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www.independentfreepress.com Ted Brown............ 10 Sports .................... 15 Calendar ............... 16 Directory ...... 19, 20 Classifieds ....22, 23 50 Cents (+ GST) Circulation: 22,800 LIBRARY TAKING SHAPE Take a look at the new Acton branch as it nears completion PAGE 5 BABIES 2010 Look inside today's special section for last year's new arrivals 4-PAGE SECTION 48 Pages IND THE INDEPENDENT & FREE PRESS Gerrits set to fly high in 2011 THURSDAY, Halton Hills' award-winning newspaper January 6, 2011 Study shows its best to have a heart attack in Halton Region By CHRISTINA COMMISSO Metroland Media Group If you're going to go into cardiac arrest, statistics show it's best to do so in Halton. The region is ahead of the pack in terms of cardiac arrest survival rates and health professionals are attributing much of that success to a pilot program which sees heart attack or cardiac arrest patients bypass emergency rooms and go straight to the operating table. "This is the future of what helps survival of heart attacks and cardiac arrest," said Dr. Sheldon Cheskes from the Sunnybrook-Osler Centre for Prehospital Care during a recent regional health and social services meeting. The program sets a goal of 90 minutes or less from paramedic contact to angioplasty surgery. The procedure sees the widening of a narrow or obstructed blood vessel by using an empty balloon to pass through the heart vessel, then inflating it to crush the fatty deposits and open up the vessel. See HALTON, pg. 7 Arenas decision on ice By CYNTHIA GAMBLE Staff Writer Citing the need for a "second sober thought", Halton Hills budget committee deferred, in a 7-4 vote, approval of any capital budget items related to future arenas in the 2011 budget. Budget committee-- all members of council-- began discussion on the 2011 capital budget and 2012-2020 capital forecast Tuesday night. The big ticket item-- $29 million-- for the night was the plan to build three arenas before 2014-- a twin pad at Mold-Masters SportsPlex and the twinning of the Acton Arena. But it was the financing strategy to pay for the arenas, which shocked some councillors-- it would require the Town to go $25 million into debt-- and most of that would be property tax debt. The deferral, proposed by Wards 3&4 Regional Councillor Jane Fogal, will be for one month until staff can come back See PRICETAG, pg. 3 REFINANCING? PURCHASING? Acton area resident Travis Gerrits who's considered a legitimate contender for the 2014 Olympics in Russia earned silver and gold medals at the recent NorAm Cup freestyle aerial skiing competition at Penticton B.C.'s Apex Mountain. Gerrits posted personal bests to help Canada sweep the event. For full story see page 15. Photo by Mike Ridewood/Canadian Freestyle Ski Association ANNUAL JANUARY SALE 3 YEAR VARIABLE. CALL FOR DETAILS. 2.2% BOB WOODS, Broker PA I N T · WA L L PA P E R · L I G H T I N G · H O M E D E C O R GEORGETOWN MARKETPLACE MALL Find us on 905-877-4193 FSCO #10259 Division of 1490845 Ont. Ltd. All Interior Paint Finishes on Sale (905) 877-1490 360 Guelph St., Georgetown