A6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday April 19, 2000 T h e O a k v il l e B e a v e r Ian Oliver Publisher Neil Oliver Associate Publisher Norman Alexander Editor Kelly Montague, Advertising Director Steve Crazier Circulation Director Teri Casas OfficeManager Mark Dills Production Manager Riziero Vertolli Director ofPhotography Metroiand Printing. Publishing & D etrtxrtng Ud.. includes: A<ax/Pfckering News Advertiser, Alston Herald/Courier, Bame Advance, BarryS Bay Tfts Week. Belton Enterprise, Brampton Guardan, Burlington Post. Btrington Shopping News. Oty Parent. CdngwoocVWasaga Connection. East Vbrk Mirror, Erin Adwxata'C ountry Routes. Etobicoke Guardian, Ramtwrough Post, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, H ircna Business Tmes, Kingston This Week. Lindsay This Week, Markham Eenomist & Sun. M idland/Penetanguishine M irror, M ilton Canadian Champion. M ilton Shopping News. Messsauga Business Tmes. Mississauga Nows. Napanee Gude. Newmarket/Auora Era-Banner. Nortfxrrbenand News. 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J [ C N A - Canadian Community Newspapers JiNqlt Bell FuiNd 467 Speers Rd., Oakville O nt L6K3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax; 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-2809 Circulation: 845-9742 JMiena ^ ' (jhe ^JAvoard O akville <&>Qmacds * iirn n » i TV AUCTION U nited W ay of O akville R TR BUSINESS EXC E LLEN C E SK Suburban Newspapers ol America HE BRONW T it UTT ERFLY O N T A fin d R I O | o akville g a lleries | E d it o r ia ls L a m e n t fo r h u m a n it y Perhaps someone could enlighten us as to why workfare recipients who own their own home, should be forced to sign over part ownership of their homes to the provincial government? . . . Although the Province hasn't been too quick " I f som eone is sitting with the facts surrounding this latest dictum, the there w ith a hom e w orth\ decision seem s m ore than a little draconian. $50,000, $60,000 or Imagine this scenario You've held down a job $ m m they shouldn't for years, paid taxes for all those years and then t L j A a handout \ suddenly you're laid off. And if you live in east- be ` expecting ~ " ern O n tario , the ch an ces o f q u ick ly fin d in g from their fellow another jo b are not very good. You've sent off citizens. " resumes, gone for interviews but you're viewed as too old, without specific job skills etc. The net result of this is that you end up on workfare. You've exhausted your RRSP account and you're leading a hand-to-mouth existence and now the Province rings and tells you they want your house. So what's the response to the Province of such situations? How about this quote from Community Services Minister John Baird: "If someone is sitting there with a home worth $50,000, $60,000 or $100,000, they shouldn't be expecting a handout from their fellow citizens." Yes people, welcome to Ontario in the year 2000, a brave new world where Big Brother waves a wand and brings heretofore decent citizens, into poverty and potentially exacerbates the housing crisis. So if you've been on workfare for 12 months, about $6,000. a year, and haven't found work yet, watch out. Forget about the fact that many of the 134 homeowners in eastern Ontario that the government wants to hand over their homes, have probably put more money out in taxes than received in benefits....it doesn't matter in the province of Mike Harris. Thousands, if not hundreds o f thousands of Canadians could easily find themselves in the same boat as these unfortunate Ontarians. There, but for the grace of God, we could all go. Shameful stuff. Letters to the Editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters must be typed, signed and include the writer's address and phone number. Send to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, OnL L6K 3S4 S ta tis tic s s u p p o r t R iv e r O a k s s c h o o l s ite Letter of the Week After the April 12th H a lto n D is tric t School Board m eet ing, I had the oppor tunity to speak with C ynthia Clarke, the consultant who pre p a re d th e CN W atso n C a p ita l Strategic Plan for the board. I asked her why H alton D istrict School the plan stated that B o ard T rustee D ebbie the first school to be M arklew built in River Oaks was River Oaks site #2 (on River Glen)( instead o f River Oaks Site #3 (Grand Ravine). River Oaks #3 has 430 children and the highest projected pupil place requirem ent (700) of all the sites in the CN Watson EDC Report (River Oaks #2 has a 400 ppr). And there is already a school (River Oaks Public School) west of Sixth Line. There is no school in our neighbourhood east of Sixth Line. "I don't get it," I said. And neither does she. Her first recommendation was to build a sc h o o l on R iv e r O aks S ite #3 on G rand Ravine. The board, however, was already in negotiations to purchase River Oaks Site #2. Unless the board changes this position, our children will continue, as a result, to be bused south of Upper Middle Road. Every parent who lives between Trafalgar Road/Sixth Line, U pper M iddle Road and Dundas Street, who is outraged by this deci sion, should w rite to the B oard and their trustee, Debbie Marklew. We need a school in River Oaks #3 and every fact and figure indicates that we should get it in Sept. 2001. North parking rules leave her fuming I live in West Oak Trails and it's a great place to live. However, the Town o f Oakville leaves we residents with a foul taste in our mouths by providing us with two park ing spaces so if and when guests come to visit, their cars are ticketed. I do realize that there are `special' parking passes that you can obtain from the Town, however, what good does this do when you have spontaneous friends who want to drive over and `park' for a cup of coffee? It seems a little pointless to run over to the Tow n's parking services office to get a `special, drop in for coffee' guest perm it Alexandra Lopez-Pacheo R e s id e n t w illin g to p a y m o re ta x e s fo r b e tte r p o lic in g Your recent article (More cops w ill c o st m ore b u c k s-O a k v ille Beaver, Fri. A p ril 14, 2000) by Irene G entle has p ro v id e d me with an opportunity to express my opinion on policing in Halton. O v er th e