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Ask Questions. Get Answers. Ask the Professionals E-mail your questions to: features@independentfreepress.com SPRIGGS INSURANCE BROKERS LIMITED 8 WESLEYAN ST., GEORGETOWN, ON L7G 2E1 Tel: (905) 877-5113 Fax: (905) 877-4695 Web: www.spriggs.ca E-mail: georgetownoffice@spriggs.ca We represent many of the largest insurance companies in Canada. Contact us today for a no-obligation quote. Q:Now that the boating season is starting, what are thelicensing rules? A:As per the Pleasure Craft rules, it is required that oper-ators of pleasure craft fitted with a motor and used for recreational purposes have proof of competency on board at all times. These requirements are being phased in over ten years. As of September 15, 1999 all operators born after April 1, 1983 must carry a Pleasure Craft Operator Card. As of September 15, 2002, all operators of craft, under 4 metres (13 feet) in length, including personal watercraft must carry a Pleasure Craft Operator Card. As of September 15, 2009 all operators will be required to carry a Pleasure Craft Operator Card. It would be prudent to carry at least liability coverage on your boat. Always talk with your broker about this. Because of the many benefits of gardening for seniors, we are offering the following gardening suggestions instead of answering a question this month: Carry a whistle or cell phone. Check medications for reactions to the sun. Garden early or late in the day to avoid the heat. Use faucets the enable turning water on and off easily. Raised beds or beds that are no more than four feet wide are easier to tend. Try vertical planting using trellises or walls. Hanging baskets can be raised/lowered by using pulleys; containers are easier to move if on castors. Wide, level, garden paths allow for safer walking and permit use of labour- saving carts. Buy equipment that makes gardening easier such as light, large-gripped, ergonomically designed tools, kneeling benches with sides and garden wagons. Paint the handles of your tools a bright, easy-to-see colour. Purchase the materials in smaller packages to avoid the stress of lifting heavy bags. The water source should be near the garden and use a soaker hose, as water weighs eight pounds per gallon. In the heat, wear lightweight, loose fitting clothes of cotton, wide-brimmed hats and of course, sunscreen. Take time to smell the flowers. 222 Mountainview Rd. N. Bus: (905) 877-1800 Georgetown, ON L7G 3R2 Fax: (905) 873-9083 www.mountainviewresidence.com uschi@golden.net Christoph SummerOwner/Administrator Mountainview Residence owned and operated by the Summer family Ask The Professionals SUSAN S. POWELL BARRISTER & SOLICITOR FAMILY LAW 350 RUTHERFORD RD. S. (Plaza 2, Suite 320) on the Corner of Steeles & Rutherford 905-455-6677 Q:My husband and I have separated. We want tohave a Separation Agreement but my husband does not want to pay a lawyer to prepare it. Can we do it on our own? A:In order to have a valid Separation Agreement youneed to have full financial disclosure from each other which is done by each of you preparing a Financial Statement and swearing in the presence of a commissioner (usually a lawyer) that the statement is true. You also both need to obtain independent legal advise from your own lawyer. The Separation Agreement must also be in writing and dated and signed by the parties in the presence of witnesses. If you are missing any of the criteria then the Separation Agreement is weakened and could possibly be overturned in the future by the court. It is best to make notes for your lawyer setting out what you and your husband agree upon and the lawyer will draft the Separation Agreement and ensure your rights are being protected and help you to negotiate any issues that you are unable to agree upon with your husband. Susan S. Powell GERALD ROSS Practical solutions for peak performance 905-873-7677 318 Guelph St., Georgetown Indoor Mall next to Harveys H.B.Sc. PT, MCPA, res.CAMT ROSS PHYSIOTHERAPY SOLUTIONS Q:I think I train for my running properly but Irecently developed pain with running. What could the problem be? A:Heres a neat trick. Enter 6 months (or whateveryou have) of your recorded run times on a spread- sheet and your run distances on another. Hit the graph- ing tool to see if your distances progress and taper in a manner that your training program recommends. If it does then try this same exercise with average speed (your daily distance over time). If there are sud- den and large differences throughout the graph then your training may be overwhelming your bodys ability to adapt resulting in overuse injuries. It is easy to forget about those runs that took you farther than planned because you had extra time available or you felt extra strong that day. 211 Guelph St., Suite #5 Georgetown L7G 5B5 905-873-8400 www.haltonspeech.com Karen MacKenzie-Stepner Q:As a parent, how can I tell if I should be concerned about mychilds stuttering? A:Stuttering begins gradually in the young child. Most children between theages of 2-5 may become dysfluent as they begin to put sounds, words and sentences together. It is important for parents to recognize the difference between stuttering and the normal hesitancies which all children will occasionally show. Stuttering is an involuntary repetition, prolongation or blockage of a word or part of a word that a person is trying to say. Children who stutter know what they want to say, yet in spite of all their efforts, they are unable to say the words smooth- ly and effortlessly. Normal childhood dysfluency is seen as a child is learning to master certain sounds, vocabulary and sentence structures while exposed to social pressures of talking. As your child tries to explain something to you, he/she may come to a point where they are unable to find the words they want to say and may end up groping, repeating helplessly and in many cases may give up entirely. This often happens when children are trying to use a new word or talking about something