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M*t i n c wniv v ii^ i^c dlav c,i\ ....................... Larry's go t some Ideas on how to lower temperatures this summer. W y e ao ft Rd :fs«.yv S u m m e r a t S c h le g e l's R e g is tra t io n f o r S u m m e r *99 **CUIlCSUd) iviajr 17, 1777 R e lie f fro m ' Mitch' s t i l l n e e d e d The Town o f O akville is pleased to present o u r " Know Your C o m m u n ity" contest! To ce leb ra te O akv ille 's new co rp o ra te id e n tity and p ro m o te aw areness o f O akville 's history, h eritag e and lan d m arks , residents have th e chance to w in a Town o f O akville G ift Pack th a t includes 2 TICKETS TO THE OAKVILLE CENTRE, $50 CERTIFICATE COURTESY OF MARY'S KEEPSAKES AND A $50 DINING CERTIFICATE TO AN OAKVILLE RESTAURANT! Look fo r clues in th e n ex t 6 ed itio n s o f th e O akville Beaver. Save th e clues u n til con tes t details are revealed on Friday, M ay 2 8 , and you could be a w inn er! t t * // Save the hints to improve 1I I t" X l your chances to Win! Contest details Fri. May 28 " Preserving the past" The Chisholm family not only plays a vital role in the history of Oakville, but the family also plays a role in its preservation. it was upon Hazel Chisholm Mathews move back to Oakville from the United States in the 1930s, that she became interested in the town's heritage. During her stay at the Chisholm family estate, Erchless, she came across numerous valuable documents about her family and their involvement in the history of Oakville. This newly acquired information led her to write an extensive history of the town, entitled Oakville and the Sixteen, which was published in 1953. Later that year, Hazel Chisholm Mathews formed the Oakville Historical Society. She saved two historical buildings, (Oakville's first Post Office and the Thomas House) by moving them onto land owned by herself and her sister Juliet. The Heritage Home Display Plaque program was started in 1957 by Hazel and architect Colonel Walter Moorhouse. Houses that were over 100 years old were presented with Oakville Historical Society plaques that listed the name and occupation of the original owner and the year in which the home was built. W i n ! A Town o f O akville G ift Pack th a t includes 2 TICKETS TO THE OAKVILLE CENTRE, A $50 CERTIFICATE COURTESY OF MARY'S KEEPSAKES AND A $50 DINING CERTIFICATE TO AN OAKVILLE RESTAURANT! SPONSORED BY THE TOWN OF OAKVILLE 1225 Trafalgar Road • Oakville L6J 5A6 • 845-6601 T he Oakville Beaver G> O A K V I L L E "K N O W YO UR C O M M U N IT Y " Guatemala native says much more to be done to help Central America By Claudia D'Souza SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Now that the unholy devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch no longer dominates the head­ lines, has the world forgotten about the wretched fate of Central America? Guatemala native Hilda Rossi, a resident of Canada for over 30 years and Oakville for 10, ■ is determined to dispel the notion. When Mitch, the worst storm of the century ravaged her homeland last fall, Rossi was haunted by the images she saw on the news, and her concern grew for her family, who live in the tiny town of La Union in the province of Zacapa. Much to her horror the countryside of La Union, no longer resembled the picturesque place where she grew up. Almost wiped off the map like hundreds of villages in the hurricane's path, it collapsed into an unrecognizable mass of mud-caked, crumpled homes, schools and businesses. Coffee, banana and sugar cane plantations - the basis of the rural economy and a main source of employment, were destroyed. When it was over, smoldering, mass graves - the final resting-place of thousands of casual­ ties burned to prevent infection, dotted the rav­ aged landscape. Nearly 20,000 lives were lost, a half a million families were dislocated and 11,000 men, women and children disappeared without a trace throughout Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Incredibly, Rossi's family survived and now more than ever, she cannot forget her roots. "Right after the hurricane, I tried to contact my sister, Zoila, in Guatemala City but I could­ n't reach her," recalls the Iroquois Ridge resi­ dent, a part-time ward aide at Oakville- Trafalgar Memorial Hospital and Spanish teacher. "After two weeks she called to say everyone was safe," she said. "It was such a relief, but my heart broke when she told me so many communities were gone. She asked if