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12 Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, July 23, 2008 Peter Hodgson (left) chairman of Georgetown District High School fundraising committee, presents the winner of this years Glen Williams Canada Day Duck Race, Ron Nelson, with the grand prize. Nelson won a pearl necklace from Brilliant Gold Jewelry, a mans watch from Fire and Ice Jewelry Emporium, a Georgetown print by local artist William Band, a sea- sons subscription to the George- town Little Theatre, lunch for two from Main Street Inn, an in-home fitness session from Fitness 2 You, and a glass vase by Doug Scott of Glen Williams Glass Works Gallery, for a total prize package of $1,315. Submitted photo Just ducky The Region is cutting back on part of its dental finan- cial assistance program. The move, decided by regional council last Wednesday, comes as a result of the overwhelming response the municipality has received this year for its Dental Care Counts (DCC) program. A staff report to the health and social services com- mittee last week states 67 per cent of this years budget for the DCC program was used up in the first five months of 2008 alone. Last year, only 63 per cent of the budget was spent throughout the entire year. DCC is in place to ensure older adults and adults with special needs have access to oral care, the report states. The majority of the funds so far this year and where the unexpected increase has occurred have gone toward new dentures (60 per cent). The approved budget for this year the same as last year is $130,000. In the first five months of this year, $87,000 was already incurred, with $94,000 approved for clients but not yet incurred, meaning more than the entire years budget has already been spent. In response to the unexpected number of people tak- ing advantage of DCC, regional council passed a motion Wednesday to not approve any new dentures and to limit denture care to relines and repairs from August 1 to December 31. Other services will continue. The total cost of this option by the end of 2008 will be $265,000, as opposed to the $406,000 it would cost to remain on the same path as the first five months of the year. Popularity of dental program forces Region to cut assistance The Region is calling on the Province to consider putting a deposit on pop cans and water bottles to help reduce littering. A motion to that effect, made by Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette, was passed by regional council at its meeting last Wednesday. At last weeks planning and public works committee meeting, Bonnette said he thinks a deposit on cans and bottles would help keep local roads cleaner. If you had a five or 10-cent deposit, youd have peo- ple going out with bags and filling them right up, he said. Burlington Councillor John Taylor pointed out that taking pop cans out of the Blue Box stream could impact the Regions revenues from recycling. Cans are the most valuable thing in our Blue Box, he noted. But Bonnette said he still thinks its the right thing to do to combat litter. Halton Hills Councillor Clark Somerville voiced his support for the motion at council Wednesday, noting that Ontarios deposit/return system is years behind. The motion passed by council asks Regional Chair Gary Carr to write to the Province requesting considera- tion of such a deposit. The resolution will also be forwarded to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and all munici- palities in the province seeking their support. Region supports Bonnettes motion to ask Province for can/bottle deposit Halton Hills Committee of Adjustment approved a minor variance application related to the proposed Acton Medical Centre in Acton. The proposed centre, at 63 Church St., was originally designed to be built as a two-storey building, but that has now been changed to a one-storey building, which requires a larger lot coverage. The variance requests the maximum lot coverage be changed from 35 per cent to 44 per cent. Glenn Wellings, planning representative for the cen- tres developer, Dr. Nather Alshakarji, said once road widening was taken from the revised building site plan submission, it no longer met the lot coverage require- ments. The Committee of Adjustment noted there were no objections from the Town of Halton Hills planning com- mittee, other agencies or surrounding property owners. By Cynthia Gamble, staff writer Variance granted for medical centre