Equity policy a non-issue, says gay trustee Continued from pg. 1 the past 20 years. I think a lot of people, a majority of people, in Oakville would say the same thing." Marai is a co-chair on the Out on Bay Street organization, a gay activist group that helps gay business and law graduates and students land jobs in Toronto's business sector on Bay Street. He is currently employed at a Bay Street company. He said he's a practising Catholic and is gay. Marai said the Equity and Inclusive Education policy has already been decided-- passed by the previous board on Nov. 2-- and is no longer an issue. "I'll have to stand behind the policy of the board that was already made," he said. "If it comes up again, for me it's about talking to the people I represent. What I want to know is what they think about the equity policy, and I would craft an argument based on that, and you have to look at other things like policies of other boards and what's worked and what hasn't worked, what's within the law and what is not within the law." Board chair LeMay said she has no concerns about the board's policy being affected by Marai's presence on the school board. "What he does as a private person and what he does as a school board trustee are pretty well separate issues," she said. "Like anybody's work or lifestyle, it has nothing to do with the board policy. He knows what his duty is as an elected trustee. The policy had passed, so he will just uphold what the board decision was." Marai said he was open about his gay activism during the campaign to anyone who asked. He said that part of his life has no bearing on the school board, and he never made any attempt to hide that part of his life. "If people asked me about that policy, I made it very clear that I am gay. If you Googled my name, the third thing that came up was about my involvement in this group. That's because I raised a lot of money for this group as a mentorship opportunity for these students to connect with different corporations and I'm proud of that." Marai said he has not seen a conflict between his lifestyle and his Catholic faith. --With files from Lisa Tallyn, staff writer Giveaways netted 6 tonnes of items for food banks Halton residents donated 6.2 tonnes of food and $9,257 to local food banks during the Region's two Compost Giveaways in 2010. In exchange the 4,240 Halton households, which took part, took home free compost for their gardens. The 2011 event will occur one week in May and one Saturday in the September. During the four Special Waste Drop-off Days in July and October, residents dropped off 136 tonnes of materials-- approximately 61 tonnes of household hazardous waste and 75 tonnes of electronic waste. 3 Independent & Free Press, Tuesday, January 4, 2011 WELLINGTON-HALTON HILLS MPP TED ARNOTT Web: www.tedarnottmpp.com Phone: 1-800-265-2366 INDIAN RIVER DIRECT CITRUS TRUCKLOAD SALE Home broken into Halton Police are investigating a break and enter into a home on Bishop Ct. about 8:50 p.m. Friday A bedroom window was forced to gain entry. Jewelry was taken. GEORGETOWN ACTON Wednesday, January 5th, 10 am - 12 noon Yoyo Japanese Restaurant 357 Guelph St., (beside Ford dealership) Wednesday, January 5th, 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm The Hide House (Eastern & Mill) 20 LB. BOX OF FLORIDA $ Seedless Navel Oranges or Ruby Red Grapefruit PER BOX 23.00 SAVE YOUR MONEY. KEEP YOUR VEHICLE LONGER BY PROTECTING IT FROM RUST. M US I C FREE · Piano · Guitar · Violin * All Ages * Book an appointment today. FREE CLA S S E S D A N CE · Ballet · Jazz/Hip Hop · Kindergarten Dance * Ages 3-8 yrs * 354 Guelph St., Unit 21 905.877.1712 A TRUE 4 SEASON TIRE!!! A third generation in Nokian Tyres' unique line of "All-Weather Plus" tires, the new Nokian WRG2 and WRG2 SUV offer the best performance in every season. The shape and siping of the outer shoulder make the tires easy to handle in the most extreme conditions, and are excellent on dry roads, even at high speeds. So while seasons may change, your choice of allweather tires remains the same: Nokian WRG2 and Nokian WRG2 SUV. Severe Service Emblem SATURDAY, JANUARY 6TH 9 - 3 PM Call NOW! Space very limited! 905.877 .2770 905.877.8220 Noklan Tyres' All-Weather Plus line exceeds the new government standard for tire performance in harsh winter conditions. Georgetown School of Music & Dance www.georgetownmusiclessons.com 330 Guelph Street, Unit #4 - Across from Canadian Tire Halton's Finest Music School with over 25 highly qualified teachers to meet your needs 905.877.2770