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Lt' 6 -TeCnda Champion, Frday, May 23, 2003 THE CANADIAN CHAMPION Box 248, 191 Main St. E. Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Editorial Fax: 905-878-4943 Advernising Fax: 905-876-2364 Ciassified: 905-875-3300 Circulation: 905-878-5947 Ian Oliver Publisher Neit Otiv er Act uiîifili/ lî Jitl Davis Fu/irîneiiiEi Karen Smith Fdiiiun WVeidy McNab Adinilrti eiiii'nagi Steve Croier 2ii iiaiiîîi l i leri Casas (ffiv n'aîii Tim Cotes Pioiîuhii îtluIîuIutI The Canadian Champion pîiiiliil ey l roiv [1 inliu itll Main SI E Mllon. Ont , 91 4N9 (Boxn.148), s une uti Iiii Motîninin Prinhing, Publishiiiy & DsiîbiýiinjLg Ltia u o ii lîIt)Ifiiiiuo1iiîi'.wý li iluelibe Ajax Pickerily News Adertsir Alistri îllieîlî t Advajice. Banny n Bay Tis Week. Bîlii Eliieiîîîse.iraniiipiy iiGi,tiîiii Bifiiîgnn Post. 8urlînginn Shoupping News Cily Parroît.Cilyiof Yorik Guardian, Colligwonnd Wasnna Coniiectuoîî East York Mitîîiii[roi Ailvocale/Cuuntry Roies, Eubînoke Guiariiaiî Fliîibooigli Postîyi enic Yong.n Georqeiowni lndepeiîlent AchnFree Press Halton il ipes I1 iiie H îîrnîîî,î Busîîîess Tores, Kngustonî This Week, 1îîîlsay This Wek Mîrkhiîi.i Ecnîîyînîsi & Soiî MîîlaýiiîîPcîieiî/îliýiseule Mirrni Milon hiniîiut Ses. Mi sSaîîga Busiîîess t îlesMssssauya Neuws. Satui ce GSd-. Nassagaviea News, Neinniaiktni A ia Ela Ba nîîeî Soîltli iîîleliîii Nevis uNrth York M îîîîîî takvlle Beaveî yakiknlie ShonguNevis, yinniîcs Hockey Seis, Tila milav Osnavia'Wiîinîy IIanîîîi Enn(ii/PtPeu0 iThis Week Peernnroughî 1hiy Week Pîictil Coiîiiy Ilufle Rilimyî t Hîll'i ilniill Vaugiail LiSeraI Scarblînu îyîlui inni icîtrofille Uy.hn ilgi Tribune AIIenîsîîîg s accep[ter]loniltie cyindiiinhal i th 1e enîiofnia typo- gaalical enîni lIhatrini u t lie ailueni isanysyuui ci upied îy the rin nenus leni ingeineî .uithaieaisinalyle a lyîîaîîcetinîsigînature nil îîyontIe ehaîyed fnr bui lhc balanceeof ni liverh seiici i il ice oral ii a iiiii [aI le e li Te îiilisri eseî es lie înatî if o)eiiýe c i iie n i dcli ne The Mîlio Canadian Chamîpîon ns a Reeyclainin Peuduel & The jury is stili out A society is often defined hy its young and, hy extension, how it treats its youthful offenders. How to deal witb young criminals has long been a contentious con- versation in Canada. Even the titie of young people who have coin- mitted crimes bas undergone a steady transformnation from 'juvenile delinquent' to 'young offender' to the latesi version offered up ifl the new Youth Justice Criminal Act (YJCA), 'young person.' The trouble often stems from the difficulty of matching an appropri- ate punishment with the possibility of rehabilitation. Young criminals are arguably less hardened than their adult counterparts and thus more open to efforts to transform them into productive members of society. The last thing these youths need, goes the thinking, is to learn more bad things in jail. The YJCA is the latest attempt by Ottawa to resolve the conundrum and it has been met, predictably, with mild fireworks. Quebec would like the act weakened, but Ontario and Alberta staunchly oppose that. The new act attempts, once again, to focus on opportunities for reha- bilitation, not punishment. It contains stricter rules on the public iden- tification of youthful criminals. And while adult sentences are permis- sible under some extreute circumstances, ail trials must take place in juvenile court. Previously, a serious crime could be tried in adult court. The YJCA came into effect April 1, but its real value won't be known until cases start being processed under the new rules. Until that time, the jury is still out. + OUR READERS WRITE Reader asks person who broke into her car to please return the towrope made by father Dear Editor: Tis leter gocs out Ioi the individ- ual or individuals who sometime between 7:30 p.m. May 12 and 7:15 a.m. May 13 came