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THE NEW TANNERTHURSDAY, APRIL 05, 2018 3THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, APRIL 05, 20182 Halton Region is enhan- cing its Blue Box program to make recycling easier for residents, reduce neighbourhood litter on windy days and contribute to regional waste reduc- tion. Starting the week of April 2, all Halton resi- dents, businesses and facilities are able to re- cycle plastic bags (e.g., grocery bags, newspaper bags) and plastic over- wrap (e.g. packaging on cases of pop or bathroom tissue). Residents in sin- gle family households also have more options for curbside recycling collection. Starting the week of April 2, residents can choose to place re- cyclables in clear plastic bags, continue to use the Blue Box only, or use a combination of both. This will not only provide more options to suit your house- hold, but help to reduce recyclables that become litter on windy days. "By providing more curbside recycling op- tions and adding more acceptable items, Halton is keeping our neighbour- hoods clean and reducing community waste," said Gary Carr, Halton Region- al Chair. "Investments in customer service and program enhancements ensure that resident needs are met and that Halton is sustainable for future gen- erations." Halton Region is en- couraging residents to consider these tips when managing household re- cycling: • If continuing to use the Blue Box only, bundle all clean plastic bags and overwrap into one bag and tie shut before placing with other re- cyclable materials. This will help prevent plastic bags littering neigh- bourhoods on windy days. • All recyclable plastics should be rinsed, clean and dry. • Plastic bags and over- wrap should be free of receipts, newspapers, cardboard or food be- fore placing in the recycling. • There is no limit to the number of plastic bags or Blue Boxes collected each week. To learn more about curbside recycling col- lect ion programs or acceptable items, visit halton.ca/bluebox. You can also manage your waste collection ser- vices online or through your mobile device. Visit halton.ca/waste or download the OneHalton app to sign up to receive weekly waste collection reminders--email, phone or Twitter--use the Put Waste in its Place online sorting tool or sync your schedule to your personal calendar. By: Vivien Fleisher Economic Develop- men t and Corpora te Policy Advisor Damien Szybalski walked Halton Hills Mayor Bonnette and council through the highlights of a March 19 report on the state of the local economy, de- voting a good part of it to the perceived bad press coming out about downtown Acton. Say- ing town staff has been working closely with the BIA and new manager Dianne Gowland--who was in attendance--Szy- balski rhymed off the list of tasks underway aimed at revitalizing the down- town, such as completion of the strategic plan, re- branding, new logo, a soon to be launched web- site, marketing plan and streetscape. This multi- pronged effort is a bid to revitalize the downtown and remedy the vacant store issue, with short- term actions designed to drive traffic and invest- ment into the area. He explained there has been significant public interest, describing the efforts as "a solid foundation that has been laid for the down- town area including the strategic plan approved late last year, and this plan is being implemented very actively by the BIA and by the town. New businesses are starting to invest in the area, injecting new posi- tive energy, and some of those vacancies are start- ing to be filled and there's more coming." Szybalski added that it's compli- mented by significant investment in the sur- rounding area, including the Futura investment at 340 Main St. North, as well as the residential development at 125 Mc- Donald Blvd. As well, the private-sector-funded Community Improve- ment Program downtown has had significant uptake, and since its inception, the town has allocated $300,000 in funding. In conjunction with the Pur- ity Life expansion, Acton has seen significant in- dustrial investment in the past year to the tune of 34 million dollars altogeth- er. The overall outlook in the Region of Halton was positive, with three-billion dollars in construction ac- tivity in 2017. At the end of the pres- entation, Councillor Mike Albano complimented Szybalski on the commit- tee's hard work on behalf of not just Acton, but all of Halton Hills. Fur- ther, he added, "For the past couple of weeks… the press have painted a negative picture of our downtown Acton, but what the press omitted to print are all the posi- tive (things) that you just talked about and all the hard work that staff and the BIA have undertaken for the past couple years. Yeah, sure, we've experi- enced some vacant stores, but were not alone and I'm sure other commun- ities have experienced the same issues." Albano attributed some of the losses to online shopping but expressed confidence that an extensive plan is well underway via re- branding and the new logo and website, and that the Town was working to address vacant stores but did not provide details. He said the goal of mak- ing Acton a destination could not be achieved "when there's an oppos- ition being done… If all the negatives being print- ed could be turned into positives, then everyone could benefit." Councillor Somerville agreed, not- ing it was interesting to track online suggestions by residents, but that the BIA was really moving forward. Mayor Bonnette was pleased at the very positive report. Our Services Include: • Full & Partial Dentures • Precision BPS® & Implant Retained Dentures • Repairs & Relines in our In-House lab The denture that fits their lifestyle. Present, Past & Future 130 Mill St. E. Unit 103 Acton 519-853-0079 No Referral Necessary DE MELO CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS CENTRE Dr. Dave de Melo, Chiropractor Amanda Pickering, Reg. Massage Therapist 519-853-3460 DEMELOWELLNESS.COM • SAFE, GENTLE CHIROPRACTIC CARE • EMERGENCIES & WORKERS COMP ACCEPTED • NEW PATIENTS WELCOME 25 Main Street North, Acton Across from Giant Tiger Plaza Please join us along with friends and love ones for a light lunch, refreshments and fond memories.  Best wishes only  50 th Wedding Anniversary for George & Barb Forrest Acton Legion 15 Wright Ave. Friday April 20 7 p.m. 90 th Birthday Please drop in to help us celebrate Shirley (Kentner) McKeown's Sunday, April 8, 2018 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Acton Legion - 15 Wright Ave. No Gifts Please - Just Well Wishes Halton Region announces enhancements to its Blue Box recycling program Report on State of Halton Hills' Economy NEW STORE: Acton's new Dollarama opened last Wednesday, March 28 in the Market Place Plaza at 372 Queen Street. - Dawn Brown photo