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6 - The Canadian Champion Friday Auguat 23 2002 <~COMMENT THE CA4NADIAN CHAMPION Box 248, 191 Main Si. E. Miltont. Onit.19'F 4N9 (905) 878-2341 1ditortal Fix: 905 S71 4943 Advertising, Fax: 905-876-2364 Classiied: 905-875-3300 Circulation: 905-87S-5947 Ian Oliver Publishe Niil <hier B tIl, /hPub/t /i .1111li ass î iiiih Karen SmithI i WendY McNah i1dcit(img V,ttt/B Sie% c(.rlî,îer Cil i Ia,. reri C'asas tB11t, la F i ni oes P/ tiilii u t, /ii The Canadian Champion iibitstîied P.eiy iTuesnay aotitiFiiay ai 191 Main St E M iti Itt L9T 4N9 (Bx 2481Is ttie of Thte Mtiiîi.tt Pit t tiiPaîthtin& DtistiLittttB ttI jîtup ofsubîrttntîiitpaisi'tltttt tICIiti ittis Bi tkeritîg uts Att iii sei Alstîon Halt Cir itiri Bianit i Brts Byt. Bt s Wtt B.li'tFu1i (iti Bitiit)iii Btîlttçqtciii Pst, BIiffliooStiii( Su ý ity; Paret iî Ciittii Gatiilait Cîulltqv.îtîWa tIl'îîut'i isi Biork Miri i n Advtitît uil.i, Routes liitoitRa , itttii 'a Posit l tiiti, t.Btt tL iti itis K iîitit litWik 1I lita, ittîsWeîtMîtltîtii E. tutti asfB& iii McilaioPt ptangIi httt e, tii' Mtt.Mitni Bit lP t i MssstttîîBttsittss itit.s MIS ti.t qaFei/tii apriîii'i'i, Nasaia... Bt i.et tuaîkt rivaitîtiFitBit Bt Stitittuitetlatî in rt, Nuit tIlt Mrk ioir atutlli' Bt'uvýer taki Ic Sittîtittt ittîs lititti. Hill 'T P( i tti iiii i, bialiN. Ct iý ii 'ii, i r t. t tti i i t j rl t itiitnq i. .' i ie î il liton thi i !t ,('li fi ii tii tirr i "for ii' t tti i i fi ti't if I i. il i ii i 'ml iiI iu'p l Tetait M iiiCaitait Ctiaitpoii n ttast.Pi 4vt To spray... or flot /é?.2 to spray is question + OUR READERS WRITE We don't envy Dr. Bob Nosal's position. As miedical officer of' bealth for Halton, he often bas tough calis to make. And bis opinion- which Catries inuch weight - docsn't always sit well with residents. Just ask the business owncrs who are frustrated with the no-smoking bylaws in eacb municipality. Now Dr. Nosal lias another health issue on his hands. Its the West Nule Virus. When you consider more than 75 residents a day are reporting dead birds to the health departrnent, we know we have a serious problem. Halton is currently considering a spraying prograrn to extermi- nate mosquitoes and help prevent the virus from spreading to humans. But there are, obviously, very real environmental concems about the prospect of spraying mosquito sites. However, we trust Dr. Nosal and bis team wilI carefully weigh ail options before making a decision. And we trust, too, the health department wiII keep us informed every step of the way. Are Milton -s new subdivisions included in maps for the town Ys emergency services, ? asks reader l)ear Editor: I['ii coitceticd ,abouti lîiixcurrent aind aisaitlable our street naps aret tint local emcrglencv medical sers- ices unit. Wîtb oîainy ne\ss streets aidded. hiixxare xx e nsuring Ibait ti/r ennergency miedical service drixers have the muxt up-to-date maps? On July 29, 1 heard an ambulance in my neigbibourhood ai about 10) p.m. When 1 looked oui my win- dom,', 1 noticed the ambulance ssas stttpped inthie midîdleof' the road aind the ,atendaints vxetc Iooking at ai miaip 1 scsed îbey didn't knoss uxhere theyv were gîîing and ssent tiser ti lte aimbulance. 'Fl i tten- dint s,îs nie and ,tsked il 1 knem. wbere a street was. Once 1 told îbem. tbey sîated they didn't have the street name on their map. This subdivsson has bad street names for more than six months. 1 don't know Iboss critîcal the situa- ti/i \ais aind l'iglad I belped. I eau/t belp tbtnking that Ibis could haîve been someone in my faîmily that needed emergency assistance quicklo. 