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A6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday April 5, 2000 T h e O a k v il l e B e a v e r Ian Oliver Publisher Neil Oliver .Associate Publisher Norman Alexander Editor Kelly Montague, Advertising Director Steve Crazier Circulation Director Ten Casas OfficeManager Mark Dills Production Manager Riziero Vertolli DirectorofPhotography Metroiand Printing. Publishing & Distributing,Ltd.. includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser. AJfcston HerakVCouier, Barrie Advance. Barry's Bay This WQek, Bolton Enterprise. Brampton Guardan, Burlington Post. Bulington Shopping News. City Parent. CoingwoodMtesaga Connection. East York Mirror. Erin Advocat^Country Routes. Etobicoke Guardian, Ramborough Post. Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press. Hiroma Business Times. Kingston This Week. Lindsay This Week. Markham Economist & Sun. Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News. Mississauga Business Tmes. Mississauga News. Napanee Guide. 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Forever Vbung, City of York Guardar OPINION RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community New spapers Association THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: , f * C N A Zj Canadian Community New spapers Association r r s '~c*l'" f ----------------JAthem ij^ w a r d J If i k . . . 467 Speers Rd., Oakville O n t L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-2809 Circulation: 845-9742 SKi i+% '~Z)he ClD (9n kviU e (^ A w ard s of Am erica JiNqlt B eII FuNd <r° 7 T t ^ j y A u c T |0H o fS e E d it o r ia ls Congratulations in order T he O akville S alvation A rm y should be congratulated for successful ly finding a new hom e fo r its hom eless shelter w ithout m issing a day o f providing the m uch needed service. During the twoW h e n th e S a lv a tio n A rm y fir s t o p e n e d month pilotprogram T h e L ig h th o u se S h e lte r (th e fo rm e r G ra c e H ouse on O ld M ill R oad) in January, it did so the shelterprovided a w ith the u n d e rsta n d in g th e p rem ises w o u ld temporary home fin30 individuals fivm have to be vacated by the en d o f A pril. T h u s b e g a n a tw o - f o l d t a s k f o r th e varied backgrounds-- Salvation A rm y and its p artn er the R egion o f the workingpoor, ado H alton (the region handles the adm inistration lescents estranged w hile the S alvation A rm y runs the day-to-day from their families operation) -- first they had to get the shelter andspouses fleeing up and running to serve th eir clients, and then abusive partners. they had to find a new h o m e w ithin the next tw o m onths. T hey accom plished both tasks adm irably. D uring the tw o -m o n th pilot program the shelter provided a tem po rary hom e for 30 individuals from varied backgrounds -- the w orking poor, adolescents estranged from th eir fam ilies and spouses fleeing abu sive partners. T he new shelter on K err Street is sm aller than the old G race House, but it can still h ouse 10 people. F o r now , it's m eeting the need. B ut the new sh elter is only tem porary. It has a one-year lease on the property and M ajo r Ray B raddock o f the S alvation A rm y is determ ined to find a perm anent site w hich they can build from scratch. B ased on their past accom plishm ents, w e're betting on the Salvation A rm y to achieve its goal. In the end, O akville w ill be the winner. Letters to the Editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters must be typed, signed and include the writer's address and phone number. Send to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 3S4 T C R A w a n ts a c tio n fo r 0 T M H lo n g -te r m c a re p a tie n ts Editor's note: This is a copy o f le tter th a t w as sen t to E liza b eth W ittm er, O n ta rio M inister o f H ealth and Long Term Care. As an officer of the TrafalgarChartwell Residents' Association, in the Town of Oakville, I am writ ing to you regarding a m atter of great concern to the residents in our area. The Oakvilie-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (of the Halton Healthcare Services) is presently housing 34 long-term care patients on their 5th floor. They, and their fam ilies who live in the nearby area, have been waiting to learn of their fate after September, 2000 when the contract b etw een E x te n d ic a re and the H o sp ital w ill be term in ated . Anticipated government decisions have been delayed, and this has led to great frustration in not knowing w here the aged seniors w ill be housed after September. Points to note are the following: 1. A vacan t school building a d ja c e n t to and ow ned by the Hospital sits empty waiting to be given approval to meet the needs of seniors and their fam ilies of Oakville and Halton. 2. Extendicare is prepared to establish a long-term care facility at the above site but cannot with out the approval of the Province. 3. O a k v ille 's Town C ouncil fully supports a long-term care facility to be established in the empty hospital building (issues related to land and zoning are approved). 4. The burgeoning needs of the hospital (identified as restructuring directives by the Province) require m aximizing all available space, including the 5th floor present Extendicare wing. 5. The current long-term care bed per population aged 75+ ratio in H alton is the low est in the province with 69.9 beds per 1,000 people 75+. For the short term, we are ask ing that you renew the contract w ith E xtendicare allow ing the patients to remain in the hospital until an appropriate perm anent location is found. If that is impos sible, then at least facilitate a tem porary re -lo c a tio n w ith in the southern part of Oakville so that family members will be able to maintain a contact with their loved one(s). For the long term, we are ask ing that you approve a long-term care facility being located at the O a k v ilie -T ra fa lg a r M em orial Hospital. We are also asking that you expedite your decisions as quickly as possible so that all concerned will be aware of