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6 THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2006 EDITORIAL Distributed to every home in Acton and area as well as adjoining communities. 373 Queen Street East, Unit 1 Acton, Ontario L7J 2N2 email: thenewtanner@on.aibn.com Frances Niblock Mike OLeary Angela Tyler Janis Fread Rebecca Ring Publisher Editorial Ted Tyler Hartley Coles Editorial Contributors Advertising and Circulation Composing Marie Shadbolt Bruce Cargill Danielle McIsaac Janine Taylor By Angela Tyler with Hartley Coles (519) 853-0051 Fax: (519) 853-0052 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. Pesticides killer Although we are concerned about the spread of the West Nile virus (WNv), the dead birds and the possibility of infection in humans, the National Audubon Society in the U.S. also points out there is another common hazard we pay little heed to pesticides. A New York State wildlife official discovered that most dead birds (80,000) collected for a study of WNv died from pesticide poisoning rather than the virus. Some birds expired from WNv but the leading cause of death was common lawn chemicals such as Diaznon and Dursban. Like canaries in a coal mine, birds warn of danger in our environ- ment. If these chemicals kill birds, what are they doing to our kids? asks Audubons senior vice president of science, Frank Gill. Pesticides have been linked to a wide range of human health haz- ards from headaches to reproductive harm but so far as we know the dangers from their use has never been authoritatively spelled out. If they are killing birds then they obviously carry some risk for humans. It is difficult to strike a balance between the use of government approved pesticides and the spread of noxious plants but surely the findings in the U.S. deserve more study here to find out how lethal pesticides are to both humans and animals. Truck inspections Mayor Rick Bonnette is rightly concerned that truck traffic, particularly gravel trucks, are trying to avoid weigh scales on Highway 401 and using Actons narrow main street for a bypass. He wants the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to do inspections on trucks entering Acton to send out word its not an acceptable route. Theres no doubt the volume of large trucks using Acton streets has increased considerably in the last year. Whether it is, as the mayor speculates, a manoeuvre to avoid the 401 weigh scales is more than conjecture. Truck traffic blitzes conducted by Halton police and the MTO continually take many of the trucks inspected off the road for safety as well as other violations. The situation along Highway 7 and Regional Road 25 (for- merly Hwy 25) is compounded when collisions occur on 401 and traffic is rerouted. Collisions are occurring almost daily along 401 involving trucks, many of them in the Milton to Guelph Line corridor, or near the James Snow Parkway. Truck drivers use the most convenient routes to avoid collision scenes which often tie up traffic for hours. However, even the fact that negotiating downtown Mill St. in Acton is often a feat that requires skills that tax even the best drivers, the trucks keep coming. Sometimes they alarm others, drivers and pedestrians. As Councillor Mike OLeary pointed out at the last meet- ing of Halton Hills Council measures shouldnt be taken to discourage legitimate traffic serving local business. However, truck inspections in town could do much to make sure the rigs which choose the route through Acton pass safety and other regulations. Downtown Acton was never planned as a major traffic route. Main St. was projected as the main street but because the railway ran through in 1856 when horse and buggy was the main method of transport, Highway 7 followed its route. It has not been built to withstand the heavy volumes of traffic now using it. CHEWING UP THE ROAD: Town council has dedicated two per cent of taxes to improving pave - ment on local roads for three years, but this is the first time the work has involved Acton streets. Graham Brothers turned their big asphalt grinder lose on Acton Boulevard Monday getting rid of the old material preparatory to laying down new. Coun. Jon Hurst, left, Mayor Rick Bonnette, centre, and Coun. Clark Somerville offered a thumbs up to the job which will continue on Norman Avenue, MacDonald Boulevard, Cedar Street and George Street Rather than taking the chewed up asphalt to a plant for recycling, Grahams trucks are taking it directly to Glen Lawson Road where Halton Hills works department crews are spreading and compacting it for the towns own recycling and resurfacing project. Maggie Petrushevsky photo Some words, phrases irritate me Have you ever heard someone say a word or a phrase and think to yourself, That isnt a word, or Why would they say that, it doesnt make sense? Years ago, I remember my sister giving me heck about some of my word choices. Her biggest gripe was the word anyways. She is in- sistent that there is no such word as anyways. The word anyway exists but not the word anyways. I dont know if she is right or not, but, I have corrected my vocabulary and eliminated the plural version of the word from my life. Incorrect words dont really both- er me, yet there are some phrases that drive me batty. I know this lady who, whenever she would leave you, shed say, Have a good one. For months it irked me. Finally, one day, I angrily asked her, Have a good what? She looked at me in shock, wondering what I was talk- ing about and why I was upset. Have a good what? I asked again and I was getting upset. You always say that. Do you want me to have a good day, a good life, a good lunch, a good hair cutWHAT? I was flustered and at the same time felt so much better finally getting it off my chest. The happy-go-lucky lady just shrugged her shoulders and non- chalantly replied, Whatever you likehave a good one, and then she left. Was I the only person bothered by this phrase? I noticed, listening to the Dude while he chats on the telephone, that he has a phrase that really ir- ritates me. I know there is probably lots of things I do or say that irritate him, but I felt it was my responsi- bility as a good wife to tell him he was number two on my fictional list of people who have irritating phrases. One evening while he was talking to one of his friends I finally had to confront him. Then, as the call was coming to an end there it was. Okay talk ta ya. The phrase had been said and the call was complete. My eyes were rolling and Im sure I was groaning. I shot the Dude my best disgusted look. He had the same look of shock that the have a good one lady had. What? he asked me. I cant stand that I declared. Why do you say talk to ya at the end? Why cant you say talk to you later or tomorrow or next month or just bye? His reply was simple. Because I dont know when I will talk to them again. Maybe I was having a bad day. Maybe I was just seeing too much into all this. Anyways, maybe I should just worry about having a good one.