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whats inside Your Hometown Newspaper Volume 12 No. 12 Thursday, March 26, 2009 T?? NEW Newstand Price 40 + GST TO ITS WORTH THE DRIVE ACTON MOTORS 8531280 2005 Caravan...whos next? Sales Service Leasing Parts T HE NEW www.georgetownchrysler.ca 336 Guelph St., Georgetown 905-877-0149 email: cwiddess@georgetownchrysler.ca T & A Automotive 108 Station St. 519-856-1531 Fat Cat Dog & Car Wash Rockwood Partners in preventative maintenance OIL CHANGE $36.99 CAR WASH Station St. Guelph #7 Main St .** ????????????????????? ??????????????????? ??????????????????????? ????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Fewer people use Acton needle exchange While Region-wide there was a 18 per cent increase last year in the total number of needles dis- tributed in Haltons needle exchange program, the figures for Acton show a 50 per cent decrease in the number of people who exchanged used needles for new ones. In 2008, four people used the Acton location to exchange needles one person exchanged needles for intra-muscular injections of drugs such as hor- mones or anabolic steroids. Three people exchanged needles for intravenous injection of drugs such as cocaine, heroin and opiates. In 2007 in Acton, eight people exchanged needles, three for intra-muscular and five for intravenous injection of drugs. The Halton Works needled exchange pro- gram began in 2000 as part of a harm reduction program that includes client counselling, skill building and education, distribution of condoms and referral to addiction treatment and health services. In 2008, the program provided needle ex- change services to clients on 539 occasions and provided advice, information and counselling on an additional 133 occasions for 672 individual client contacts, up by 10 per cent from 2007. Total needle distribution for 2008 increased 18 per cent over the previous year with 58,214 new needles being handed out. Last year, 36,887 used needles were collected for an annual return rate of 63 per cent. Contractor unable to finish streets Firm has gone out of business By Frances Niblock The Town will have to find another contractor to complete the final stages of reconstruction of sev- eral Acton streets because the firm that began the job has gone out of business. Residents of Mill Street East, Acton Boulevard, Peel Street and Perth Street received a letter from the Town last week informing them that Al- Pak Construction Services of Milton was no longer in business, and that the Town is determining how to complete the work begun last year. The $1.6 million joint Town/Region project in- cluded resurfacing Mill Street East from Wel- lington Street to Acton Boulevard, and recon- struction of Peel Street from Young Street to Wel- lington Street and Perth Street from CN tracks to Wallace Street. The Re- gions work included new watermains and sanitary sewers under the roads. The Towns portion of the job was worth $700,000 Continued on page 2 On Monday of this week at 9:40pm, Halton Regional Po- lice Criminal Investigations Unit stopped a vehicle on Church Street in Acton. Fol- lowing a search of the vehicle the police discovered mari- juana, cocaine, Ecstasy and crystal methamphetamine. The driver was in possession of two prohibited weapons, a knife and brass knuckles, as well. Charged with four counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, two counts of pos- session of a concealed weapon and two counts of possession of a prohibited weapon is 27 year-old Joseph Saragaco of Poplar Ave. Saragaco is being held for bail and as a result of the traffic stop on Monday, the Regional Drug Bureau assisted with a search warrant of the accused residence on Tuesday and found further evidence. Acton man charged with trafficking DAFFODIL DAYS: April is Cancer Awareness Month and canvassers will be out in full force selling daffodils to raise funds to help fight this devastating disease. Linda Neary (left) and Rena Arbic were at Blooms Away on Tuesday to start the official Cancer Campaign Kick-off. Daffodils will be on sale for $7 a bunch or $12 for two bunches. - Traci Gardner Photo Seven laid off at Purity Life Slumping sales forced Actons Purity Life Health Products a division of Sun- Opta Inc. to lay off seven employees recently, includ- ing four of who had been with the firm for more than 15 years. We hope that when the business conditions come back, we will be able to bring people back, said Pur- ity founder David Chapman on Friday, adding a couple of people took early retire- ment. Chapman, who said the length of the layoffs, will depend on when the econ- omy rebounds, said it was not an easy decision to see staff go from almost every department. Its peoples lives and we feel very badly when we have to say goodbye to people. It certainly affects them, he said, adding the retailers that buy from SunOpta/Purity are cutting back their inventories because they are fearful of the economy. Historic Churchill Church has a new minister. See page 5 La Vielle Auberge is now Heaven on 7 Story on page 11 When youre a Mur- phy you gotta be Irish? See Seniors Recreation column on Page 8