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OPINION Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) members were put in an unenviable position last week when they had to tell the friends and family of a young man killed in a tragic accident at a BMX track at Halton Place that the track must be levelled. While nearby neighbours were likely pleased the NEC ruled 12-4 to let stand an earlier restoration order (in effect, to have the track flattened and land restored to its previous condition), there were no winners or losers from this decision. Not when this case involved the death of a young man 20-year-old Tim DaSilva who died two years ago when he was crushed by a roller he was driving while building the course of his dreams. While the NEC decision may seem, on the surface, unfair, it was the right one. The fact the bicycle course was built without a per- mit, on land zoned for agricultural use, cannot be overlooked. NEC member Joan Little said she felt a responsibili- ty for the neighbours of Halton Place who are facing escalating commercialization of this particular proper- ty. Halton Place, is a fabulous facility and a jewel in Halton Hills crown. But the farm is in use for roughly 40 days of the summer for equestrian events (a perfect- ly suitable agricultural use) and adding several BMX events would leave neighbours with little quiet time, Little felt. NEC members obviously concurred. Perhaps a larger issue to consider is how agricultur- al lands are used in the future. Several Halton Hills councillors supported the track last year, allowing for a flexibility in the rules and arguing steps must be taken to make rural areas more economically viable via alternate uses such as the BMX track. We agree, but not at the expense of other rural resi- dents who have to put up with the increased traffic and noise such uses would bring. In this case, others should not have to pay the price because a neighbour chose not to follow proper procedure. A tough call Steve Nease LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear editor, By now many of you may be aware of the profound changes that are taking place at CBC Radio 2. This is the national service that has been renowned for decades for the quality of its classical music pro- gramming. Sadly, in a misguided effort to become relevant to a specific demo- graphic, Radio 2 is to assume a more commercial focus. Classical, or art music, programming will be con- signed to the mid-day where it will no longer be accessible to most working people and children. As of this fall, classical music pro- gramming will be cut from 120 hours/week to 25 hours, there will be no Young Performers or Young Composers Competition, there will be a significant deficit of hosts, pro- ducers and engineers with skills in the area of classical music broadcast- ing, and there will no longer be a national radio orchestra solely com- mitted to commissioning and per- forming new Canadian work. There have already been a number of rallies around the country protest- ing these changes and the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage recently advised CBC management to take another look at their proposed strategies for Radio 2. If you care about the preservation and nurturing of excellence, if you care about stimulating artistic cre- ativity in world full of popular enter- tainment, if you care about providing an opportunity for our countrys young people to learn about its immense artistic legacy, as well as an opportunity for Canadians in every community to access classical music, then please investigate the work that many of this countrys classical artists and organizations are under- taking at www.standonguardforcbc.ca. We owe it to the Glenn Goulds and the Maureen Forresters of our past and to the young prodigies learning their first piano sonatas and arias in every community large and small. We must all stand on guard for the best and the brightest that Canada has to offer. Richard A. Marsella, Georgetown Reader bemoans changes to classical radio 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. E-mail: jmcghie@independentfreepress.com Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1 Publisher Ken Nugent Advertising director Steve Foreman (sforeman@independentfreepress.com) Retail advertising manager Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@independentfreepress.com) Managing editor John McGhie (jmcghie@independentfreepress.com) Distribution manager Nancy Geissler (distribution@independentfreepress.com) ADVERTISING Advertising co-ordinator Jennifer Christie (jchristie@independentfreepress.com) Retail Sales: Jennifer Spencer (jspencer@independentfreepress.com) Brendan Louth (blouth@independentfreepress.com) Amy Sykes (features@independentfreepress.com) Andrea Lefebvre (alefebvre@independentfreepress.com) Brendon Stevenson (bstevenson@independentfreepress.com) Real estate: Sue Spizziri (realestate@independentfreepress.com) Classifieds: Kristie Pells (classified@independentfreepress.com) ACCOUNTING Rose Marie Gauthier, Michelle McEachern EDITORIAL Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@independentfreepress.com) Ted Brown: Photography (tbrown@independentfreepress.com) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@independentfreepress.com) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@independentfreepress.com) PRODUCTION: Mary Lou Foreman, Kevin Powell, Shelli Harrison, Dolores Black, Debbie MacDougall STAFF DIRECTORY Send us a letter! 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 Mayor Rick Bonnette and Halton Regional council have asked the Province to introduce a deposit on pop cans and water bottles in an effort to reduce littering. Do you think a deposit would help stop littering? Yes (41%) No (59%) 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 Dear editor, Re: Support for Keswick Suther- land School. The mystery is solved. Our Town councillors voted unanimously to override the planning departments recommendation re: Keswick Sutherland because they thought it was WRONG. Our Regional councillors thought their planning department was wrong too, so they voted against it. Given that the Regions planning analysis was largely based on our Town planning staffs information, this was no surprise. We elected our councillors to lead. To suggest that they should blindly follow staff recommendations that they thought were made in error is foolish. I suggest that friends of the devel- oper give up berating our mayor and councillors for doing what they think is right. It is called democracy. Lois Fraser, Halton Hills Councillors were right in saying no to school Dear editor, The Georgetown Hospital Volunteer Association held a very successful Strawberry Social on June 25. We would like to thank Allison Farm Market and Andrews Scenic Acres for their donation of the strawberries. Thank you to Donna Brown and the Lions Club of Georgetown who allowed us the use of their Lions Hall. Many thanks to Joyce Tilson and the Lionesses for the use of their table linen and to Jim Connelly and the Royal Ascot for their coffee and tea makers. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped prepare and serve the strawberries. Especially thank you all for com- ing. The winner of the door prize was Marilyn Mason. Iona Lobb, Convener of the Strawberry Social Hospital volunteers say thanks for social support 6 Acton/Georgetown, Friday, July 25, 2008