The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

A4 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday June 27 , 2001 Ingenuity of local postal workers saves $165,000 per year Local six-m em ber team shares special award By A ngela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Donna S nell's Postmark Award was signed, sealed and delivered by Canada Post last week. Snell, 44, was a stay-at-home mom who returned to work ju st two years ago. Today, she's one of a six-member award-winning team at O akville's post office that was recognized with an award from Canada Post at a recent gala held at Toronto's Radisson Plaza Hotel. Another Oakville resident, Gail Lindsay, a 27year postal veteran, was also on the team that picked up the Silver Postmark Team Award. Called the Oakville Revenue Verification Unit, the team is headed by Dennis Williams-Yeagers of Burlington; Michael Madden and Judy Mackey of Mississauga and Brent Baughman of Beamsville. This is the 11th year Canada Post has hosted the Postmark Awards. The Oakville team, which works out of 193 Church St., was among 13 award recipi ents. Charged with maintaining quality service and on the lookout tp recover revenue, the Oakville team noticed customers, particularly a dozen or more large shippers, weren't following the new process of cubing parcels. That philosophy sees parcels, particularly large ones, which may weigh a small amount, but are of considerable mass, sized to reflect the true cost of shipping. The process is used by all the leading couriers and shippers. According to team leader Williams-Yeagers his crew was likely "going cross-eyed" with all the additional hours they spent checking the shipping manifests against the packages at the post office's loading dock door. Some of the revenue recovery came from a return-to-sender policy, the rest from a back-billing to the customers. "We saved about $165,000 annually," said Snell. Williams-Yeagers said, "Maybe more." "The Oakville team created a system so success ful, it will be used in other offices," said Canada Post communications officer Kevin Kane. "I'm very lucky to receive this award and be on this team whose members really clicked," said Snell. The 13-year Oakville resident said her children, are now 15 and 12, and "it was time for a change." Snell applied to the Post Office and started work. "We all work together as a team," said Snell, noting, "Gail was the driving force behind the team." "I was the boss," laughed Lindsay, 44, a 40-year Oakville resident who lives in the Hopedale area. For her part, Lindsay has worked in many post office facets, from sorting and relief clerk, to wick et and midnights. "I've never been a letter carrier," she said. Lindsay, who has also previously picked up a silver and a bronze award in the annual Post Office Olympics, said, "This was a lot o f hard work, but everyone on the team had the same goal. T hat's about the first time in my 27 years that all of us had the same goal." The team picked up a gala dinner, a lapel pin, picture frame and a trophy. Catholic Board passes $157-m 2001-02 budget The Halton Catholic District School Board has passed its S 157million budget for the 2001-02 school year. The budget consists of $134.4 million worth of operating expenses (roughly $113.1 million of that will be salaries and bene fits) plus $22.6 million of capital related to pupil accommodation. "The Board is pleased that it has managed to achieve a bal anced budget despite the many constraints imposed by the regula tions and limited funding in rela tion to the many real needs that had to be considered in arriving at the final estimates," said Board chair A1 Bailey. "Although the new flexibility in use of available funds is appreciated in principle, the reality faced by the Board was that most of it was needed to pro vide for the staffing needed relat ed to increasing enrollment with the balance substantially applied to cover the shortfall in transporta tion funding." Board Director of Education Fred Sweeney expressed relief that a balanced budget estimate was achieved. He noted several obstacles including finding $600,000 for reclaimed grants which the Ministry initially paid in 1998 and an additional $800,000 to fund the start-up of two new secondary schools (including O akville's Holy Trinity) and a pair of new elemen tary schools opening in 2002. Sweeney voiced his concern, however, over the fact that there will be no new funding for Special Education until 2003 and over the lack of sufficient funding for the new curriculum required in Grades 11 and 12. The results of this have been reduced initiatives in technology, curriculum and staff development to levels "that may make it difficult to meet the Ministry's program expectations." Donna Snell (left) and Gail Lindsay were recent ly honoured by Canada Post for their perfor mance at the Oakville