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

Wednesday December 8. 1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER A7 COMMENT B le n d in g o f c e le b r a tio n s e n r ic h in g Pardon me, if you will. I am suffer ing the annual latke hangover. And I know, I know. These latkes, straight from an incredible deli in Toronto are deadly: they probably contain a million calories in each one that will find their way directly onto my hips, I just know they will. Not that we worry at this time of year. At the Hanukkah party at which my kids watch Leon, their grandfather, light the menorah, Dan said it best when he commented, tossing a more than generous dollop of sour cream onto his latkes: "Never apple sauce....too healthy." Now that's the attitude you want at Hanukkah, right? Healthy attitudes, who needs them. So on this third night of Hanukkah, we decide to forgo all good intentions and just dig in with the rest. Already the kitchen is chaotic, my mother mumbling she has too much food. As if. But this year I am adamant: I take just two latkes and lots of apple sauce. I sneak in a tablespoon of sour cream. Bliss. But there are mounds of latkes, my mother's tsimmes, bread, salad and on and on until we all sit like the uncles in Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales," belts undone, a few snoozing happily on the couch. Nearby, as the adults snoozed, the kids played dreidel. This year, Sharon and Sholom heightened the excitement by bringing a big bag of change. You want kids to work together at a table, bring money. And who cleans up? The four year old in the crowd, of course. Drew and Kate sat grumpily count ing out their own nickels as their cousin counted his quarters while each took a turn spinning the dreidel. They had taken time during the afternoon to make a Hanukkah card for Leon and Sharon and Sholom. In dispute was the Star of David...did it have a dot in the middle or not? Drew voted for the dot; Kate said no and when we saw all the the cards, Drew whispered to his sis ter, "See...I told you so." She just glared. Ah, nothing like sibling tenderness. DIANE HART But before the feast, we have the ceremony. Leon lights the candles and says the blessing and we move towards the tables. On Sunday, while minds and stomachs turned towards the immi nent feast of latkes and tsimmes and a host of other treats, we watched the candles light up the room. As non-Jews, we always feel hon oured to be a part of this ceremony, which commemorates liberation and the triumph of good over evil. We may have a colourful Advent calendar we follow every day and look forward to our day, Dec. 25th, but Hanukkah is fast becoming a special day for us as well. I suppose it is but a reflection of the intermingling of people that is just a fact o f life. And for us, heading to bat mitzvahs (a fascinating ceremony I have to say), watching the lighting of the menorah and all the other Jewish festivals that Leon celebrates has enriched our life. This year, Leon gave a Hanukkah card to my mother with a Strikers should complain at Queen's Park As the m other of a client of Community Living, I would like to add to Mary Thomas's letter in the Dec. 1st Oakville Beaver. For the first few days I could respect the strikers' right to express their opin ions by picketing-but not any more. To continue picketing, rather than working with their very confused clients is really very selfish. I am unable to imagine how they expect to get along with their co-work ers when they do return to work. I have great respect and thank those who arc working hard to keep things going, Letters to the Editor amid such dreadful disruption. How is any pay raise going to make up for those wasted weeks pacing in the cold? How can OPSEU even imagine reducing services or laying off staff, when the waiting list of developmentally delayed adults and children for day and residential programs is in the hun dreds? How can anyone look their neighbour in the eye and say..."you are to lose your job so I can have more money?" Familiarity and routine is essential, as anyone who has ever cared for a developmentally handicapped person knows. My daughter cannot understand why these people chose to stand out in the cold, or why we have to park by the Health centre. Thank you 100 times to those who work every day, doing extra duty trying to keep things running as well as you do. to those who wish to picket as we get closer to Christmas and colder weather, please take your banners to Queen's Park, THAT is where the problem lies. Sarah Friel photo of a Christmas tree to one side; a menorah on the other. It looks just like their living room where a Christmas tree sits in the cor ner near the flashing menorah. There is an intermingling of cultures that I only hope will find its way, like osmosis, into the daily lives of our own children. We tell them: their grand mother was raised a strict Roman Catholic and their grandfather was the son of an Orthodox Rabbi, and yet there they are, together and happy. They see it themselves. It doesn't seem, at this stage, to make all that big an impression: they will remember the chocolate Hanukkah gelt they get to eat at lunch at school the next day, proba bly the only Catholics in the crowd at their public school to eat Hanukkah gelt. And they shrug it off: so what. Such insouciance in the face of cen turies of intolerance. If they only knew what I would have had to endure had I brought chocolate Hanukkah gelt to my Catholic school for lunch. But perhaps that's the best attitude to take into the next century: a casual acceptance of different traditions. As much as I am already growing weary of year 2000 resolutions, it's not a bad one to make. Now if I could only hold myself it to two latkes. I'd be set. G> 1 O A K V IL L E TOWN OF OAKVILLE TAXICAB CUSTOMER SURVEY 8 4 5 -6 6 0 1 C o u n c il & S t a n d in g C o m m it t e e M e e t in g s t h e t o w n o f O a k v il l e s t « x ic « b r e v ie w c o m m it t e e h * s d ir e c t e d s t ^ f f t o SURVEY THE PUBLIC WITH RESPECT TO THE LEVEL OF TAXICAB SERVICE WITHIN THE TOWN INCLUDING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND THE CONDITION OF VEHICLES Monday, December 13,1999 Council Meeting Council Chambers 7:30 p.m. Monday, January 10,2000 Council Meeting Council Chambers 7:30 p.m. How frequently do you use taxicabs in Oakville? daily_______ weekly_______ monthly______ What time of day do you generally use a taxicab?. PLEASE RETURN PRIOR TO DECEMBER 17,1999 FORWARD THIS SURVEY PLUS ANY OTHER COMMENTS YOU MAY HAVE TO: THE TOWN OF OAKVILLE P.0. BOX 310 1225 TRAFALGAR ROAD OAKVILLE, ONTARIO, L6J5A6 ATTN.: J. WILSON, BY-LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER OR FAX TO (905) 338 4230 OR E-MAIL YOUR COMMENTS TO jwilsonQtown.oakville.on.ca THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE Please feel free to c o p y th is survey. Monday, January 17, 2000 I Planning & Development Council Council Chambers 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 18,2000 Community Services Committee 7:30 p.m. - Oakville Room Administrative Services Comm. 7:30 p.m. - Bronte Room 3 Do you believe that there are enough taxicabs in Oakville to adequately service the public demand? Yes____ No. On average, how long do you wait for a taxicab? 