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A6 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday, October 22, 2003 EDITORIALS AND LETTERS THE OAKVILLE H E R 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 IAN OUVER Publisher NEIL OUVER Associate Publisher TERI CASAS O ffice M a tuiger JILL DAVIS E d ito r in C h ie f KELLY MONTAGUE A d \'ertising D ire cto r CHARLENE HALL C irculation M anager MARK DILLS Prxxluction M anager R1Z1ER0 VERTOLU Photography D irector ROD JERRED M anaging E dito r Meeotand Purenj. Ptijfcfm g & D efrtu tn g L U . rcbdes A^vPOw'nng N?*s MrtCatf. Alston terafcJCotrw. ArTv BarVtglor Poet B u lng lo n Shoppng News. Ctfadon Frtwpnse. Cty Parent. CoangwoodVttsap Connecaon. E M vorv Mirror. Enn fc to x a k y ftx rtry Routes Etodlcoto Guardian. Busness Times. Lindsay The Week. NtorVwm Economist & Sun. MWand/Penetangutehlno Mrror. MAon Canadian Crampon. Mflcn 9 v p p n g Mews. Mtssssa Times. I t e a s m ga Sews Napanm Gude. NwwnarW Atfora Era Bamer. N o f f u r t w t r d N w tt. MoflTi t t r t M tto t O aM te Reaver. 0#*9c S t c p n g News. Okftmers Hockey Nw w. Orttu Today. Qsha*& W **C »annglon Port Parry The W M*. Owen Sound Trtune. Palnenaon Otawver. Peterborough Th» A'twk. P o o r C anty Code. Richmond HH,' n nrnh A V k*jfun LbortK ScabCTOugh Mvror. StoufMleUtfxidge Trtute. Forever >tung, City c< W t Guardon THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association A t * Canadian Community Newspapers Association (%h'ille Suburban Newspapers m o f America O Tv« > rtnr& s K*BU S#*SS EXCaLBCt Our hearts go out... Just a scant few days after the end of Fire Prevention Week in Oakville, the grim reality behind that week-long message was driven home Saturday with the death of a precious 13-year-old disabled girl in a Felan Avenue house fire. And while our hearts and prayers go out to the girl's surviving family members, our thoughts also turn to the emergency workers who responded to this terrible scene. Firefighters and paramedics are trained to save lives. When emergency workers respond to a call they do so knowing full well they, too. could be risking their lives for another. For that we thank them. W hat they are not prepared for, and what no one may ever be prepared to accept, is the death o f someone they have pledged to help -- especially one so young and, in this case, so vulnerable. We cannot imagine or appreciate how those firefighters felt when they realized that, despite their best efforts, they could not save this young victim. This is why fire safety prevention is so very important to fire officials. While the circumstances surrounding Saturday's fire are still unclear and cur rently under investigation, we believe this tragedy serves as yet another painful reminder about the frailty of life and the need to practice fire safety every day. We do not know, o f course, if any sort of fire prevention tactics could have prevented this horrible loss. However, what we do know is that the fire department wants to remind each and every one of us to stay safe. One o f the main tenets of year-round fire safety is to prepare and practice an escape plan for your family at home. Remember, an escape plan rehears al will be held under ideal conditions. In the event of a household fire, the plan could be executed in a smoke-filled room at night. Anyone inside will be confused and disoriented. While such a plan will not guarantee a safe out come, it will give people an extra survival tool to help them flee the scene. If you are not sure how to prepare an emergency escape plan or you have other concerns, please contact the fire department for assistance. Our fire officials are more than willing to help. Lastly, check your smoke alarms. They caft provide advance warning to alert you and your family to a fire in the home. We hope you will never need to use your fire escape route, but if you ever do need such a plan, it could very well save your life. Again, our thoughts are with a grieving Oakville family. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Trustee opposed policy not education director I w ould like to clarify m y position concerning policy governance and my view o f the leadership o f the Halton District S chool Board (H D SB ), led by Dr. D u sty Papke, the D irec to r o f E ducation (Beaver editorial, O ct. 17). I voted against policy governance being installed as the m anaging struc ture o f the board in 2 0 0 1 .1 still hold that position. Policy governance has w orked well for our b oard the last tw o plus years, but w e have had a superb director and an excellent supervisory staff. H ow ever, if the board, in the future, is unlucky enough to choose a poor d irector (m ediocre staff w ould follow ) the policy governance m odel w ould be d isastrous for ou r com m unity. Policy governance grants the d irector great pow ers and reduces the elected offi cials' (the trustees) role. We have seen in recent corporate governance this `stro n g ' m an m odel can lead to fiscal and m oral carnage; Enron and Tyco are good exam ples. Even though I d o n 't prefer the HDSB governance model, this does not lead to my, "defiance o f P apke's leadership." 1 respect and adm ire the w ork the director has accom plished over the last tw o years and, rem em ber, Papke did not vote (can 't vote) for policy governance; a m ajority o f the board created o u r cur rent model. A nyway, regardless o f the governing m odel, I am proud to have served on a board w here people got along (for the m ost part) and got things done. T he in tro d u ctio n of Ju n io r K indergarten and the term ination o f all school closure processes are good co n tributions to our H alton com m unity. DREW CURRAH TRUSTEE WARDS 1 AND 2 t OAKVILLE Up to municipality to control and protect election signage process I was glad to see a letter in the Beaver Oct. 8 regards to the signs, their positioning and application during this recent provincial election. As a campaign manager. 