Two men look on in horror as local man fatally struck The Canadian Champion, Friday, JuIy 4, 2003-7 *OUR READERS WRITE IIIiiiîC(apîsulle.î aie e'<ni ainjortnati<in evtrai-ted fiarn past issues 0/ Tihe Chîampion, and ather publications tao- vide a sindow lto Miltonî's past. Es(planiatoi,-scoimmenît i ssSometile.s Pro- i'ided ro place the situation in cantext. August 1900 There was a sbocking accident on Saîurday evening wben William Howson of Milton, aged 48, was killed by betng mun over by the 5:22 p.m. train from Toronto. It was witnessed by John Somerville and J. Peacock, wbo were standing in front of the station and looking at the approacbing tramn. Mi-. Somerville says that the train was munning raîber slowly on tbe down grade and slackening ils speed. As the engine was shut off, il made litIle noise, and Mr. Somerville made a remark 10 Mr. Peacock about ibis. He saw tbe deceased walking on the strip beîween the main uine and the siding, a freigbî train standing in the latter. The deceased bad bis bead down, stepped on 10 the main uine and walked perbaps eigbî or nine yards just inside the rail. Wben the train was almosi upon bim be gave a startled look backwardi and trid -b sîep off to, safe ground. but was too late and was struck just as be got bus rigbt foot over the rail. Wben Mr. Howson was picked up, il was found that is left foot was eut nearly off aI j the anide, bis lefitbigb was broken, bis left upper arm smashed and is bead cut and bis skull fractured. He was insensible and died witbin about 10 minutes. He was a bachelor and a laborer, was bomn near Ashgrove and ived for some ime by him- self. September 1900 Our town council bas adopîed a recom- mendation from the watcrworks commit- tee that an effort be made 10 increase the present supply of waier by cleaning oui sprgs and putting pipes in corder. The idea is good, but the counicil sbould go furtber. While there is plenty of waier available ai al l imes for fire protection and bousebold uses, not a summer passes witbout ibose wbo use il for other purposes being put on short alowance. The supply may be increased by the sîeps about t0 be taken. but il will not be made sufficient for aIl purposes. Tbe only wav 10 make il so will be te, secure one or more extra sprîngs. Tbis will bave to he dune sooner uor laier. As tbe Gold Mine Fisbîng Club is said 10 bave become disor- Featuring The Alil New 2004 Mazda6 You mr invte to your aar MÉnîqgd&WototeWt&Wivany of our aWdI7ffll9Ii Capsules ganized perhaps the fine spring which bas fed ils pond may be found I0 be available ai a reasonable price. If so, il should be secured and ils waters conveyed to the reservoir before another summerS drought causes another shortage. R.J. MeInnis has the contract for the new cattle sheds on the agricultural grounds. They will be 150x24 in size. The new land recently added to the grounds of the agri- cultural society is being fenced, first-class accomîmodation for caille is being got ready and the directors are pushmng prepa- rations generally. Il is expected that the fair wilI be one of the besti n the history of the Society. Mr. Scott of R. Parker & Co., dyers and cleaners from Toronto, camne 10 iown on Friday in an automobil e ta vîsit the Milton agency. As il was the firsi company of ils kind to appear in Milton, it attracîed a good deal of attention. Mr. Scott is an expert in handling it. He can mun it forward and backward, up and down his and around sharp curves. In fact bie has more control over il than a driv- er would have over a team of horses. The vehicle was imported from Cleveland Ohio, and cost $1 ,800. Mr. Scott uses il constantly on bis round of visits 10 the numerous agencies of the companly. Mr. Nimmo. the organizer for the Ancient Order of Foresters, bas been in town for several days and was successful in organizing a court here, with very brigbt prospects - Court Pride, of Milton, No. 8848. Tbe following are officers; SA. CopeIand, Wm. Tink, PH. Mai-tin. Fred Welcb, John Keeler. John Walker. E.C. Feathersion. John Rafferty. C.H. Wickson. Dr. DE. Wickson. This inaterial î.s assembled on 1 eliaif« aI the< M'viltoni Historîical Societs bs .li,îi Dli, usi in bc heu<'iied li/)-y îa<l jdils(aidiirei t.