1 urge the ness developers aînd ail those involved wîtb updatîng our town's maîps witb the nesv streets in Milton to please ensure emergency medical services bas them first. Nancy Surette Milton Accident victim thanks ail those who offered assistance l)ear Editor: I'm sluwly geîting better and sbuuld be ont and I'm wriîing tu thank ail the wunderfnl peuple wvhu abountsoun. assisied my attendants aînd 1 during my faîl August I ai Alan Jondon Martin Street by the Mill Pond. Ontario Street Harsh reality is, we don't live in crime-free zone So Milton isnt the sheltered little town s0 many resîdents believe il to be. Thanks in large paritol a debit card scamn thaît bit the town in April. Miltons crime rate soared 27 per cent Iis ycar. That really is quite a junp wben you think about il. especially since ibats being crediîed witb pusbing the regions crime rate up 4.9 per cent. The Haltun Regional Police Service Frand Bureau ix still searcbing for ai leasîtbree suspects believed îu be involved in the fraud, wbicb took place ai a local gas station. More than 300 peuple felI victirn and the men made off wiîb about $500.000. So many peuple believe Milton ix isolated from crnme just because its a srnaller populated area. True, the towns crime rate of seriaus offences, such as abductions, murders, rapes are next to, nil, but we catit trick ourselves into believing we live n a crime-free zune. Altbougb serions crimes are dmnn auto Ibefîs are up by 2.9 petrccini, com- pared tu last yeaîr ai Ibis trne. Car thefîs and car breaik-ins baîve always been a prublemn facing Iis tuwn. 1 can almost guaran- tee wben I call fur the police blotter cach week there will be ai least une incident involving a stolen car or car sterco. And mure uften than nul. the duors were Ict unlucked. sometimes even sith the keyx in tbe ignition. I think that il'youre that stupîd Iu leave yuur car nnsecured, you have nu right tu be upset when sumething bad hap- pens. Drinking and driving is still a problem, which really cornes as nu surprise. I dont think it mat- ters huw many drnking and driving commercials we sec or how many people die from alcohol- related accidents, peuple wiIl still climb bchind the wheel intoxicaîed. Random thoughts So far this year, 21 impaired dniving charges have been laid. which is identical to last year's numbers. Mayhe this means the same idiots are getting caught. On a better note, break-mns have droppcd 12.4 per cent since last year. Maybe this is because people living in the country are actual- ly starting to Iock their doors now. Sex assaults have dropped by 7.7 per cent. No murders have been repunied Ibis year cumpared tu une last year. Il's nu secrett that Miltoni is growsing. Il sccîîs rtew bousing ix popping up left, right and centre. Atn increasxein population will likely cause ain increase in crime. Thats nut tu say Miltontis un the verge of becuming the next Toronto or Mississauga. but if's something tu think about. I myself ar nont a Miltunian. I maske the com- mute everyday from my hume in Toronto. I real- ly do enjuy the eigbî huurs a day 1 spend in îuwn, mainly because ifs a welcume change from crazy motorists, smog and, for the must part, rude peu- ple. I feet relatively safe walking on the paths hy the Mill Pond or walking along varions streets. I feel more apprehensive driving in certain areas of Toronto. Halton Regional Police say they're concemed wiîh any increase in crime, but at lcast they cati thank the batik fraud scain for the risc. -S