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•T h e IF P • H al to n H ill s •T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 1 2, 2 01 3 30 Ask the Professionals DIRECTORY "There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self."~ Aldous Huxley DENTISTRY New Patients & EmergenciesWelcome! www.georgetowndental.com 905-877-2273 (CARE) Dr. Anoop Sayal & Assoc. Since 1994 Located inside Georgetown Marketplace Mall HOURS: Mon. 9 am - 8 pm; Wed. 8 am - 8 pm; Tues. & Thurs. 9 am - 6 pm; Sat. 8 am - 3 pm • Bonding • Extractions • Wisdom Teeth • Pola Teeth Whitening • Implants • Asleep Dentistry • Emergencies Seen Same Day Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Separation & Divorce mediation accredited mediators georgetown, brampton, bolton, mississauga, orangeville flexible hourswww.pccs.ca 905-567-8858 1-866-506-pccs (7227) reduce cost & conflict divorce with dignitY and Keep Your moneY in Your pocKet! COACHING AND COUNSELING SERVICES 905-873-9393 info@coachmanon.com Ph.D. Jeff Johnstone jeff.johnstone@rogers.com jeff.johnstone@rogers.com 38 Oak Street, Georgetown, ON MSW, RSW Individual & Couples Counselling 647-965-3404 BUILDING SELF AWARENESS THOUGH COMPASSIONATE DIRECT DIALOGUE Bring you 30 years experience COunSEllIng Q:Why do I have mixed emotions getting ready forChristmas? A:Christmas can be a difficult time of the year. We areoften apprehensive about celebrating Christmas due to the fact that our life circumstances may not allow for a traditional Christmas depicted in the media. As a result, it is very easy to feel down and lonely. When life changes, it is very important to change or alter traditions to fit the new situation. Hanging on to old traditions can make it more difficult to cope with this time of year. See this as an opportunity to create a new tradition for yourself. There are no set rules for what one must do on days like Christmas. The meaning you will give to your day and it's activities depend on you. Another option may be to plan a non-traditional Christmas celebration.Your non-traditional dinner may become a new tradition in itself or it may be a transition to setting new traditions with the years to come. Sharing responsibility for planning the event or cooking a meal is also a good way to decrease the stress which surrounds Christmas. It is alright to ask for help. Not asking for help an feeling resentful after the fact does not help anyone feel good about the celebrations. Having too rigid expectations of what the day should look like can contribute to major disappointments. Be open to surprises and recognize that even on Christmas the unpredictable can happen. Christoph Summer Owner/Administrator 222 Mountainview Rd. N. Georgetown, ON L7G 3R2 Bus: 905-877-1800 Fax: 905-873-9083 www.mountainviewresidence.com Mountainview Residence & Terrace owned and operated by the Summer family Q: I am planning a move into a retirement home. How do I know what I can afford? A: Affordability is a major concern for many. Keep in mind that the cost of retirement homes usually includes all meals, utilities and many services. You will no longer have to pay for hydro, heating costs, groceries, services such as meals on wheels, and help in the home and yard. Municipal taxes on your home will no longer be part of your budget and there will probably be a difference in your house insurance. The first step, therefore, is to calculate all available resources. If you live in your own home, get the expert advice of a professional to appraise its value. (If you have lived in your home for any length of time you may be very pleasantly surprised.) The next step is to determine a monthly budget and if needed, enlist the help of family members or a professional such as your bank advisor. There are many residences from which to choose with many options available.You may be pleasantly surprised at what you can afford. Rookie drag racer Siekierko finishes at the top of his class Local drag racer Greg Siekierko left his competition in a cloud of burnt rubber in 2013 as he earned the overall points title in his full-time debut in a southwestern On- tario racing series. Competing at St. Thomas Raceway Park in Sparta, Ont., the 48-year-old Sieki- erko was the Pro Class points winner in the Messenger Freight Super Series. The series consisted of nine races in which drivers receive points for each round won, with Siekierko making the finals twice and semifinals on three occa- sions to finish with 225 points, 10 ahead of the runner-up. This year was the first full season for Siekierko and his 1987 Ford Mustang, having only attended certain individual races in the past couple of years. "I certainly didn't expect to be the class champion in the first year," said a pleas- antly surprised Siekierko. "The car took seven years to build and there's a lot of patience involved, learning how the car reacts and what combinations work. A lot of it has to do with how quickly the driver reacts to the starting light and being in the series full time helped me feel more comfortable at the start line." Siekierko's racecar was purchased for $300 and transformed from a four-cylin- der "grocery getter" into a full-out drag race car over a five-year period. A maintenance technician with the Ford Motor Company's parts distribution centre in Bramalea, did a lot of the work on the car himself. This included com- pletely gutting the car, installing a full roll cage and strengthening the frame. The big change was to install a Ford 351 Cleveland eight-cylinder engine that was never of- fered in that year of Mustang. The vehicle is now an all-out racecar with only one seat and many safety features required by the rules of the National Hot Rod Association. Siekierko's interest in drag racing began as a youth and he recalled at- tending races at the To- ronto International Drag- way north of Acton. He has been dabbling in the sport for the past 20 years at the track with street driven vehi- cles, but had the desire to go faster and be more competitive. This necessitated the construction of the Mustang, which to date has run its best quarter-mile performance of 11.02 seconds at 123 mph. Siekierko plans to run his Mustang full time again next year at the St. Thomas track. Georgetown's Greg Siekierko (second from right) is presented with the Messenger Freight Super Series Pro Class Championship trophy at the recent awards night by St. Thomas Race- way Park owners Jay & Michelle Morse and their daughter Metzler. Photo by Mike Seguin/Photoguys.ca By EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer