6 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday January 7, 2009 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: NEIL OLIVER Vice President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of Media Group Ltd. DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager Golden hockey tradition Boy, are we ever getting spoiled. For the fifth straight year, Canada's hockey team has brought home the gold medal from the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships. And for two years in a row, Oakville hockey players -- goaltender Steve Mason (now with the Columbus Blue Jackets) last year, and John Tavares this year -- were named the tournament's most valuable player. But they aren't the only Oakville players to have helped Canada bring home the gold. Last year's squad featured three Oakville players and this year's team had a pair -- Tavares and Cody Goloubef, who now plays for the University of Wisconsin. While the tournament itself is a treat for hockey fans of any age, cheering on some hometown heroes adds some extra excitement. For many people, the international tournament featuring many of the future stars of the NHL has become a treasured holiday tradition. Who can blame them? In an era when many professional athletes appear more concerned with their million-dollar contracts and commercial endorsements than playing for the fans, the World Junior Hockey Championships are a breath of fresh air. The teams play at a level of excitement and energy that is a hockey purist's joy to watch. This year, Canada added extra excitement with comeback wins over Russia and the United States earlier in the tournament. Yes, the tournament is a great place for players to showcase their talents to the world and the NHL hockey lords, but after watching Canada celebrate after Monday night's win, who would dare question their genuine love of the game? The players were living the dream they all shared while playing as youngsters in neighbourhood arenas and backyard hockey rinks. And the rest of us, who shared that same dream with them, are more than happy to join them for the ride. Well done, boys. We can't wait for next year. The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Parking ticket Town guilty of money grab was warranted Re: Overnight parking ticket discourages people from doing the right thing, Oakville Beaver, Jan. 2 I read this letter a couple of times trying to figure out why you would publish it. Was it to show how petty people can be or the level of stress some people are under this time of year? This person, who had too much to drink, got a parking ticket for leaving his car on the street overnight. It happens all over virtually every city every night. I don't think it was a "horrible way to treat responsible drivers and loyal customers of downtown Oakville" nor do I think that the "whole ordeal was pretty ridiculous." It was a parking ticket and it was appropriate. This "loyal (Oakville) customer" thinks they'd be better off " going to Toronto next time." I guess he'll be okay with the $75 cab ride home, the time it takes to locate and retrieve his car the next day and the $150 charge for getting his car out of the impound yard. That's where your car goes in magical Toronto if you leave it on the street. DON WILSON On Jan. 2 you published a letter from Tom Gunter (Overnight parking ticket discourages people from doing the right thing) about getting a ticket for parking after 2 a.m. in downtown Oakville. On Dec. 31 my son also got a ticket for the same reason. The problem is my son was not parked overnight. He was working at a restaurant and has to close every night. His ticket was issued at 2:31 a.m. and he does not leave the restaurant until 3 or 4 a.m. A $25 fine is a significant price to pay for helping to serve patrons of downtown Oakville. The decision by the Town to enforce this type of parking control is nothing more than a money grab. I fail Good Samaritans praised A huge "thank you" to everyone who came to my aid on Boxing Day morning after I fell and broke my ankle on the ice in the parking lot at Oakville Place. I would especially like to thank Cathy, the gentleman wrapping me with the blanket and quilt, and the man who took off his leather jacket to keep me warm until the paramedics arrived. Each one of you deserves the award for outstanding citizen for your "humanitarian" values. My sincerest thanks and best wishes for 2009. DENISE NORMAN to see how parking after 2 a.m. can be considered a parking problem. Do they have some unannounced plans to use the hours of 2-6 a.m. to generate funds from empty parking lots. Anybody who has tried to park in downtown Oakville already knows that the Town has made inadequate provisions in providing municipal parking during regular hours. Mr. Gunter made some valid comments in his letter and perhaps he is right -- we might all be better off eating out in Toronto or better still Mississauga. All Oakville has done is provide a further deterrent to visiting and working in downtown Oakville. DAVID GUY This week's poll This week's question is: Do you think the Town of Oakville should be ticketing cars parked overnight in downtown Oakville? · Yes · No To vote, visit oakvillebeaver.com Last week's poll: Do you think Health Canada is doing enough to ensure the safety of patients taking prescription drugs? · Yes 22.22% · No 77.78% Total votes: 26 The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council.The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206,Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate.The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Towing charge worse than parking ticket Re: Overnight parking ticket discourages people from doing the right thing, Oakville Beaver, Jan. 2 I totally agree with the letter writer. A friend of mine had too much to drink at a Christmas party in Oakville and left his car in the parking lot of the restaurant. The next day when he returned to get his car it had been towed away and it cost him $150. Certainly discourages you from calling a cab. L. BONDARENKO