-atn. Dear Editor: The Champion's front page anti- cIe on June 24 regarding Haion scbool board trustee Erica Andrew's aitempi 10 keep Martin Street Scbool open was misleading on two couis. Firsi, il may bave lefi readers witb a vastly-exaggerated vîew oif Ms Andrew's contribution tus thai effort. Secondly, in my opinion il failed 10 bigbligbî the more important issue of bow utîerly powerless the trustees bave now rendered ibem- selves. As a parent involved in trying 10 save Matin Street Scbool, I can assure you thai Ms Andrew's efforts ons bebaîf of Matin Street were minimal ai tbe meeting - contrary Io whaî was described in the newspaper. Ms Andrew netîber wroîe tbe motions, nor researcbed ibem. nor lobbied for tbem, nor suggesîed ways ol amending îbem ta a f orm thai migbt bave passed. nor even discussed îbem ai any lengtb ai the meeting. As the anticle stated, sbe failed to gel any motion passed. Frankly, I feel she bad expressed very linile interesi in even bringing forward any motions ai ail. In my opinion., i is 5 001a Dear Editor: As regular walkers in and around Milton, my bus- band and I enjoy tbe lovely îree-lined streets around iown and gel our exercise daily from ibis popular pas- lime. l'm writing ibis letier in thse hope ibat some of your readers who share the sidewalk and walking/cycling paths wiîh us on bicycles will be a fittle more courte- ous. There bave been numerous limes wben a cyclisi will come Up bebind us withouî any wamning and surprise us 10 the point ibat we*ve almosi been bit by the bicy- cle or other vebicles on the road in a burried antempi 10 gel oui of the way. We enjoy bicycle riding as weil, and we only requesi that other riders show some courtesy when approacb- ing walkers from bebind. The sounding of a bell, an 'excuse me' or tome other form of wai-ning would not only be appreciated but may preveni an unnecessai-y accident. Carol Snow Mliside Drive Have your say with a letter ta the editor. Fax letters ta (905) 878-4943, or e-mail them ta miltoned@&haltonsearch.com. COMPETITIVE BY NATURE. SUPERIOR BY DESIGN. INTRODUCINO THE AIL NEW 2004 MAZDA6 M2m Mud86s come with 8n impressivolItst at st8d8a qupmeit So Many S Curves. 23L 160 40y/nide of *Fon DouàeWshbone Suspension So Littie lime. *Avaiable 310 220HP V6 Engne 'Real E-TypeMuft Làn Suspension - Power 0ndocs Engine Immobilizer - boel Hete Mimos 60140 Real Seas c/one touch acton - cruiseGotol- TIill/Telescopic Seening - Power Loà i/Keless Entry-*Outside AmbienTlemperature Indlicaion - 4ViheeI Disc Bhes/iABS Braes w/EBFD .plus much more *Eleton ic6on Gontol IF 1Whee *AMFM CODStreo /6speakets Statin atony $4,25* 2004 Mazda6s are lningat Oly$21295 now in stock. Achilles ~mBZD5m 357 Oison St. (1w, 7) Actai, 0N 518-863-0200 ilei @ achillesmazia.ca * Plus FreightiPDE and Taxes. Cail for detals MiltonTrustee's part in trying to keep Martin Street Milto ~ ~School open has been minimal., says reader T impni e RÎeader says cyclîsts should be more courteous of walkers when rîding on sîdewalks and paths trustee wbo deserves 10 wear the scbool saviour crown. She bas repeaîedly voied for scbool closmngs eveiywhere but in Milton, wbere il would be political suicide for ber 10 do so. On ber waîcb, tbe Halton District Scbool Board bas adopied a Capital Straîegic Plan ibat will sad- dle Milton with the mosi over- crowded scbools in Halion wbile robbing the town of îwo exisîing elementai-y schools, tbi-ee previ- ously-planned elementai-y scbools and possibly one of our two public secondai-y schools. In ber defense, there's 001 mucb trustees can do anymore under the Hahton Govemance Model the board adopîed in 2001. 1 believe ihai model reduces a irustee's role 10 merely setting strategic oulcomes for the board. This allows the trustees 10 declare support for ibings like studenîs pracîicing healtby living and tbe board having balanced budgets. But beyond that, aIl autbority for acbieving such broad oulcomes now resides in tbe bands of an unelecîed director of education, wbo 'witbin reason' can interpret policies anyway be chooses in order 10 fasbion whaî be deems 10 be the achievemeni of those oui- comes. Il amounîs, 1 believe, 10 the near- ly complete surrender of democrat- ic authoriiy and leadership 10 unelecîed civil servants. Can you imagine sucb a travesty occurring ai any oiher level of gov- eroment? Can you imagine federal M.Ps passing a law that stated, "We jusi wanî Canada t0 be ricber and nicer so you civil servants go do wbatever you have 10, witbin rea- son, t0 make iî so and we will agree 10 mubber starnp whaîever ideas you come up witb"? Well that's pretty mucb wbat the Halton trustees bave done, in my estimation. TMe proof ibat the practical effeci of tbe Halton Govemance Model bas tumed the civil servants mbt the civil bosses camne ai the June 18 board meeting. There the chair muled thai the trustees had no rigbt to even con- sider adding anoiber school for dlo- sure siudy. Wby n01? Il was because the unelecîed civil servants badn'i rec- ommended ibai particular scbool for study. 'Mat was the real story of the evening. Wbaî a sad nigbî for democracy. Alan Wain George Street