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S-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, April 1, 2003 SCOMMENT Alert a year too late Hughette Thomson it absolutely correct in ber assessment that the provincial govemment's involvement 10 the West Nile virus hait corne a year 100 late. Last year, Halton Medical Officer of Healtb Dr. Bob Nosal. was quick 10 point 10 the itenouitociti of the disease and but departmfent did itit best 10 keep the pub- lic informned. However, the Province was strangely quiet. Perbapit Queen's Park hoped thiit devaitîaîing ilineits would fade as quickly as thc seaitonit. However, Weitt Nule did (sîjîl doeit) have al the earmarks of a cr111- cal healtb issue. Thomston was at last weekend'i preiti conference, which wait held in Oakvîlle and orchestrated by the Province. Her huitband Vem wai t srick- en with Weitt Nule in August after being bitten by a moitquiîo. He spenl lhree monthsin1 Credit Valley Hostpital foghing the debilitating effects of the illneits. t look that anount of ime before doctors could finally gel the diagnosis from an overburdened lab in Winnipeg. Thankfully, the Province s BIow recognizing whaî we have long known - Ihat West Nule needi to1 be addressed quickly. Wbile only 42 cases bi- Hlton were confirmned last year, and 18 were consid- ered probable, Dr. Nosal estimales that between 2,000 and 4,000 area residents were infected. Not the kind of slaîistic we want. In an effort 10 gel a detailed picture of the spread of tbe virus in neighbourmng Oakville - a hot zone for West Nule - a itludy by McMaster University with funding by the Ministry of Healîh and Long Terrn Care s 00w underway. But studies aside, we must ail be extra careful Ibis summer. Wear prolective clotbing wben necessary, remove standing waîer and, above ail, listen 10 tbe advice of our heallh departmnent. FOR RELIABLE, INTELLIGENT OPINION ON THE WAR INi IRAQý, WE TURN TO THE ~CBCD. TAYlJNEMD FOR fi. "CACHle - ,ip CORNER O UR READERS WRITE Woman SaYS thanka to hospital staff for great Milton 's Parking problems shouldn 'qt care thNY Showed her hurt three-year-old son ij -- -% &_ Der Edtr: Through your mediumn, please exend my thans ta the staff at the emergency roam of Milton Distict Hospital who were on duty March 24. Tlhe quick triage and quiet compassion of the nurses helped keep a fiantic moth- er calin as they assessed the head wound of my Blree-year-aid son. I'd Uike bo offer a special thank to Dr. Toming, who look he tune ta Italk toaa scared chlld and knew better than ta ask main ta hold Ibis child still as stitches were given. Despite doctors' orders, Richard couldn't kecp stiU for the required 24 hours. But as he shows Nana his hooboo, 'm extremnely grateful for how fast and how efficient aur hospital is Miltoni can pro- vide care. The $4 parkiing fee didn't huit at ail compared ta thse level of treatinent we, received. Once again, thanks very much to evesyone wha helped. Cathýy Imua umilo THE CAJDIANCHAMPION Box 248, 191 Main St.E, Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Editonial Fax: 905-878-4943 Advertising Fax: 905-876-2364 Classified: 905-875-3300 Circulation: 905-878-5947 Ian Oliver Publisher Neil Oliver Associape Publisher jili Davis Edtor-n-Chief Karen Smith Editor Wendy McNah Adverising Manager Steve Crozier Circulation Manager Terni Casas Office Manager Tino Colea Production Manager The Canadian Champion. Published every Tuestiay and Fnîday at 191 Main St.E., Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 (Box 248), is one ot Thre Mernland Printing, Pubtîstiing & Distributing ttd. Qroup nt saberban companies which inctades: AîaxlPtckering News Attverttser, Altisten iletaid/Courier, Barrie Attuance. Barry's Bay Titis Weeti, Botten Erterprise, Brampton Guanitiar, Beertington Post, Burtîngton Shopping News. City Panent, City ntf York Ganian, CettingwnnttiWasaga Cannecrian, East York Mir.r Erin Aitvncate/Cesnitry Boutes, Etebicake Geardian, FlamitereagitPost, Farever Ynang, Genrgetown independentldcten Free Press, HaltterBasiness Times, Hetania Business Times, Kingston This Week, Lindsay This Week, Manieham Ecanamist & San, MidtanttlPenetanguishene Mimeor, Mitan Shtnpping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Garde, Nassagaweya News. Newmarket/Aurnra Ena-Banner, Nerthamberland Newst, North Yoirk Mirent, Pakvitte Beaner, Sakvitte Shoepping Newn. Ottttimers Hockey News, Prîttia Tnday, Oshawa/Whdlby/çlaningtnn/Pot Penny This Week, Peterbornught This Week, Pîcten Ceanty Suide, Richmend Hitt/Thetnhiltraaghan Lîberat, Scarbaneagit Mimeor, Steaftsite/Uebriîlge Tribune. Advertising te accepled on tite conditian titat, in the enent et a type- graphicat errer, that pertinet the adedising space nccapied by the erre- nenes idem, tegetiten mîith a reasenabie attesance fer signature, sut nnt be cllatged for, bultte baiance et tht adverlisement witt be paid for an the appli- cable rate. The pabtisher reserses thee egtte catlgneze advetbsements or dectîne. Tht itnCanadm h mp mae a ea RaevWdahe Pho0id va surprise tO anyone, says reader botb parents have 10 work 10 PSY for silly govemment initiatives îbaî îneviîably fail. Tbe planning department approved big bouses on littIe lots witb no place 10 Park and now they seem Io be realizing there's no place 10 park. Tbaî's so ridiculous and suggesîs an incredible lack of recognizing reality on the part of council and staff. About 1,500 new homes per year are bcbng planned and parking is silîl not a prlority. Planners tbink we sbould aIl take buses and live in bigh-densiîy areas. We don't want 10. The buses don'î go wbere we go and cost too mucb. Milton it a bedroom com- muniîy and the planned residential growtb will ensure we remain se, for at least thc next decade. Il would be nice if we could al ____ byv Steve Nease pont, but it isn'î and can't bc donc anywbere witbouî great cost and continued inconvenience for every- one. How many i0 Bbc planning departmenî or on council take Uic bus 10 work? I suspect zero. Council told us Uicy would ban- dle growtb better tban anywbere cIsc would and wcnt on a hiring sprec 10 bring 10 professionals no oversce this growtb. This bas Eumed int a shambles and residenîs botb ncw and old sbould be disgusîed wiîb the demonstrated abilities of council and their hired belp 10 001 even foresce sucb an obvious potenîlal problem as parking Can'î you just sec their response - blre more parking police wbile raising our taxes 10 hure more staff. Patrick Kelly Dear Editor:- This letter it in response 10 Jason Misner's March 25 article entitled 'Towen staff stepit Up efforts 10 deal wiîb parking woes'. The Champion reported Ibat council and residenîs are raising concems over parking problemit in tbe new subdivision. How can this be a sunrpilitoany- one with an ounce of common sense? Mr. Misner reports that Town staff suspect that residents are using their garages for storage or Ibat lhey aren't big enough for tbeir cars, tbat residenîs are sloring trailers in tbem, and that on average, residenîs have more than tsvo vebicles. They suspect? Wbat is this, oni the job training for pl anning 101 ? 1 I suggest counicillors put up a poster in the planning departinent1 notifying planning staff that we're mostly Ewo-car familles because