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Family disappointed not to share holiday spirit with neighbours by Michael Gregory Oakville Beaver Staff 47 | Thursday, December 25, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com An Oakville family refuses to let a year of challenges spoil Christmas, even though their attempt at sharing the holiday spirit with neighbours has been thwarted. In February, Christine's (whose last name is being withheld) 17-year-old son suffered a severe concussion as a result of an alleged assault at the hands of two men. The teen was allegedly struck by a car and then involved in an altercation. The case is set to go before the courts in June 2015. "He had pretty bad post-concussion syndrome, to the point that his memory, his speech, everything was affected," she said. Following the incident, and a family separation, the Oakville mom was hoping to find a new start at a local condo with her two sons, but was startled to learn a Christmas tree was not allowed in the lobby. "They (my sons) were looking forward to Christmas because my parents and in-laws live in condos and they do up the whole lobby and when you walk in, it's really festive," she said. The Oakville woman works in the airline industry and recounted a conversation with a passenger who told her he tries to find a way each year for his family to give back to the commu- nity during the holidays. She said many can't decorate their homes, never mind anything else, and wanted to share the Christmas spirit by decorating the lobby of her new home. However, several posts left on the building's laundry room bulletin board asking if others were interested in decorating were removed. She then learned it was part of her building's see Family on p.49 Halton.ca 311 Get Involved, Share Your Ideas Oakville Christmas Day and New Year's Day Household Waste Collection Notice Please Note Collection Day Changes Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Halton Regional Council is currently inviting applications from members of the community to fill positions on the following agencies, boards and committees: · Halton Region Accessibility Advisory Committee · Halton Waste Management Site Advisory Committee · Joint Municipal Regional Waste Management Advisory Committee · Royal Botanical Gardens Board of Directors · Greater Toronto Airports Authority Board of Directors* These citizen appointments give Halton residents from a variety of backgrounds the opportunity to contribute their skills and perspectives to enhance the quality of life in our community. This appointment term expires on November 30, 2018.* Regional Council wishes to ensure that its boards and committees reflect the diverse nature of its community and invites all residents of Halton to consider these opportunities. An Interview Committee of Regional Council will recommend qualified candidates for these positions to Regional Council. Details of these opportunities and application forms are available on our website Halton.ca/advisorycommittees, by email to regionalclerk@halton.ca, or from the Office of the Regional Clerk, Halton Region, 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville, during business hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Completed applications must be received at the Office of the Regional Clerk no later than Friday, January 23, 2015 at 4:30 p.m. Completed forms may be submitted online, by mail or by fax to 905-825-8838. Karyn Bennett Regional Clerk *The term for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority Board of Directors begins in May 2015 and expires in May 2018. Area 1,2,3,4 no change Dec. 22 23 24 Christmas Day 25 26 Area 5, 6, 7, 8 27 Collection Moves Area 1,2,3,4 no change 29 30 31 New Year's Day Jan 1 2 Area 5, 6, 7, 8 3 Collection Moves There is no household waste collection on Christmas Day (Thursday, December 25). Due to the holiday, household waste collection will take place the day after your regular collection day. There is no household waste collection on New Year's Day (Thursday, January 1). Due to the holiday, household waste collection will take place the day after your regular collection day. Please place your waste at the curb by 7 a.m. on your scheduled holiday collection day. Garbage Tag Exemption Your first garbage collection day after Christmas Day (December 25) will not require garbage tags; however, the six garbage bag/can limit applies. Visit Halton.ca/garbagetags for more information. Waste Collection Calendar Never miss your waste collection day again! Visit Halton.ca/wastecalendar to find your waste collection day: · Sign up for weekly email or phone call waste collection reminders. · Download your waste collection calendar to your personal iCal, Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook calendar. · Print your own collection calendar. The new 2015 Halton Region Guide & Waste Collection Calendar will be distributed to all houses in mid-January 2015. Be safe on the roads this holiday season The festive season is in full swing for many of us and our thoughts have turned to family gatherings, holiday events, and last-minute shopping. While this is an exciting and busy time of year, please take a few moments to also think about winter road safety. If you are going out and plan on drinking, know your limits. Appoint a designated driver; take a taxi or public transit; or stay overnight. As our partners at Halton Regional Police ramp up efforts to watch for impaired drivers, let's all do our part to keep Halton a safe place to live. Happy holidays everyone! Halton Waste Management Site will be closed Thursday, December 25, 2014 and Thursday, January 1, 2015 Regular Operating Hours Open Monday to Saturday · 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 5400 Regional Road 25, Milton Gary Carr Regional Chair Halton Regional Meeting Schedule Dec 24 - Jan 2 Meetings can be viewed at Halton.ca/meetings Halton Regional Centre closed for the holidays 251214 Please contact us, as soon as possible, if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events or meetings.