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Let's Rake group hoping to silence leaf blowers by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff 5 | Friday, October 30, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com The Oakville community organization Let's Rake will hold a special forum on Tuesday, Dec. 1 in hopes of ultimately silencing leaf blowers within the town. The meeting, which will take place at Town Hall beginning at 7 p.m., is open to the public and will see the group discuss the reasons why they feel the Town needs to implement a ban on leaf blowers. Any bylaw changes would need to be approved at Town council. "More and more people I have talked to have been noticing the horrendous increase in noise, especially from leaf blowers," said Elizabeth Kaplan of Let's Rake. "Year after year, it seems to be getting worse. It had gotten to the point where I didn't even want to go outside and do my gardening and I am a passionate gardener." Besides the noise, Kaplan said the group also has concerns about the pollution created by the devices if they are gas-powered. Kaplan said the forum will also explore ways property maintenance companies and private individuals can keep the noise down. In the present absence of a ban, the group calls on residents to: · Refrain from operating leaf blowers when More and more people I have talked to have been noticing the horrendous increase in noise, especially from leaf blowers. Year after year, it seems to be getting worse. It had gotten to the point where I didn't even want to go outside and do my gardening and I am a passionate gardener. Elizabeth Kaplan Let's Rake instead of leaf blowers to allow all residents to enjoy the outdoors in all seasons. The meeting will include a presentation by Dr. Ted Mitchell, who has written about leaf blowers and why people find them so annoying. Kaplan said the only thing more annoying than the leaf blower's noise is how some people use them. "I see people use them for the most ridiculous things. I have seen people use them to try and move puddles of water," said Kaplan. "People use them so thoughtlessly. They will chase down two or three leaves. They just completely lose their common sense. There is such huge overuse of these appliances." The banning of leaf blowers is not unprecedented, with Kaplan noting leaf blower bans are in place in a number of cities in the United States. Let's Rake is a community organization in the Oakville area dedicated to responsible care of the community landscape and gardens. Oakville Town Hall is located at 1225 Trafalgar Rd. grounds are wet; · Refrain from using leaf blowers on windy autumn days as such work is negated within hours or even minutes; · Consider raking and picking up leaves/ branches/debris. The group argues it is counter-productive to remove every leaf and repeatedly using a leaf blower on an area is wasteful and polluting; · Be thoughtful and considerate when choosing to use noisy outdoor equipment and use it for only a minimal amount of time; · Be aware that many property maintenance companies are offering the option of property maintenance without power equipment; · Be aware that many private property owners are choosing rakes and wide brooms A STEP BEYOND IN CARE Do you have: Salima Kassam Reg. Chiropodist · Foot/Arch Pain? · Ingrown Toenails? · Diabetes? · Swollen Ankles? · Corns, Calluses? 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