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Page 4 — Halton Hills This Week’ Sunday, December 26, 1993 pinion i [HIS WEEN Halton Hils This Week, Georgetown, (Ont. L7G 481, Web Printing. Halton Hits EDITOR: Coli LISHER: Ken Bellamy CIRCULATIO! PUBI OFFICE MANAGER: Jean Shewell PHONE: 87: lin Gibson IN MANAGER: Marie Shadbolt HALTON HILLS THIS WEEK IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED. : 873-2254 A special time of the year Merry Christmas everybody! Merry, merry Christmas! It’s a time of the year when smiles are a little more genuine, wishes are’a little more hearty and our pock- etbooks open up a little more. Not to say that commercialism should supersede the true meaning of Christmas. No one, however, can deny the wonderful feeling you experience when someone you really care for opens that perfect present, the one you knew was perfect the second you saw it, or made it for that matter. And so what if you don’t have the Money to buy the most luxurious gifts. Money, although something, is not everything. Having people who love and respect you, having a roof over your head and some food in your belly (usually at Christmas-time, this criteria is filled quite nicely) is most important ... everything else is trimmings. A real Christmas is Thanksgiving with snow. It’s all too easy to get wrapped up in financial worries and not tecognize the pleasure of speaking to family members long-distance or seeing those once-a-year relatives who, although imperfect, are still yours. Maybe uncle Charlie picks his teeth at the dinner table, but he always asks about the kids and he Picked you up at the mechanic’s last month when the car was being fixed. What about the joy you get from reading about homeless children who have received presents because of the generosity of others. Be thankful there are still People out there who care for others’ welfare, and that you are not one whose welfare needs caring for. (Although a little caring feels pretty good.) ‘ Instead of complaining of the few. days'off you have been given for the holidays, think of the volunteers who are handing out food-baskets on Christmas Day instead of spending time with their families, A real Christmas does not belong to any one religion — it’s a beautiful tradition (it doesn’t matter whose) which gives us an éxcuse to not worry, not hurry, and take the time to smell the holly. Oksana Buhel The Christmas Myth To the Editor: It is a myth the urban resi- dent pays for the garbage dis- posal of rural residents. Worse, when this myth is Tepeated by. our mayor, Russ Miller, the rural resident needs a new spokesperson. When urban (town) resi- dents get services that rural residents do not get, the rural taxes are less than the town taxes. Our mayor signs the book- let every year called “Taxpayer Information”. Page two of the 1993 booklet shows the rural tax is $165.02 per year less than the town tax on the average home assessed at $5,700. The booklet states that 88 per cent of this is garbage. For the paltry sum of $145 per year, $2.79 per week, the town gets garbage pick-up and dis- posal. Can anyone believe that $145 per year pays for these services and further subsidizes rural garbage dis- posal as well? That’s the myth Region, and our mayor are trying to put over on rural residents to justify rural resi- dents, being charged $5 per visit to the dump. There: are two aspects to a_ full garbage system: Collection and disposal. Traditionally garbage pick- up was always a town service because long rural routes dic- tated against rural pick-up. However, both rural and urban dwellers always had garbage disposal at a local’ dump included in their taxes. The only recourse to rural dwellers is to question the urban service charge to town residences. The rural reduction in taxes has to start at $260. (garbage disposal cost paid by rural resident that is included in town resident’s taxes). Thereafter, you must add to the rural tax reduction the town person’s costs of garbage collection and spe- cial refuse pick-up, street demand a complete review of the urban service area charge. Nothing less than a $600 tax reduction seems acceptable to cover the difference in ser- vices between rural and Rural dwellers, start call- ing your councillor now! Demand a detailed account- ing of the urban service charge. D.B. Morrow R.R. #1, Norval Community Open House The Cooperative Program Planning Committee of Halton Hills will once again be hosting a Community Open House. This year’s event will be the fifth edition of this community organiza- tion showcase. It will be taking place on March 25, from 5-9 p.m. and March 26, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Georgetown Marketplace Indoor Mall. This event will provide an opportunity to promote the services of local organiza- tions, recruit new members and help commemorate The International Year of the Family: 1994, If you haven’ t yet received your registration form for this event, and are interested in_ participating, please con- tact Joy Thompson at The Recreation and Parks Department at 873-2600, ext. 263. The People’s Corner Nicholas Newby (left) Katie Banks and FAX:873-3918 TTT Christmas celebration Sarah Berry helped get the audience into the Christmas spirit at Acton’s M.Z. Bennett public school Christmas pageant. HHTW photo