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THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2011 THE NEW TANNER 5 GRAPEVINE O Canada Canada's 144th birthday will be celebrated in style tomorrow (Friday) with parades, food, fun, family activities and lots of birthday cake. The annual Glen Williams Canada Day festivities kick off at 8 a.m. with a community breakfast, followed by a village baseball game, a parade ­ featuring the Acton Citizens Band ­ a walking tour; out-door concert and the annual Duck Race in the Credit River. The fun begins at 5 p.m. in Acton's Prospect Park with a kids' bicycle parade, followed by opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. at the Rotary bandshell. The winner of the Acton Idol contest will be chosen and there will be cake, courtesy of Sobeys. At dusk, the Acton Firefighters Association stages its annual fireworks display. Details are available at www.downtownacton.ca Safe swimming Canada Day partiers in Prospect Park will be able to safety take a dip in Fairy Lake to cool down ­ the latest water testing at the Old Beach found acceptable levels of bacteria, meaning the water is safe for swimming and water play. The Old Beach had been unsafe for swimming because of high bacteria levels since Halton's Health Department began testing at the beginning of June. To find out which Halton beaches have been closed due to high bacteria levels, call 1-866442-5866 or visit www.halton. ca/beaches. The beach hotline is updated weekly. Volunteers wanted Want to get your feet wet and learn about the Credit River watershed at the same time? Credit Valley Conservation is looking for volunteers willing to help at the Check Your Watershed Day , on July 16. Twenty-five teams will take surveys of stream crossings in the Halton Hills, Erin, Caledon and Orangeville areas. The data will create a "snap shot" of the health of the Credit River. A short training session will be offered. Register at www.eventbrite.com/event/1735289297 See = learn Acton Kindergarten teacher Debbie Mashinter extols the virtues of early eye examinations in a video on the Eye See... Eye Learn program website which encourages parents of Junior Kindergarten children to have their eyes tested, for free. The program worked well with five Ontario school boards ­ including Halton ­ and will be expanded by 14 additional schools this fall and to the entire province by 2015. In her video, Mashinter, a teacher at McKenzie-Smith Bennett School, explains that good vision is key to learning and healthy development. Through the Eye See...Eye Learn program all Junior Kindergarten students in the participating regions are eligible to receive a free comprehensive eye exam by an Ontario Association of Optometrist member (covered annually by OHIP) and a free pair of brand new, high quality eyeglasses, if needed. For more information on the Eye See...Eye Learn program, visit www.EyeSeeEyeLearn.ca or call 1-800-540-3837. Yoga time Acton's FoodShare and the Links2Care backpack program will benefit from non-perishable food and cash donated by people taking part in the third annual Yoga in the Park classes, which begin July 7, from 7 to 8 p.m., in Prospect Park. Offered by Staying Alive Fitness, all levels of skill are welcome and no experience is necessary. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m., and mats are available to rent for $2. For details call 519-853-2650. NASA Tweetup Acton artist Lar deSousa is one of 150 people chosen to attend the NASA Tweetup for Last Space Shuttle Launch on July 7 and 8 at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. deSousa, and the other Tweeters, were selected through a lottery, and will interact with NASA Shuttle technicians, engineers, astronauts, managers and social media team to help publicize what will be the final launch of Atlantis. deSousa said as a "science and sci-fi geek," this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Information on the NASA Tweetup is available at http:// www.nasa.gov/connect/tweetup/index.html and deSousa's Tweets can be found at twitter. com/lartist FREEWAY FIGHT: The Town's battle against a proposed freeway slicing across prime agricultural land in south Halton Hills includes this postcard, which Mayor Rick Bonnette hopes will help convince the province to reconsider its proposals. Thanks for the acts of kindness Dear Editor, I'm the middle-aged woman hurt in a bike/ car accident recently. I know that a few weeks ago we had a week dedicated to Acts of Kindness and I am positive that we all showed kindness to one another, but for me I was shown how the citizens of Acton are kind and considerate even when we are not asked to be. On June 8, I was hit by a pick up truck and I was on my bike and somehow, I was able to push off the drivers truck and landed on the road. A woman came to my side to keep me calm, a young teenager brought me water and another man directed traffic so I wouldn't get hit again. I think I thanked them, but if I didn't, I'd like to take this opportunity to say thanks for making a traumatic time easier. To the quick responding ambulance attendants and police officers, thank The fluoride garbage dump To the Editor, If I told the people in Halton that their water was being used as a garbage dump, most would not believe me. It is hard to understand, but it is fact. According to my research 365,000-lbs of fluoride is dumped into Halton`s water supply each year. For this, tax payers love paying $150,000 or so yearly. Consider if you had to dispose of fluoride. It is a toxic waste you for your assistance and compassion, I apologize for not going to the hospital right away (its the European blood in me). To my neighbour and friend, thank you for making me go to the hospital and finding out that I had a fracture in my foot and muscle damage in my left shoulder, made it easier to sleep knowing that my injuries weren't going to kill me. To everyone who has helped me with my groceries, holding doors and well wishers, I thank you. I am very proud to be part of such a great community and to know that the citizens of Acton can be kind 24/7 and that even though we had a Random Acts of Kindness week, we will always be kind to others. Signed, A middle-aged woman who will be wearing a bike helmet Ankica Aneta Pejic, Acton, ON Vandalism at Acton High School To the Editor, It seems to me you categorized all the grads as vandals, when in fact a lot of the vandalism was caused by some grade 10's and 11's. You should get your facts straight before you put all the blame on one group of students. This kind of stigma will follow them forever. Signed, A concerned citizen and employee of Acton High Name withheld at writer's request. CORRECTION: Due to incorrect information supplied to The New Tanner, the location for the start of the July 2 prayer walk was wrong is last week's issue. The walk will begin at 2 p.m. at Bethel Church, at the corner of Churchill Road and Queen Street. product, and as I understand it to dispose of it costs around $10,000 a ton. However if you sell it as a tooth fairy saver you get paid for it, instead of paying to dispose of it. Great deal, or what? No wonder the idea of using it for teeth is pushed all over the world by the big companies. And of course they get help from some in the medical community because it makes you sick, even though it may take years for the cancer, thyroid, arthritis etc. to appear. Then, of course, drugs will be prescribed to cure you. Sweet deal ­ or what? Regards, John Shadbolt