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OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, July 17, 2009 · 6 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 www.oakvillebeaver.com Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of Media Group Ltd. DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager A parent's worst nightmare No one can imagine the pain and sheer horror Cindy Petrie must have felt as she cradled Jesse Comeau in her arms as he lay dying in her recreation room last Saturday. It was supposed to be a joyous time for a group of young people. Megan Petrie was celebrating her 17th birthday with friends. But within hours, one teen would be dead from multiple stab wounds and two others injured. This was a birthday party to be remembered, but for all the wrong reasons. Petrie -- unlike some parents who would not have been home the night of a teenaged party -- found herself living a nightmare. A young man in her home had his life swiftly taken away. What was racing through her mind when she saw the wounds on those young people? The images, we are sure, will always haunt her and the rest of the party-goers. Petrie must also deal with the horrible truth of knowing that Jesse's parents and extended family now face each day without their son. Anyone at that party could have fallen victim to the violence, but it was Jesse who lost his life that day. He was, by all accounts, a fun-loving teen who enjoyed BMX riding and taekwondo. There are no words that could possibly soothe those who knew and loved Jesse. A child is not supposed to die before their parents. A child is not supposed to be taken in an act of violence. Halton has always been a safe community in which to live. However, that doesn't mean we are exempt from so-called big-city crime. However, we should not lose sight of the fact that Jesse's murder was the first recorded in Halton this year. We should also be thankful that someone is already in custody charged with the crime. Our hearts go out to the Comeau and Petrie families and we hope the young people at the party that fateful night pay heed to the call for public restraint. The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Letter to the editor Cyclists must respect rules of the road While out walking on Sunday, July 12 at approximately 12:10 p.m., I was approaching the four-way stop signs at Glenashton Boulevard and Golden Briar Trail. Cars were dutifully pulling up and taking their turn to cross when, suddenly, a group of about eight or nine cyclists came speeding along Glenashton Boulevard from the direction of Trafalgar Road and went straight across Golden Briar Trail without even slowing. I don't know who was more shocked, the car drivers or myself. The cyclists did not wear numbers or give any indication they were taking part in a race. Even so, surely, they have to obey the rules of the rood. If I or a child had been crossing a few seconds earlier, what would our fate have been? Maybe the cyclists will read this and be more aware of road safety in the future. CAROLE COOMBER Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com.The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. An honest thanks On Saturday, June 27 while enjoying the Waterfront Festival, my friend from St. Catharines had the misfortune of losing his wallet. Some kind person found it and turned it into the staff at the park. All contents were still in it. We would like to send our gratitude to the honest person with our sincere heartfelt thanks. LYNNE CHOQUETTE Green bins no match for raccoons One night recently, just before 9:30 p.m., we watched as a pretty smart raccoon unlatched our green bin, knocked it over, and then entered to enjoy his dinner. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a picture of him on his hind legs working at unfastening the lock because I ran inside to grab my camera. He was a pro. It didn't take more than a minute. At See No page 7 Late night visitor enjoys a snack. BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com Pud Thanks for the help A big thank you to all the people who helped my husband when he took a fall on the platform of the Oakville GO Station on the morning of Friday, July 10. We were touched very much by all your concern and kindness in staying with him until the medics arrived, even though it meant missing your own trains. TERESA VALADARES