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

Your Hometown Newspaper Volume 8 No. 52 Thursday, December 29, 2005 THE NEW Newstand Price 40 + GST Ambulance program benefits from new funding On December 19, the Ontario Min- istry of Health and Long-Term Care announced that Halton Region would receive additional funding of $360,936 for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Services for Seniors. The funding is part of the federal Diagnostic and Medical Equipment Fund, which was provided to the Ontario government in 2005-06. Halton Region will use $319,698, a significant portion of the funding, for equipment related to the Ambulance program. This funding will help to en- sure that Haltons emergency medical services personnel have the most cur- rent life saving technologies available to use in cardiac related emergencies. In addition, two of Halton Regions non-profit Long-Term Care facilities Allendale and Post Inn Villagewill receive $19,270 and $21,968 respec- tively to offset the cost of purchasing various diagnostic, security, and safety devices. Although this funding announce- ment was unexpected, Halton Regions commitment and ability to provide quality long-term care and emergency medical services will be strengthened by the receipt of these funds, said Halton Regional Chairman Joyce Savoline. As part of the funding announcement, Post Inn Village will also receive sepa- rate one-time funding to purchase 18 ceiling or wall mounted lifts, which will reduce the risk of injury to patients and health-care workers. Allendale received similar funding early in 2005. Plan more and larger parking for the disabled By FRANCES NIBLOCK The New Tanner Disabled parking spaces in Halton Hills will be large, clearly marked, located near the entrances to stores and buildings and there should be more of them. Those are the key recommendations from a municipal accessibility plan disabled person parking study conducted for the Town by a consultant who found the Town does not have as much off-street parking for disabled drivers as other communities do. Council recently approved changes to its parking bylaws to implement changes recommended by the consultant, hired to ensure the Town provides the best standards for safety and access while increasing voluntary compliance and reducing illegal use of disabled parking spaces. The consultant examined the existing supply of spaces, current practices and legislation governing both on and off-street parking When it comes to new developments, the Towns Acces- sibility Advisory Committee called for even more disabled parking than the consultant did, and Council agreed, ap- Address Local Toll Free Parts Hotline Email 357 Queen St. E. Acton 519-853-0200 1-866-620-3248 519-853-5613 info@achillesmazda.caServing Halton Hills with Pride since 1973 Looking back at 2005 -Inside- Special thanks for kidney donor No one clapped louder or longer than Actons Dan MacCallum when Karen Middlebrook, his former co-worker and kidney donor, received an Award for Exceptional Achievement from Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter in Hamilton on December 10. MacCallum is alive, and was able to be at the special ceremony to see Middlebrook receive her award for Exceptional Humanitarian Service, because Middlebrook gave him one of her kidneys in September 2004. It was cool, MacCallum said of the ceremony, adding there were tears in a few eyes as the story of how Middle- brook came to give him the gift of life was told. The two had worked together as correctional officers at the Metro West Detention Centre when the inherited polycystic kidney disease that killed MacCallums kidneys forced him to leave work in 2003. He was kept alive by three times weekly dialysis as he waited for a suit- able donor until Middlebrook stepped forward and in an act of exceptional courage and compassion, donated one of her kidneys. Karen received the only Humani- tarian Award and it was great that I was able to be there to see her get it. MacCallum said, adding that all of the publicity Middlebrook is getting is great. Every time they do a story about how she helped me, it makes people think about being organ donors and that may help save lives because the waiting lists are very long, MacCallum said. Just six months after receiving the new kidney life was once again good for MacCallum he was back at work as a security guard and trying to get in shape to pass a police service physical, Continued on page 3 Happy New Year Continued on page 2 Rent-A-Car Daily Weekly Monthly 856-0000 286 Alma Street, Rockwood ILLAGE 387 Queen St. East, Acton TO ITS WORTH THE DRIVE ACTON MOTORS 8531280 SEE OUR AD ON PAGE 2 HAPPY NEW YEAR