The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 3 ( / 0 ( ! , 4 / . ( ) , , 3 A GOOD REASON TO SHOP LOCAL #2. Shopping local saves you money. Out of town shops have done a good job of convincing us all that sole traders = expensive, but the evidence just isnt there to back this up . If you add in trav- el, parking costs, fees to transport larger items home and your time, the overall cost is often much higher. 905.873.0301 This message brought to you by your local newspaper Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, January 9, 2008 3 There is going to be a transition to trans- fat-free foods in school cafeterias and vend- ing machines at school boards across Ontario, and a Halton District School Board official says they should have no problem adapting to the expected changes. In an attempt to combat a growing obesi- ty problem among children from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, the province introduced legislation Dec. 5. Ontarios Healthy Food for Healthy Schools Act calls for a ban on trans fats in many foods in all school cafeterias and an outright ban on trans fats in all school vending machine products. Our kids health is just too important to risk, Premier Dalton McGuinty said in a news release. Trans fats have no place in our schools and weve got to act now. The move is intended to build on earlier action by the government to ban junk food in elementary schools and a call for 20 min- utes of daily exercise for pupils. Our goal would be to have the regula- tions done and in place for next September (2008), Ontario Ministry of Education spokesperson Michelle Despault said, in ref- erence to stricter guidelines around trans fats in school cafeterias. She said the timeline for a complete ban on trans fats found in vending machine foods is to be established following consulta- tionthis month on healthy food guidelines. The government will be referencing the updated Canada Food Guide, she said. Under the proposed legislation, Ontario would move to exempt some foods that nat- urally contain small amounts of trans fat, including beef, lamb and milk. Also, Despault noted that exceptions would be made for schools that hold special events like pizza, hot dog or bake days. Despault added the legislation only talks about trans fats; it does not mention other kinds of fat in foods or sodium (salt) intake. Trans fat is often found in French fries, potato chips, some cookies and other cafete- ria foods. The processed oil can contribute to childhood obesity. The government says the rate of obesity in kids has tripled in the past 25 years. Most obese children become overweight adults, putting them at higher risk for diabetes and heart disease. Cutting processed trans fat could help extend their lives and save health care dollars, say gov- ernment officials. The Health Canada website says fats in foods are made up of four types of fatty acids polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, saturated and trans. Trans fats are found nat- urally in some animal-based foods, but are also formed when liquid oils are made into semi-solid fats like shortening and hard mar- garine. Scientific evidence has shown that dietary trans fats can increase the risk of developing heart disease. The superintendent of facilities services with the Halton public school board expects a smooth transition to trans-fat-free prod- ucts within their schools. Its been the topic of discussion for some time. Our cafeteria contract was to be renewed this past September and we (already) extended the existing arrangement for one (school) year anticipating something was about to change concerning nutritional guidelines, said Gerry Cullen. Our contracts will go out for renewal this year to start next September so we can change all conditions necessary and comply with that date without too much difficulty. Whether the cafeterias are can accommo- date the forthcoming changes, such as equipment needs, will be part of the contract discussions with the boards potential food providers, said Cullen. The superintendent said the trend at the Halton board has been to offer students a greater variety of foods and healthier choices. This isnt a new initiative but a very spe- cific one. The direction that has been taken throughout the past several years has been to introduce healthy choices so that menu selections are significantly different than they were years ago. Kids can still choose to go the route of French fries ... but an awful lot of them are looking for the salads, look- ing for the healthy choice meals, looking for water to drink as opposed to pop, said Cullen. The kids themselves have started to make a real shift toward the healthier choic- es so Im not sure its going to be as contro- versial as one might suspect. As far as vending machines and the pro- posed all-out ban on trans fats in those prod- ucts, Cullen said there are a number of dif- ferent arrangements, including a deal with Pepsi for beverages, and food service con- tracts that would require re-stocking of trans-fat-free compliant products. He doesnt think the earning power of the service provider or the board will be dramat- ically affected by the proposed changes. Sales might shift from one product to another. Certain students will choose to make their lunches and some will choose to leave the property and go elsewhere but the pattern or habit of going to the cafeteria for lunch seems to be the more prevalent force; students who got into the routine will most likely continue to do so and theyll just have a different variety to choose from. Health care and education groups are happy about the anti-trans-fat legislation. We are very pleased the government is joining us in our fight against trans fats, Rocco Rossi, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, said in a news release. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) issued a statement say- ing it is in agreement as well. It is essential that school be a healthy environment for children, where they can experience healthy behaviours that will con- tinue into adulthood, said Dr. Janice Willett, President of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). TIM WHITNELL Special to The IFP School board expects easy transition to trans fat-free menus The Halton District School Board says it doesnt anticipate any problems in com- plying with a new provincial government act that will see the removal of trans fat in many foods in school cafeterias. Halton Police are interested in speaking to a man, captured on security video, who was seen enter- ing The Royal Ascot condominium on Hall Rd. Saturday Dec. 29 at 12:41 p.m. The man was seen run- ning out of the back door of the building that same day at 12:53 p.m. Police say sometime between 12:30 and 1 p.m. a man came into the building and entered an unlocked apartment while the owners were out. When a neighbouring tenant went to check their apartment she came across an unknown man coming out of the master bedroom. The man quickly left the apartment and was last seen fleeing down a stairwell. When the owners returned home a short time later they determined a quantity of cash and jewelry was missing. Police believe the same man is also responsible for several break- ins at the Mountainview Residence for seniors on Mountainview Rd. that occurred the same day between noon and 12:20 p.m. Police say an unknown male entered the residence through the lobby then went into four unlocked apartments and stole jew- elry and cash (about $3,500) in total. The man then left the building through the emergency exit and south stairwell. He is described as white, with thick dark hair, brown eyes, about 40-years-old, clean- shaven wearing a dark winter jacket, dress shirt, and beige casual pants. Anyone with information about the break-ins or who can identify the man is asked to call police at 905-878-5511 ext. 2106 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Halton Police are asking for help from the public in identifying three people believed to be using stolen cards in and around Halton. On Dec. 29 between 10:30 and 11 a.m. police say three people broke a window in a vehicle parked in the lot at Mold-Masters SportsPlex and took a purse. The owner of the purse reported that a cell phone and several credit cards were in the purse at the time of the theft. The cards were used at several locations later that day. Video surveillance footage from the businesses shows three people two males and a female using the stolen cards. Anyone with information regarding the identity of the three people is asked to call Georgetown Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-878-5511 ext. 2116 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Credit card thieves sought Surveillance cameras caught these three people suspected of using stolen credit cards at various area businesses. Photos courtesy Halton Regional Police Break-in suspect on tape BREAK-IN SUSPECT