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OPINION When it comes to the proposed Keswick Sutherland School it appears the only thing people can agree on is to disagree. Several neighbours living near the planned private school on Eighth Line appeared before Halton Regional Council and offered varying opinions on the school and the safety of their roadway. The school has proven to be a lightning rod for ongoing, and often wildly disparate, opinons over the past two years. While some characterized the school as a benefit to the community, others viewed it as unwanted and unnecessary. Some residents said they feared for their lives while traversing Eighth Line, often jumping into the ditch to avoid traffic and not being able to safely exit their dri- veways. They indicated more traffic would only make things worse. Others, however, pointed to the fact the road was used recently as a bypass while work was done on Trafalgar Road, and no great catastrophe occurred despite increases in traffic that would be greater than any a new school would bring. But the disagreements dont end with the neigh- bours. Town of Halton Hills staff and Halton Region staff have both given the stamp of approval to the proposed school. However, their bosses (i.e. Town councillors and Regional councillors) have solidly ignored the staff recommendations. Amidst all this point-counterpoint are concerns about busing, water use, compliance to the Towns Official Plan, where kids will keep their lunches, where they will come from, how big the school/eques- trian centre will actually get, etc. In all likelihood it will be left to the Ontario Municipal Board to sift through all the rhetoric, hyste- ria, studies, etc. and determine whether or not this school is finally built. Oh, and because no one seems to be able to agree on much, the end result will be a hefty bill for the tax- payers of Halton. Irreconcilable differences? Steve Nease LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear editor, It was gratifying to see so many people from Norval at the council meeting on Monday, May 26. We heard from many of the same people, but a few new voices were added as well. I made the suggestion at the meeting that the brothers (Steve and George) who own The Carpet Palace sell the property to the people of Norval. We would repair and restore it and turn it into a museum. Norval is one of the most historic places in Halton with a rich history and that building is the oldest remaining post office. It seems to be a good fit. The brothers would rather not sell, but if theyre thinking clearly, they have no advantage by staying there. The Carpet Palace gets little walk-in traffic from Norval. Once this is finished I would imagine theyll get even less. If we offer market value, they can take the money they had planned to spend on a new building, plus the money they get from us and move into something quite adequate for their needs. Norval will finally have a place where we can showcase all of our important artefacts. The Community Association will have a place to sell their seeds and plants and the ladies of the Womens Institute will have a starting point for their walking tours. A museum at the four corners would add to the her- itage of the village, especially if it was housed in one of our oldest buildings. We should thank Steve and George for creating a cause that finally brought all of the disparate groups together. For the first time in many a while, were all the same page. Stephanie Crammond, Norval Carpet store could become a museum Letters to the editor must include an address and daytime telephone number. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 200 words and may be edited for content and/or length. 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Phone: 905-873-0301 Fax: 905-873-0398www.independentfreepress.com Something bugging you? What do you think? Below are the results of our most recent online poll. For the current poll go to www.independentfreepress.com LCBO stores have announced plans to stop using plastic bags. Would you be more inclined to use their paper bags or bring your own bag to the store? I will use the LCBO's paper bags (33%) I will bring my own bags (67%) The Independent & Free Press is published Wednesday and Friday and is one of several Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE INDEPENDENT & FREE PRESS 6 Acton/Georgetown, Friday, May 30, 2008 Dear editor, Re: Community Unity Day 2008 Thank you to all who participated for making our first ever Community Unity Day a great success. It was an amazing day and we are definitely going to be doing it again next year. We had wonderful feed- back from the community. The seniors raved about the tea room and said they were treated like royalty there. The parents loved the barbe- cue and the music and the kids all left with huge smiles on their painted faces with their crafts and balloon animals in hand. It was a really won- derful afternoon at Cedarvale Park. Our yard clean-up crews were able to help more than 30 families in need that morning and left their yards looking fabulous. We want to extend a huge thank you to all the businesses in town that generously sponsored the event, which enabled us to offer the entire day free of charge to the community. We were truly blessed by your help. The CUD 2008 Organizing Committee Dear editor, On behalf of the Halton Hills Mayors Youth Action Committee, I would like to extend many thanks to the people who provided support for this years fifth Annual Youth Recognition Awards and seventh Annual Art Competition. The event was a great success with more than 25 youths from Halton Hills being recognized for their community involvement and talent. We would like to take this oppor- tunity to extend our utmost appreci- ation and gratitude to those who took the time to nominate these youths from Halton Hills for their outstanding community contribu- tions. It is due to your support, time and effort that they were able to receive the acknowledgment they deserve. It is amazing to know that these youths are not only being noticed for their actions, but that they are also being encouraged by caring and sup- portive adults in their lives. Thank you for helping to promote a positive image of youth in our community. Jen Davis, Recreation Programmer, Town of Halton Hills Unity Day a success Support for youths greatly appreciated