10 minutes or less?_____10 to 20 m inutes?____ 20 to 30 minutes? C o u n c il 5 Is the wait time acceptable to you? Yes _ No & C o m m it t e e T o u c h t o n e P h o n e L in e 815-5959 6. 7. 8 9. Are you satisfied with the appreaance, courtesy and service of the drivers? Yes_____ No______ if no, why not?_______________________________ Are you satisfied with the appearance and condition of the Oakville taxicabs? Yes______ No_______ if no, why not?____________________________ How frequently do you use the wheelchair accessible van service? daily________weekly__________ monthly______________ Does the service meet your needs? Yes No TOWN OF OAKVILLE Class Environmental Assessment Proposed Retirement of the Existing Public Works Road Maintenance & Patrol Yard Facility 2274 Trafalgar Road FUe: B-21-99 Public Comment Invited The Town of Oakville Department of Public Works' road maintenance and patrol yard located at 2274 Trafalgar Road is to be closed due to its incom patibility with new adjacent property development and land uses, and other current site limitations. The Town of Oakville is considering the construc tion of an alternative Central Operations Facility to accommodate the requirements of our road maintenance and patrol yard services at a heavy industrial zoned property acquired several years ago at 1140 South Service Road, combined with lands recently acquired at 777 Redwood Square. In accordance with the requirements for Schedule B projects within the Class Environmental Assessment (E.A.) for Municipal Road Projects, the Town of Oakville is inviting public input and comment for incorporation into the planning of this facility retirement project. Background materials and information on this proposal are combined with a related Schedule C Class E. A. Project for the construction of a new Central Operations Facility for the Public Works Department at 1140 South Service Road West and 777 Redwood Square. These materials, together with the Class Environmental Assessment may be seen at the Department of Public Works offices, 2274 Trafalgar Road during regular office hours (Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) until December 31, 1999. Thereafter comment and input will be received until January 14, 2000. Subject to comments received and the receipt of necessary approvals, the Town of Oakville intends to proceed with the planning and implementation for the retirement of the existing Public Works road mainte nance and patrol yard facility on Trafalgar Road by the end of December 2000. For further information, please contact: Mr. Dave Bloomer, P. Eng. Town of Oakville Department of Public Works 2274 Trafalgar Road, P.O. Box 310, Oakville, Ontario L6J 5A6 Telephone: (905) 845-6601 ext.3303 Fax: (905)338-4159 E-Mail: dbloomer@town.oakville.on.ca This Notice issued December 3, 1999 D. A. Bloomer. P. Eng., Assistant Director - Operations Department of Public Works 10 What improvements, if any, can be made to the van service?. 11. What taxi company do you use? - i TOWN OF OAKVILLE Class Environmental Assessment Proposed Central Operations Facility File: B-21-99 Notice of Public Meeting The Town of Oakville Department of Public Works' road maintenance and patrol yard located at 2274 Trafalgar Road is to be closed due to its incompatibility with new adjacent property development and land uses, and other current site limitations. The Town of Oakville is considering the construction of an alternative Central Operations Depot Facility to accommodate the requirements of our road maintenance and patrol yard services at a heavy industrial zoned property acquired several years ago at 1140 South Service Road, combined with lands recently acquired at 777 Redwood Square. In combination with facilities also intended to accommodate Parks Maintenance Operations, Forestry Operations and Oakville Hydro fleet maintenance operations, the total project is expected to be completed by the end of 2000. This project is being planned under Schedule C in accbrdance with the requirements of the Class Environmental Assessment for Municipal Road Projects. A drop-in / open house public review meeting will be held to receive input from interested persons and to solicit comments on the proposal. The meeting details are as follows. DATE: TIME: LOCATION: Thursday, December 16, 1999 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Town of Oakville Department of Public Works 2274 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, Ont. Main Boardroom - Second Floor Following the meeting further comments arc invited, for incorporation into the planning and design of this project, and will be received until December 31, 1999. For further information on this project or the meeting to be held, please contact: Mr. Dave Bloomer, P. Eng. Town of Oakville Department of Public Works 2274 Trafalgar Road, P.O. Box 310, Oakville, Ontario L6J 5A6 Telephone: (905) 845-6601 cxt.3303 Fax: (905)338-4159 E-Mail: dbloomcr@town.oakvillc.on.ca Q> rri~ " w«t of comtu (krotns r/ajTr sm 1140 S O U IHSJNCf B. IJW 777 8H H O O OSWKt PfiOXO 8-21-9J Subject to the comments received as a result of this Notice, planning will proceed for this project and an Environmental Study Report (ESR) will be prepared. The ESR will be placed on the public record for public review for a 30 day period. This Notice issued December 3, 1999 D. A. Bloomer. P. Eng., Assistant Director - Operations Department of Public Works 1225 TRAFALGAR ROAD · OAKVILLE, ONTARIO · L6J 5A6