ecitor ta (905) 878-4943. m