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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, February 26, 2016 | 6 School safety lessons Let's face it, school zones are great places for motorists and others to steer clear of during arrival and dismissal times. These zones are often congested, chaotic and yet while that makes them potentially hazardous, they are the very place our children must be at those times of day. They are a mix of children and vehicles -- with children the more vulnerable should a mishap occur. That's why Halton police and the Town of Oakville enforcement division are paying close attention. Like any good homework assignment, the lesson has been given -- obey the rules; homework is being doled out -- an informational campaign by of cers began Wednesday; and, then the marks will fall where they are deserved -- nes can be stiff for those who don't follow the rules. While the school zones, and the ensuing traf c that occurs on school days, can be a headache, it's the safety of our children and not ease of passage that is of utmost importance. One need only re ect on the pain expressed in a Vaughan courtroom this week from a mother and father who have lost children. As police and parking control of cers began handing out information cards to drivers in school zones this week, they remind drivers they must recognize the difference between `No Stopping' and `No Parking' restrictions, and know there are new rules for stopping at crosswalks, particularly when it is staffed by a crossing guard. "We are dedicated to keeping our school areas safe, not just for children, but for everyone," said Jim Barry, senior manager of the Town's Enforcement Services. "School areas are busy, particularly at drop-off and pick-up times. Stopping, even momentarily, in a restricted zone endangers pedestrians and other drivers." Dropping off and picking up students in school areas can cause a lot of extra traf c congestion and illegally stopped or parked cars are a safety risk as they make it hard for other drivers to see pedestrians, particularly children, crossing the street. Following the awareness days, of cers who patrol school zones will enforce parking regulations, ticketing illegally stopped or parked vehicles. Parking tickets could be issued at the time of the violation or mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. Town staff said residents should pay special attention to the `No Stopping' signs. Once a vehicle has pulled over and ceased moving, even if it is occupied, it is deemed stopped. Stopping in a `No Stopping' zone could result in a $50 ticket. Parking in a `No Parking' zone, even if the vehicle is occupied, could land you a $40 ticket, while parking in a re route could result in a $100 ne. To help reduce traf c issues in school areas, the Town and Halton police recommend drivers: · use the school's drop-off and pick-up area; · keep clear of driveways, entrances, crosswalks and bus stops; · consider other safe and active ways to get to school. A list of alternatives and programs can be found on the Active and Safe Routes to School page at halton.ca. Residents can report traf c issues around their school area at serviceoakville@oakville.ca or 905-845-6601. For more information, visit the Parking page at oakville.ca. Let's all do our homework and keep our kids safe. Editorial S K A T E I T U P "Connected to your Community" 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 54 | Number 17 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER KELLY MONTAGUE DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager LORI ANN GZOVDANOVIC Director of Production MARK DILLS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager More than 300 skaters laced up their skates to take part in the third annual Skate it Up event, raising funds for the non-pro t EveryChildNow group. This group advocates for children's rights through its development projects, campaigns and events. Skate It Up was held last weekend at CANLAN Ice Sports on Cornwall Road. Pictured, are, brothers and co-founders of EveryChildNow, Ishan Vijay, 13, left, and Vishal Vijay, 15. The duo has also been named Ontario Junior Citizens of the Year and are to receive their accolade from the Lieutenant Governor at Queen's Park on Monday, March 7. | photo by Graham Paine ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Thanks to Good Samaritan who found purse Something wonderful happened to me Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. I left Walmart, on Hays Boulevard near Dundas Street, at 5 p.m., but unfortunately I was in a great rush and left my purse in my buggy. I realized this about 10 minutes after I had left the store. Panicked and nauseous, I rushed back to the store. I arrived at the customer service desk to nd out an angel had returned my purse and all its contents. I can't say thank you enough times for this wonderful person. I just thought if you had a place in your paper for this `thank-you,' I would like this person to know how much this meant to me. Thank you. Debbie Olson, Oakville Letter to the Editor Proud Official Media Sponsor For: 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, 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 or via email to ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. 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. 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