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Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, October 3, 2007 7 She said in the winter the route would become even more hazardous because the sidewalks in the area are not plowed. She fears the students will end up walking on the road. Seed House Lane resident Heather Deforest is also worried about her sons safety now that hes expected to walk to school. Deforest said the youths face other dan- gers besides crossing Guelph St. and Mountainview Rd. They also face the dangers of bullies and (other negative factors) that come with passing or cutting through Christ the King High School, said Deforest, who is also concerned about the long-term effects on the kids bodies from walking up the hill on Mountainview Rd. with heavy back packs and musical instruments. Halton Hills Trustee and Board Chair Gillian Tuck Kutarna supports the par- ents position and will fight on their behalf. I believe they have legitimate safety concerns which I believe they will need a bus to address, said Tuck Kutarna, who last month lobbied successfully to have buses provided for students in George- town South to attend Silver Creek Public School. She said there are several safety issues for the Centennial students walking to school including: crossing the Mountainview Rd./Guelph St. intersection, the fact there arent consistent sidewalks on both sides of the road throughout the entire route (in one section the sidewalk immediately abuts the road); and the amount of commercial traffic heading to Armstrong Ave. and into businesses on Mountainview they will encounter on their route. Karen Lacroix, HDSB manager of transportation, said the parents were noti- fied of the busing change last May. A group of families went to the Transportation Appeals Committee in August and were unsuccessful in getting the bus reinstated but were granted first crack on empty seats available on a bus for nearby students eligible for transportation. LaCroix said two buses would be need- ed to service the affected Centennial stu- dents at a cost of $80,000 annually. Anyone interested in supporting the parents in their fight for busing is asked to attend the board meeting Oct. 17, 8 p.m., at 2050 Guelph Line, Burlington or call Carpenter at 905-877-2010. (Lisa Tallyn can be reached at ltallyn@independentfreepress.com) Arielle Courchesne, 13, Cory Carpenter, 11, and Taylor Carpenter, 13, are among the many kids in the Lyndon Circle area who have the long walk to Centennial Middle School, through the heaviest traffic area of Georgetown. Photo by Ted Brown Parents upset at kids 40-minute walk to school Michelle Cunnington considers herself Aidan Benoits best friend. Cunnington says thats what the three-year-old Georgetown boy cal ls her, and as his fr iend, Cunnington, 23, wants to do any- thing she can for Aidan, diagnosed last August with neuroblastoma cancer, and his family. So she and Terri Funseri, a rela- tive of Aidans mom Donna, are hosting a fundraising dinner/dance, silent auction Friday, Oct. 19 in Brampton to raise money for the family to help with costs incurred as a result of Aidans treatment. After his diagnosis last August Aidan underwent a bone marrow transplant, radiation and chemo- therapy and appeared to be on his way to making a full recovery until his cancer came back in August. Since then he has been in The Hospital for Sick Children. He had more chemotherapy, but a heartbroken Cunnington, said Monday the family recently learned there is nothing more the doctors can do for Aidan, and are now just keeping him comfortable. I want to raise as much money as I can to help out the family because its very hard for them liv- ing at Sick Kids (Hospital) and watching Aidans health deterio- rate, said Cunnington, a Caledon resident, and longtime friend of Donna Benoit. The event cal led Hope for Aidan will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Hansa House, 6650 Hurontario St., Brampton. Tickets are $35, or two for $60. A Portugese-style dinner will be served and a d.j. will provide music for the dance. There will also be a silent auc- tion and organizers are currently collecting items from individuals and businesses for the auction. Cunnington said they hope to raise $25,000 for the family. Aidans parents Kyle and Donna have not been able to work as they have been spending their time at the hospital with their son. Donnas parents are looking after the couples other young son, one- year-old Nathan. Tickets for Hope for Aidan must be purchased in advance. Anyone interested in purchasing a ticket, or donating a silent auction item, is asked to contact Cunnington at 416-948-8697. Best friend plans fundraiser to help ailing childs family LISA TALLYN Staff Writer AIDAN BENOIT Continued from pg. 1 Winners of a cash award from the Summer Reading Club at the Georgetown Branch of Halton Hills Public Library assembled with TD Bank managers to receive their $25 prize. Winners included (front, from left) Sophia Maiorano, Ryrden Butterfield, Omar Laurence, Jade Martin, Julia Squizzato, Jenny Bordage and Kira Vandenburg. (Keiran OLeary was unavailable.) In back, TD managers included Genny Criminale (Guelph Street branch), Mark Pearce (Main Street branch) and Julie Gooderson (Mountainview Road South branch) who joined with library staffer Douglas Davey for the presentations. Photo by Ted Brown Readers reward Residents can get a head start on marking their X on the ballot for the Oct. 10 provin- cial election at advanced polls. The next advance voting day wil l be tomorrow (Thursday, October 4). Previous days were Sept. 22, and Sept. 25. Advance voting locations for Wellington- Halton Hills riding for Halton Hills residents include: Returning Office, 21 Main St. N. in Acton, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Extendicare Halton Hills, 9 Lindsay Crt., Georgetown, 12-8 p.m. Gel lert Community Centre , 10241 Eighth Line, Georgetown, 12-8 p.m. Remember to take identification with you when you go to vote. The Returning Officer for Wellington- Halton Hills is Joe Kuglin, 21 Main St. N. in Acton. Telephone number his 1-888-668- 8683 (fax 519-853-5140). Hours of operat ion is Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, 12- 5 p.m. Final advance polls for election to be in operation tomorrow