any changes that are n eeded and can prep are accordingly. Rose Szymanis, Vice President Trafalgar Chartwell Residents Association Letter of the Week Motorists pay up and still pollute Motorists in Ontario should be taking a careful look at the Ministry of the Environment's Drive Clean program. Once you know more about the touted pollution clean-up, you begin to realize that there's more to it than meets the eye. Quite recently, I received a letter from the Director of the Drive Clean campaign. In that letter, he assured me that motorists "...whose vehicles fail the emissions test do not have to spend more than $200 on repairs at an accred ited Drive Clean Facility to get a conditional pass for renewing their vehicle's permit." He then added "Vehicle owners then have two years to either have the necessary repairs performed so that the vehicle can pass the emissions test or purchase another vehicle/' Those vehicle owners who pay their $30 fee at the DCF and pass with flying colours are spending a pile of money that has proven nothing. Those who don't pass the test get to pay the $30, plus up to another $200 for what in reality is a form of nuisance tax that allows them to keep on polluting for another two years. A nd a fte r all o f the w o rry in g for cash -strap p ed motorists, and the rhetoric about saving the environment, nothing changes. It's possible that the bureaucrats who put all of this together are responsible for one of the greatest swindles ever pulled on the motorists of this province. W ho can say "No" to motherhood, apple pie, and the prevention of air pollution? It makes some o f us wonder who really is behind all of this. Is it the automobile manufacturers, or is an automobile retailer's lobby group at work? Motorists are encouraged to call their M PP at Queen's Park, and demand some answers. Peter E. Sticklee School communities must present solutions I have been inspired by the delegations of som e o f the n eig h b o rh o o d s at the school board meetings. N o t th e o n es th a t say d o n 't c lo se o u r sc h o o l, o r th e o n e s th a t say we n e e d a school, but by th e d e le g a tio n s th a t o ffe r solutions. To my know ledge it is the first tim e the com m unity has com e to the school board with viable w ell thought-out solutions for their com m unity that either elim inate more pupil accom m odations or at least match the pupil accom m odation requirem ents o f the CN Watson report. For the first time it is not just don't close our school and open our new school, it is we have a problem, we know schools must be closed, we know schools must be built, we, the community, given the chance can work our viable solutions that meet the communi ties needs as well as the fiscal requirements that the school board has. It seems to be a consensus that we need to adopt a strategic plan. The board asked for more time to deal with all the excellent sug gestions that have come forth. S om e o f the tru ste es trie d to d efer to Ju n e , b u t the vo te w as fo r a one m onth deferral. We have to adopt the CN Watson report in what ever form we can find that works. We have to close schools, we have to build new schools, we desperately need them. Now is the time for any o f the communi ties that have not come up with solutions to do so in the same intelligent solutions we have heard in delegations in the last month. Let us only hope that the Halton District School Board takes the excellent solutions offered by communities and adopts them in its 20-year strategic plan. Marsha Davies Vet will be missed I have just read the article in today's paper about the well-deserved retirement of Dr. Frank Badame. He will be greatly missed by all his friends, both twolegged and 4-legged. A loving, caring and knowledgeable Veterinarian... and a great gentleman. I recall many years ago taking my 185-pound St. Bernard to Dr. Badame for treatment. When I returned to pick up my dog, I was advised that he had "flipped" the kennel boy. Dr. Badame then gave me some tranquilizer pills and asked that I give my dog one just before the next visit. About three months later, I called Dr. Badame and asked him if I could again bring my dog in for an examination. He said, "Yes, but don't forget to give him that pill, and i'll take mine." I wish him well in his retirement. W.E. Davis H e a lth c a r e s y s te m Your editorial "Stop the finger pointing" contains some elements which explain in very general aspects, the sad position of our health care system . Your o p en in g statem en t, " It should come as no surprise to those who have had first-hand experience with our healthcare system over the past couple o f years, that n e e d s c la r ity n o t c o n fu s io n this subject. My desire to see our healthcare system being stopped to be used as a political football and if there are problems to be presented in a way to facilitate its understanding and not in an obscure and Pindaric manner. Giuseppe Fava something is wrong, is a very simple thought, but unlimitedly truthful. In fact, it is basilar to begin to understand who is responsible for bungling up so confus edly our healthcare system. Your editorial "Stop the finger pointing" reflects in synthesis my desires of clarity on Pud TH ATsm EtfDO FA N O T H E R twe to store Hockey season.., s -- by Steve Nease W H YNor? ) I /I * SO M EReaso-1 SH EW A N KT O B /fc r U s H iT F iR s n Dog owners should clean up after pets This letter is for all those dog owners who do not scoop up after their dogs. These "so-called dog lovers" should not be allowed to own any pets!! A pet is like a baby to most of us and when our baby/child "poops," do you just leave it lying around for everyone to sniff and step on?? To the family that lives on Peak Place who own a fairly large dog, please, please scoop up after your dog and don't let this "poop" lie all over the boulevard for weeks before cleaning it up. We all love this neighbourhood and we enjoy walking through it, but we also like to see it clean and "poop free." Thank you. On behalf of your walking neighbours" A W m E S E A R .K J -2 :