int our yard on Appleby Line and went through my GMC pick-up truck. This was the first and last time that the truck will be lcft unlockcd and the alarm unset. A couple of compact dises were taken (What, you don't appreciate Louis Armstrong or The Three Tenors?) as well as a soft-sided case that 1 used as a tool kit. This case is a grey Apple Computer case lrom an oid 1980s computer. so 1 believe you thought you were getting a laptop. i cao live without the few tools, booster cabies, ratchet straps and bungee cords. but that towrope is the one that my father made for me. My father wiil be 84 in October and won 't be making me another. If you wish to retumn this towrope you could leave it in my driveway or roll it up and place it in my mail- box. You understand that I would appreciate you not coming back on 10 my property. To parents out there who may sec a new towrope. the une I'm missing is approximately 15 feet long and made from heavy white rope with a soft texture. It has a îoop on each end and the ends that form the ioop are woven back into the main body of the rope. It had neyer been used and was in new condition. You may want to question where and when it was aequired. Phyllis Ralph Milton E-mail your letters to the editor ta miltoned@&haltonsearch.com. Just some random thoughts on another rainy day It's Tuesday aftemoon and the downpour bas begun - again. Mother Nature sure cao be a royal pain in the butt when you'rc a sports scribe just looking to, cover the local spring-time beat. And in places like Milton - whcre bail dia- monds are unusable for up to 24 bours after any kind of sustained shower- it's twicc as frustrat- ing. Maybe i shouido't compiain t00 much. After ail, my ivclihood isn't adversely affeced by the rain like bar owncrs with outdoor patios. or the fiee bot dog sttsnd lady who operates outsidc the Country Depot on Bronte Road. But when the skies open up on a wcekly basis and throw the proverbial monkey wrcnch into your plans, it's stili frustrating. Since there's not much sports action going on at tbe moment, I'm left with lime t0 gather my thoughts on somne other less pressing sports-relat- ed topies. For instance, I've neyer been 100 wild about the Winterhawks name for our minor rep hockey teams, but i will admit 1 like tbeir new logo and plans tu do away with the awful green jerseys in favour of the Mapie Leafs' bloc and white. tn fact i ca' sec aoyone missing the old look, so maybe my praise isn't even worth mentioning. Ncvcrthelcss, kudos shouid go out 10 Milton Minor Hockey for making this much-necded change. Hopefully the Jr. A Merchaoîs make similarly striking changes when they finaiiy decide on a new name. And for anyone out there who thinks they have the inside scoop on what il is, think again. The hotly-rumoured new name for our local juniors - wideiy eireulated on the QT througb tbe second half of the season - isn't etced in stone yet. Speaking of the Mcrchanîs, hardeore fans may waoî t0 make a stop at Etobicoke's Wcstwood Arena (aI the comer of Fineh Avenue and Woodbine Downs Boulevard off of Hwy. 427) tomorrow or Sunday for the club's annual prospects camp. There's quite a bit of tatk that the 2003/04 Merchaots eould be even younger thao this past scason -su this wcekend couid offer a sneak peak at some significaoî talent for next year. You neyer know if there'Il be anothcr Vie Oreskovieh waiting in the wings. About a ycar ago t publicized my hopes tu establish a prominent trophy and sports memora- bilia dispiay at the ncw arena - something along the uines of the one currently gracing Georgetown's Gordon Alcoît Memorial Arena. 1 mentioned that we'd need a commincee to gel il off the ground and sinee then I'vc had a few nibbles of interest, but not enough 10 reaiiy move forward. So if anyone would like t0 gel on board, give me a eall aI (905) 878-234 1, or e-mail me aI sleblaoc@haltonseareh.com.