unit. S p e a k y o u r m in d o n H a lto n R e g io n ' s s tr a te g ic p la n The Regional Municipality of Halton is inviting all Halton residents to provide their input in the develop ment of the Region's new Strategic Plan tonight. The Strategic Plan will be a working document that will set the direction and outline the goals and objectives Regional Council will seek to achieve over the next two and half years. Among the issues the Plan will address are: transportation, environment, growth management, rural issues, inter-governmental coordination, health promotion, emergency services and social and commu nity services including social housing and long-term care. Further information on the Region's Strategic Plan is available on the Region's website at: http://www.region.halton.on.ca The meeting will run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., in the Auditorium, Halton Regional Centre, 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville.For more information contact Arvin Prasad, Senior Policy Advisor at 905-825-6000 ext. 7769. Sears stores close to you, close to home Major Appliances are available at the following Greater Toronto locations: North Bolton Dealer Store (905) 857-4390 Martoiam Furniture, Appliances & Home Improvements Store Don Mills & Steeles (905) 881-6600 Markville Shopping Centre (905) 946-1866 Promenade Shopping Centre (905) 731-3388 now 599" save $170 KENMORE WASHER #20702. Sears reg. 769.99. now 649! save $220 |99 now 699" save $250 KENMORE ELITE WASHER #20952. Sears reg. 949.99. now 799 save $250 |99 Richmond Hill Furniture & Appliances Store Hwy. 7 and Yonge St. (905) 762-0870 Upper Canada Mall Newmarket (905) 898-2300 Woodbridge Furniture & Appliances Store Hwy. 7 & Weston Rd. (905) 850-6406 S E W IN G M A C H IN E S T O R E ntifi till other makes cr models EXPERT PINKING SHEARS & SCISSOR SHARPENING 198 S P E E R S R D . 8 4 2 -2 0 3 3 I n s id e O a k v ille V acu u m R E P A IR S T O S IN G E R M V KENMORE WASHER #20882. Sears reg. 869.99. KENMORE ELITETM WASHER #20992. Sears reg. 1049.99. East Oshawa Shopping Centre (905) 576-1711 Pickering Town Centre (905) 420-8000 Scarborough Furniture & Appliances Store Kennedy Rd. & 401 (416) 332-8577 Scartwrough Town Centre (416) 296-0171 A FULL LOAD OF S A V I N G S Central Fairview Mall (416) 502-3737 Gerrard Square (416) 461-9092 Woodbine Shopping Centre (416) 798-3800 Yorkdale Shopping Centre (416) 789-1105 Allen Rd. Furniture & Appliances Store Allen Rd. & Sheppard Ave. (416) 398-9947 F R E E IN T R O D U C T IO N J u n e 2 3 ,2 0 0 1 / : ) 0 t o ? : 0 0 p .m . R a m a d a In n , O a k v ille West Ancaster Furniture & Appliances Store Golf links Rd. & Legend Crt (905) 304-1440 Bramalea City Centre (905) 458-1141 Brampton Furniture & Appliances Store 535 Steeles Ave. t (905) 455-1255 Burlington Furniture & Appliances Store Plains Rd. East & Brant St. (905) 631-9655 Erin Mills Town Centre (905) 607-2300 Georgetown Dealer Store (905) 877-5172 Hamilton Centre Mall (905) 545-4741 Limeridge Mall Hamilton (905) 389-4441 Mapleview Centre Burlington (905) 6324111 Milton Dealer Store (905) 878-4104 Mississauga Dealer Store (905) 848-8882 Mississauga Furniture & Appliances Store Hwy. 5 & 403 (905) 820-6801 Oakville Place (905) 842-9410 C a ll S 4 2 - 7 7 5 ) o r w w w . le u o g a . c o m S u m m e r P rogram J u ly 10 A u g u s t 16 ON KENMORE L A U N D R Y HEALTHY bO D Y - HEALTHY MIND Is this your button? Sherway Gardens (416) 620-6011 Square One Shopping Centre (905) 270-8111 CLEAROUTS *» % i r* * 0 ft Major appliances from Sears are Canada's Best Sellers Based on independent national surveys current at time of advertising preparation ^ 35384 Check Hie back of your button. Von may line non an all inclusive Sandals Resort Vacation for two courtesy of Adventure House Travel, Sandals Resorts and Air Canada Vacations. I r li now 469" save $125 h b 1 "A now 549" save $200 KENMORE ELITE DRYER #60952. Sears reg. 749.99. C all the Festival office at (905) 847-7975 to claimyour prize. 7Uh Hctt&ny O a k v ille .IrVEvrvRC Hum `Ouvw. now 49999 save $140 KENMORE DRYER #60842. Sears reg. 639.99. now 699! save $100 H B hbhbh KENMORE ELITE DRYER #60962. Sears reg. 799.99. M ajo r a p p lia n c e s o n lin e a t w w w .sea rs.ca SEARS. SERVICE. SELECTION. REWARDS. H r. HALTON FAMILY SERVICES The Board of Directors and Staff are pleased to INVITE YOU TO ATTEND OUR 47th ANNUAL MEETING Wednesday, June 27, 2001 at 7:30 p.m. at Oakville Public Library 120 Navy St.. Oakville Guest Speaker: Ken Quiggan, Director ________ "Freedom Village"________ KENMORE DRYER #60702. Sears reg. 589.99. WHILE QUANTITIES LAST. NO DEALERS PLEASE! Sears Oakville Place Mon.-Fri. 9:30 am-9 pm. Sat. 8 am-6 pm. Sun.11 am-6 pm. Sears Furniture & Appliance Store Mississauga Mon.-Fri. 10 am-9 pm. sat. 10 am-6 pm. Sun.11 am-6 pm. NP0650401 Copyright 2001. Sears Canada Inc.