The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 04, 2012 Emily Boycott - Gymnastics World Champion Rural Acton's Emily Boycott, 29, was the only member of her family not fazed when s h e w o n t h e Wo r l d Championship Rhythmic Gymnastics title at the recent Down Syndrome International Gymnastic Championships in Leicester, England. With top marks in rope, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon, Emily, a Senior level four competitor, could not be beat; having what her mom and coach Debbie Boycott called an "excellent competition," modelled after the Olympics. "This was the first time that Emily stood at the top of the podium with the Canada flag, and there were two Italian flags on either side, and the Canadian anthem was played ­ that was very emotional," Debbie Boycott said on Monday, just days after returning to Canada from the meet, a family trip, and for some the first time they'd seen Emily compete. While Debbie Boycott was anxious because Emily was debuting two new and more difficult routines, the changes didn't throw Emily off at all, and the judges were "very impressed with her flexibility and fitness level," Boycott said. Pre-competition, Emily, a member of the Oakville Butterflies, spends six hours a week in three training sessions and less time off-season, although she maintains her strength and flexibility year-round. With the World Champion title, Emily is now waiting to hear if she qualified for the provincial Special Olympics Summer Games next July. Following that are the Nationals in British Columbia, and in 2015, Emily hopes to compete at the Worlds, in Los Angeles. "Emily has some pretty stiff competition in Ontario, which is really good. It makes her a better athlete," Boycott said, adding the wins don't faze Emily. "She just carries on. I always don't think that she realizes the significance of her wins. We always just say to her, `Emily, you had a great competition,' but as she gets older and matures, she knows if she forgot an element or if she got confused in her routine." When Emily retires, she plans to become a Rhythmic Gymnastic coach, like her mom, who is head coach of the Oakville Butterflies. THE NEW TANNER 3 POWER & POISE: The fine form shown by Acton's Emily Boycott in this Ribbon routine helped earn her the World Champion title in the Senior Division of Rhythmic Gymnastics at the Down Syndrome International Gymnastics Association competition recently in Leicester, England. ­ Submitted photo Be a hero. Be a voice for affordable housing Halton youth ages 1418 are invited to use their creativity to raise awareness about the importance of the issues of affordable housing and homelessness as part of the annual Be a Hero. Be a Voice for Affordable Housing contest run by Halton Region. The top five winners of this year's contest will win cash prizes for their contest submissions. The top prize is $1,000. The contest runs until October 26 (deadline is 4 p.m.). "Affordable housing is an important issue and it is a vital component of Halton Region's Comprehensive Housing Strategy," said Regional Chair Gary Carr. "The Be a Hero contest helps raise awareness in the community about affordable housing and homelessness and gives youth an opportunity to express their thoughts on these issues in a way that is meaningful to them." Youth participating in the contest can use a variety of art forms to create their contest submission including You Tube videos, stories/poems, comic books, posters, paintings, architectural models, multimedia presentations, photo essays, songs, public service announcements for TV, radio or the internet; the possibilities are endless. New to the contest this year is the option to create You Tube videos as submissions for the contest. You Tube videos will be posted on Halton Region's You Tube channel during the contest period. A new award category has also been added. The secondary school with the highest number of submissions will receive the Be a Hero Spirit Award. All winners will be announced at the Be a Hero awards ceremony on Wednesday, November 21, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Burlington Convention Centre. The keynote speaker for this year's award ceremony i s C r a i g K i e l b u rg e r, co-founder of Free the Children and Me to We. Craig has inspired thousands of youth across the world and has worked with international leaders to raise awareness about poverty and social justice. Craig will share his powerful message of how one person can make a world of difference. To learn more about the contest dial 311 or visit www.halton.ca/beahero IT'S HERE What's Your Beef? Deadline is Tuesday at noon. Put it in a letter to the Editor! It's better than just chewing your cud! 50/50 DRAW Boxes located in the following stores around town: Giant Tiger Acton Pro Shop (inside Arena) Home Hardware Wares Automotive CASH RPIZE UP TO $4000.00 Royal Canadian Legion Branch 197 15 Wright Ave. Acton, ON The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 197 (Acton) is accepting tenders for the 2012/2013 snow plowing, salting and sanding contract. Please email rclbr197@bellnet.ca Attention Pat Graham · Take bag from side of box, · Write name and phone number clearly on bag, · Insert $2.00 into bag and seal · Insert bag into slot in top of box Directions are simple: DRAW DATE: Oct 27/12 6:00PM AT ACTON ARENA Look for prize updates on website www.actonhouseleague.ca