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6 EDITORIAL with Frances Niblock THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012 Dangers of distraction What irony. Flagmen stopped Highway 7 traffic between the Fourth and Fifth Lines on Tuesday morning to protect rubber-necking motorists from the distraction of helicopters flying overhead. A woman, distracted by her cell phone, slammed into the rear of a Town Works department truck that had been stopped by the flagmen. Both the distracted driver and the female Town employee were taken by ambulance to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The young woman told police and a woman, drawn from her house by the sound of the crash, that she was "looking down" at her cell phone in the instant before the accident, which crumpled both vehicles. SPECIAL SERVICE: Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette delivered a hot lunch to Acton Meals Distracted driving can and does have the same horrific on Wheels client Alice Szoke on Tuesday as part of the Mayors for Meals campaign to help fight outcomes as drinking driving, and cell phone use is the seniors' hunger. ­ Frances Niblock photo number one cause of distraction, followed by reaching for quality of life. We Were an object, looking at an object or event outside of the vehicle, ***** · Employee of the Year: Chrisreading and applying makeup. Since we haven't received a tina Kelman, TD Canada Trust, Drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to lot of snow this year, it's easy Acton be in a collision than a driver who is focused on the road. At to see all of the litter that has · Business of the Year: Herminia By Rick Bonnette collected on our streets and in Henderson, Georgetown Market highway speed, a driver sending a simple text message travels Since 2008, our community our neighbourhoods over the Place the length of a football field without looking at the road. has collaborated to make Earth winter. Circle these dates on · Green Award: Heritage Acton Ontario's ban on cell phone use is almost three years old, Hour a success by participating your calendar to help clean-up ***** yet it is all too common to see motorists chatting or texting in this worldwide event by our beautiful town. Congratulations to Laurent while behind the wheel. recognizing the need to take · Friday April 20 - 22 Minute Thibault who was named The fine for a distracted driving conviction is $155, and if a action against global warming. Halton Hills Makeover Georgetown's 2011 Citizen driver challenges the ticket in court, the judge has discretion Turn off any unnecessary · Saturday April 21 - Community o f t h e Ye a r. L a u r e n t h a s to adjust the fine in the range from $60 to $500. lights and reduce your energy Clean-Up Day volunteered on countless Like many things, a hit to the wallet often prompts a consumption on March 31, · Saturday April 28 - Earth Day projects and committees within behaviour change. Why not double the fine and help end the between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Celebration the Town of Halton Hills. He is These practical actions will carnage? ***** an inspiration to all of us. Mayor's Corner Looking Back Ten Years Ago · Town Council butted out of the controversial move towards a 100 per cent smoking ban in favour of provincewide legislation. · Branch 197 of the Royal Canadian Legion celebrated 71 years in Acton. Five Years Ago · News that Halton police had identified 10 crack dealers in the Acton area shocked members of the Acton BIA during a briefing by Acton's Village Constable. · RBC Royal Bank filed a site plan application with the Town for a new branch in the Sobeys plaza in Acton East. again demonstrate that it is possible to take meaningful local action against climate change. Building on our past successes, it is important that we take actions throughout the year to benefit the environment. I once again encourage the participation of our residents, businesses and community organizations. Participation in Earth Hour will help implement the Town's Green Plan and continue to move all of us towards a more prosperous future with an even higher After nearly 32 years on the job, Joy Thompson has retired from the Town in the position of the Town's Manager of Recreation Services. Everyone at the town and throughout the community will miss Joy's presence and we wish her all the best during her retirement. ***** Congratulations to the winners of the Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce 2011 Business Achievement Awards: · Entrepreneur of the Year: Valerie Leachman, The Way ***** The April residential CAShh campaign is its major source of income. For more information please visit www. cancerassistance.org or call 905-702-8886. Your donation goes a very long way. **** Keeping it real. I can be reached by telephone at 905873-2601, ext. 2342, or by email at mayor@haltonhills.ca or read my blog at www.rickbonnette. blogspot.com or follow me on twitter at: @RickBonnette1 Publisher Ted Tyler Editor Frances Niblock Angela Tyler Distributed to every home in Acton and area, as well as adjoining communities. Every effort will be made to see advertising copy, neatly presented, is correctly printed. The publisher assumes no financial responsibility for typographical errors or omissions in advertising, but will gladly reprint without charge that part of an advertisement in which an error may occur provided a claim is made within five days of publication. All articles, advertisements and graphic artwork appearing in The New Tanner is copyrighted. Any usage, reproduction or publication of these items, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher of The New Tanner is a copyright infringement and subject to legal action. Editorial Contributors email: thenewtanner@on.aibn.com 373 Queen Street East, Unit 1 Acton, Ontario L7J 2N2 Advertising and Circulation Marie Shadbolt (519) 853-0051 Fax: (519) 853-0052 Composing Traci Gardner, Iain Brennan Typesetting Melissa Paul