1 have a few comments to make on this that are non-partisan. First, it should be remembered that the sign crews are volunteers who give up their time to assist someone or a local party campaign. They are briefed on the local municipalities sign regulations, concerning proximity to intersections, obstruction and respect o f other candidates' signage. However, sadly and despite their efforts, what was seen was widespread defacing, damage or outright disappearance o f large or home lawn signs. Clearly, this is regarded as an intimidation to the dem o cratic process as well as being an act o f vandalism, which can and should lead to charges and fines up to $5,000. We did catch and turn over to the police individuals who were engag ing in this destruction, however, to date. I do not believe that charges were laid. The fact is there are only a few sentences in the Election Act that refers to the placement o f signs and then it defers to the regulations o f the local municipality. At one point, the District Returning Officer for Oakville (M ichael Abrahams), created a ruling in writing and advised all campaigns that only small lawn signs could be erected near the voting sta tions. We com plied only to find that not only was his ruling overturned by Election (Finances) Ontario, but many o f our small signs disappeared from the allowable areas. Signage is intended to visually indicate to the public who is running for the position and when an individual puts one on their lawn, they are indicating their support for the person running. Since the existing rules lie mainly with the munici pality, then it is clearly up to it to control and protect this process. The alternative would be an outright ban on signage except on private individual property with rental and condo minium provisions. With a municipal election underway and a federal election potentially in the spring, I would hope that the local gover nance observes and prepares to act on this issue so that the credibility and integrity o f the democratic process can be upheld. BRUCE B. CRAIG ER III Till; WEEK Judges not appointed to alter laws 1 heartily agree w ith (Alliance candidate) G len H erring's letter in the Beaver Oct. 8. There is nothing to stop hom osexual and lesbian couples living together, but they should not be allow ed to marry. The concept o f men legally m arrying men and w om en legally m arrying w omen is totally unacceptable, and it m akes you w onder if our judges have forgotten w hat their designated function is. If the C harter o f Rights and Freedom s indicates certain laws should be m odified, they should bring the m atter to the attention o f the people's elected representatives in our Parliam ent. O nly that body possesses the right to make, m od ify and prom ulgate laws. Surely judges are not appointed to alter laws. They are not elected by the people. T heir task is to adm inister the applica tion o f laws authorized by Parliament, not to change them. JOHN LARKE School dropoff causes traffic jam The kids are back to school and I am again resorting to urban warfare to get out of my neighbourhood and go to work in the morning. This is because I live near a private school, that is located on a two lane residential street and most of their students are delivered one per large vehicle which line up in both directions down Linbrook Road. Vehicles trying to turn left from the road into the school exacerbate this congestion. I would ask that the school look at busing students from central points, perhaps Maplegrove Plaza to keep the congestion off small residential streets. Failing this the Town should look at preventing left turns in and out of St. Mildred's and have the police ticket those that disobey and those that do not signal their turns on to the side streets. R. BELLM Governance policy encourages accountability H ands up all those w ho believe that it is possible for 11 part-tim e people to be accountable for approxim ately 45,000 public school students, budget revenues o f S311-M . 88 schools. 150 principals and vice-principals, m ore than 2,500 teaching staff, and 1,000 support/non teaching staff, w ithout som e sort o f sys tem. H alto n D istrict S chool B oard (H D SB) trustees are jointly accountable to us as a com m unity for everything that goes on in our schools. · Policy G overnance is a state-of-theart system fo r m aking that level o f accountability possible. I know w here m y vote w ill go and it w on't be to any trustee w ho seem s to believe that anything less is required. P roducing education outcom es for students is vital for our com m unity and g o v e r n in g - b y - th e - s e a t- o f - o u r - p a n ts w on't produce them. CAROLINE OLIVER Coverage paid dividends On behalf of the Oakville Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society. I would like to thank Rod Jerred, Managing Editor of the Oakville Beaver and Peter McCusker Beaver photographer for the recent front page "Drivers needed" appeal for volunteer drivers. Thanks to the excellent coverage given by your newspaper. 10 new drivers have been recruited! Special thanks to our new driver "recruits" who saw the photograph and responded by signing up to transport needy patients to their treatment centres. Once again, thank you Oaiaille Beaver for your tremendous community sup port. People interested in becoming volunteer drivers and who would like more information, please call the Oakville Unit office at 905-845-5231 from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. GILLIAN NAPIER VOLUNTEER TRANSPORTATION CONVENER OAKVILLE UNIT JOAN CIBB, PRESIDENT OAKVILLE UNIT, CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY Should there be more controls on election signage? We want to hear your views. Send to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Road, Oakville, On* L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaverjxnn. The Beaver resemes the right to refuse to publish any letter. Pud ARE THE6IRLS V No,THEY STOPPED STILL CHASING YOU AT SCHOOL, M AX? ' ^ aiASE By STEVE NEASE We want your opinion Got a beef? Have an opinion you wish to share? Something on your mind? The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published, letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Road, Oakville, On., L6K 3S4. or via e-mail to editor@ oakvilIebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish any letter. The Oakville Beaver Is a member of the Ontario Press Coundl. The council is located at 80 Gould S t. Suite 206. Toronto. O nt. M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 3401981. 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