c o u rse o f m any so cial g a th e rin g s the la st few years, I have come to understand th a t 99% o f th e re s id e n ts o f O a k v ille w e ta lk w ith do n o t believe we have a sufficient num ber of police officers in Halton. More to the point of your arti cle, we are all quite willing to pay for the additional officers even if it cost us double the $279. quoted in your article. M u n ic ip a l p o litic ia n s ju s t don't get the message. They are all too-willing to run around cur rying favour by refusing to allow taxes to go up for any reason, let me be very clear-law and order in Halton should be a top priority in the region. I don't care if some types of crime are going down in the area. We want Oakville to be known as a place criminals actu ally fear to come into because of the sh e er n u m b er o f o ffic e rs available to pursue investigations o f any type. We are quite pre pared to pay the additional cost incurred. Verna Lum -W iliock Calendar of life is amazing Isn't life amazing how it unpredictably unfolds, each day at sunrise, events that tantalize and test us? I believe when we are bom there is a calendar all planned for us. The calendar grows with us and treats us to triumphs periodically, tests us with temptation ant tosses in disappoint ment to balance out the load. We awake each day fresh with wonder as to what our day has in store and often as each day ends, we are amazed. How do we do it? I have turned around many times myself, especially lately, and am amazed at what my calendar o f life has unfolded before me. On year alone I have experienced a separation, a move and my employer's company merger. I have seen peo ple part company, people give birth and others go on to the better world above. I awake now each morning, pull up my socks and set my chin high, no longer amazed and filled with wonder as much as I am just now feeling more experienced and matter-of-fact to it all. This is life at its fullest, with all the ups and downs. So as I am tested and looking once again to find that perfect job and home for myself and children, I know I will get there eventually and am excited to see what next year's calendar has in store. So to all those o f you feeling the tests of time, pull up your socks and set your chin high because with each blow of disappointm ent there eventually is a taste of trium ph and with each parting of company another wedding bell rings and with each coffin that is closed, a new baby takes its first breath. Isn't life amazing? John Ross C o m p a s s io n a t e h o c k e y c o a c h m a d e a ll t h e d iff e r e n c e Now that the H ouse League H ockey season has com e to an end, it is tim e to pay tribute to a ll th e c o a c h e s f o r th e tim e they have invested in our chil dren. M y g ra n d s o n s w e re f o r tu n a te to h a v e h a d e x c e ll e n t co ach es th is y ear. T h e se m en fo u n d e x tr a i c e - tim e w h e n needed and were truly support iv e o f t h e ir t e a m s ' e f f o r t s . T h ere w ere w o rd s o f e n c o u r agem ent at the gam es and prac tice was fun. I w o u ld lik e to s h a re o u r experience w ith coach R ick of the Cow boys, Tyke D ivision. W hen th e y o u n g ste rs w ere trying out, my g ran d so n , w ho ju st turned 8 and was a begin ning skater, was overw helm ed by the speed and talent o f the other boys. He cam e hom e to his mom, c lo s e to te a rs, w a n tin g to go h o m e -h e d id n 't w a n t to play h o c k e y a f te r a ll. F o rtu n a te ly , c o a c h R ic k n o tic e d an d th is w onderful man cam e over, took h im to o n e s id e w h e re th e y skated and talked. This resulted in m y g ra n d so n re jo in in g the o th ers, his ey es glo w ing w ith hope. W onder o f w onders, this fine coach asked for him to be p u t on his team , he d efinitely d id n o t lo o k lik e an a ll- s ta r player but with encouragem ent and attention from coach Rick, he has progressed to be a better p la y e r a n d s k a te r a n d h is p r o g r e s s o v e r th e la s t few games was outstanding. This team started out at the bo tto m o f the pack and when the convenor suggested trading a few players for more experi enced ones, coach Rick w asn't interested. He m ust have seen so m e th in g in th is g ro u p and stuck with them. O ur team w as e n tered in a to u rn am en t at C h ristm a s and they were outplayed and badly beaten. O ur coach apologized and his g re a te st co n c ern w as how this disaster w ould affect the boys. No dam age was done and th e se y o u n g s te rs p la y e d w ith all th e ir h e a rts , w in or lose. There were always pats on the back and words of encour agement. We were not the best team in the league but we were a team all the way and the par ent support was wonderful. These boys m ay never play for coach Rick again but I sin cerely hope his w onderful spirit and sense o f fair play will stay w ith them fo re v er-T h an k you coach Rick. By th e w ay, th e C o w b o y s w on th e H o u se L eague C h a m p io n s h ip 1-0, a te a m effort all the way and we found o u t th a t m y g ra n d s o n w as a w a rd e d th e M o st Im p ro v e d Player aw ard-a w onderful way to end the season. A H appy G ra n d m o th e r (Name withheld by request to not embarrass her grandson.) Donna Shanks Pud WHERE ARE You jSoiNG WITH ALL _ 'M PlUoWS ·-S AND SOFA J CUSHIONS? WE'RE TEACHIN6 MAX HOW TO by Steve Nease -AMD HE NEEDS A CRASH BARRIER No need for extended school holiday Re: Students get long w inter break in 2001, Oakville Beaver Wed. March 29, 2000. I am appalled that the (H alton D istrict) school board would add more days this year simply because New Year's Day is Mon. Jan. 1st and so the schools will not open until Mon. Jan. 8, 2001. In my opinion, this shows the arrogance o f the Board and teachers. There is no reason why school should not start on Tues. Jan. 2, 2001. In my opinion, the teachers are still upset because they lost some PD days and have decided, with the Board, to tack on these extra four days to give themselves a two-week holiday. The Y2K excuse last year caused a lot o f hardship on many families who have two working parents, and here we go again. Your reason does not have any credibility. SKATE- Lionel L a tte r