which they are not familiar with. If your child tries to do this when he is confused, hurried or excited; if he is afraid that you or someone will interrupt him; if he is aware that you are not listening or is not pleasing you with his talk, one can understand why your childs speech may not be smooth. Concern with stuttering becomes evident when the child is overly troubled about their speech and expresses anxiety about the way they talk. If signs of tension when speaking are observed, this may also identify a child who is at risk for devel- oping stuttering behaviors. Most importantly, if the child begins to shy away or avoid talking situations because of fear of stuttering, parents should be concerned. Feel free to contact our Centre for information and/or availability of videotapes on dysfluency from our lending library or visit our website at www.haltonspeech.com Elayne M. Tanner B.A., B.S.W., M.S.W., R.S.W., DIP. SOC. ADM. Counselling & Psychotherapy Milton 905-854-0801 www.etasolutions.com Elayne M. Tanner Elayne Tanner & Associates Inc. Q:My boyfriend has not seen his 20-year-old daughter in three years.Had he realized sooner what was happening, he might have been able to get her into therapy. By the time he recognized it she was 16 and refused to participate. Is this parental alienation syndrome? Q:It sounds like this could be parental alienation syndrome. Parental alienationsyndrome is complex with symptoms that include: - A persistent, not occasional, rejection or denigration of the parent by the child. - Rejection that is irrational and not a reasonable response to the alienated parents behaviour. - No ambivalent feelings demonstrated by the child. - The use of language by the child that tends to be strikingly similar to the alien- ating parent and often the language is inappropriate for the age of the child. - Unconditional alignment by the child with the alienating parent. - A lack of guilt or sensitivity by the child to the alienated parents feelings. Gifts are often rejected. - The alienation often spreads not just to the other parent, but also to his family, friends, etc. If you suspect you are becoming a victim of parental alienation syndrome dont reject your child to retaliate and dont let your ex dictate when you will see them the time will never be right. Dont ignore or dismiss your childs feelings or accuse them of just repeating what they have been told. Dont loose your temper, act too aggressive, or harshly criticize your children and dont bad-mouth your ex. Lastly, you are right, counselling as soon as possible may avoid the situation. HELPING YOU HELP YOURSELF 14 Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Community Calendar Thursday, May 15 Bang-O-Rama/Kids Fun Fair advance tickets: The Georgetown Hospital Volunteer Association will be selling advance sale Ride All Day passes for the upcoming Kids Fun Fair, May 17-19 at the Georgetown Fairgrounds. Passes are only $17 each (compared to $26 at the gate). Tickets will be sold at a booth near Wal-Mart, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Info: www.kidsfunfair.ca Kinette Open House: Kinette Club of Acton hosts an Open House at the Acton Legion for fellowship, 7-9 p.m. Ballinafad euchre: Ballinafad Hall Board hosts euchre at the Ballinafad Community Centre, 7:30 p.m. Cost: $3 per player. Light lunch, coffee and tea served. Barbecue: Community Living North Halton holds a fundraiser barbecue at Georgetown Price Chopper every Thursday, 5:30- 8:30 p.m. (weather permitting). Small business help: A professional business consultant from Halton Regions Business Development Centre will be available to help you start a small business or expand your existing small business. Register for a free one-hour consultation at 1-866-4HAL- TON or busdev@halton.ca Healthiest Babies Possible: Is there a baby in your future? Halton Region Health Department Healthiest Babies Possible pre- natal program is accepting registration for its six-week program Thursdays at Ontario Early Years Centre-Georgetown, 96 Guelph St. To register: 1-866-442-5866. Info: www.halton.ca. Cocaine Anonymous: a 12-step based fellowship meets Thursdays, 7 p.m. at Sacre-Coeur Church, 39 Guelph St., Georgetown (use back door basement). This meeting is open to all people who might have difficulties overcoming their addiction to cocaine and any other drugs. Info: Cocaine Anonymous, toll free: 1-866-622- 4636 or www.ca.org. Georgetown Runners: are a group of local runners who meet at the Gellert Centre, 10241 Eighth Line, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays. Current members vary in fitness levels from the novice who is just beginning a new running/fit- ness program, to the more seasoned athlete who is train- ing for an event. All are welcome to join the runs of varying distance and time. Visit www.georgetownrun- ners.ca or call Jim Baidacoff, 905-702-1162. Friday, May 16 Movie Madness: 12 p.m. in both Georgetown and Acton library branches. Kids can bring their lunch and munch to the movies. Free but limit- ed spaces. PA Day Leisure Swim: 2-3 p.m. at both Gellert and Acton pools. (Regular admission and admittance policy apply.) Call Acton Pool, 519-853-3140 or Gellert Pool, 905-877-4244. Family Storytime: This free 30- minute program for grownups and young children to enjoy together includes stories, music and lots of fun, Fridays, 10:30 a.m. at the Gellert Centre. Friday night euchre: 7:30 p.m. at Georgetown Legion. Admission: $2. More CALENDAR, pg. 23 The Georgetown Bread Basket (food bank) is running low on the following items: canned pasta, canned stews and chilis, skim milk powder, regular tea, baby food (jars of fruits), and fruit juice, vegetables, and cereal boxes. If you can help with these items, please put them into the drop box at any of the grocery stores and food bank volun- teers will pick them up, or drop off at the Georgetown Bread Basket at 55 Sinclair Ave., Unit 12 on Wednesdays or Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Bread Basket running low on items