I could help in some way. I'm so blessed to live in Canada, I knew it was my moral duty to do whatever I could." Shortly after Mitch hit, the Toronto-based Hispanic Council created an umbrella organi­ zation, the Ontario Hurricane Mitch Relief Fund. Rossi quickly became their Halton/Peel representative. The two impoverished villages she 'adopted' near La Union, Las Flores and Timushan, are in desperate need of financial aid. Practically every week for months, Rossi's life has been an endless series of phone calls and meetings with schools, religious leaders and other organizations to help drum up sup­ port for the effort. A moving videotape filmed in Honduras in the aftermath of Mitch set to Sarah McLachlan's ethereal, "Angel" accom­ panies her on her visits. Whether her victories are small or large, she revels in each one. Recently, she received $10,000 from the Crossroads Family of Ministries in Burlington who, since 1982, have been involved in humanitarian missions around the world. Half-days for students while teachers train Secondary school students in Halton will have four "early dismissal" days this semester so their teachers can be 'trained in Secondary School Reform issues. Early dismissal times will be approximately 12:30 p.m. on four consecutive Wednesdays -- May 19th, May 26th, June 2nd and June 9th - and will affect secondary students in both the Halton District School Board and the Halton Catholic District School Board. During the past several months, the Halton District School Board and the Ministry of Education and Training have provided sec­ ondary school teachers with training sessions that relate to the new secondaiy school diploma, the new curriculum, new course types, course profiles, and assessment evaluation and report­ ing. However, this information needs to be shared with all Halton high school educators to prepare each school for effective implementa­ tion of the Secondary School Reform in September. This opportunity will be provided by dis­ missing the students early in the four days previ­ ously mentioned. Students will be given inde­ pendent study assignments equivalent to the amount of class time missed. For more information, contact Kit Rankin, superintendent of education at the Halton District School Board at 842-3014 or 335-3663. P etro -C anada re fin e ry to h o ld o p en h o u se The Petro-Canada refinery in Bronte is holding its annual open house on Wed., June 2nd. The open house is from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. In past years, the open house was held in April, but was set for June this year to allow the refinery bus tours to continue later in the evening. Besides the bus tour, the open house fea­ tures displays and opportunities for the public to speak with members of the refinery's Community Advisory Committee. A key component of the committee's work and a feature of the open house is the Environmental Line. The 24-hour hotline -- 1- 800-667-3876, or 1-800-66-PETRO -- is the number residents should call if they detect refinery odours or emissions. Each complaint is logged and investigated by refinery staff with the outcomes of each investigation moni­ tored and evaluated by committee members. For more information about the hotline or the open house, call Colleen Stevenson, Site leader, Environment, health and Safety for Petro-Canada at 825-1762. America is underway, it's an arduous process confirms Lisa Ariemma, a Canadian who has witnessed the hurricane's wrath first-hand. "I spent four weeks in Central America last month," says the Friends of Honduras member. "Parts of the landscape were untouched but others were like war zones. In Honduras, I saw shelters where 100 people used one washroom. Schools left standing became shelters and the children continued their studies under a mango tree." Ariemma reports what Mitch victims fear most is the day foreign aid dries up. Eighty percent of shelters are filled with women and children and the unemployment rate has risen by 36%, but the miracle of Mitch is the sense of community it fostered. "The spirit of the people is unbelievable," she attests. "And our presence was meaning­ ful to them. We realize there is a crisis going on in Kosovo, but this is not a flavour-of- the-month situation. We're talking about rebuilding people's lives." Rossi plans on travelling to Guatemala this October. "My goal is to make sure the money goes to the people most in need," she vows. All proceeds of an upcoming Hispanic Council-sponsored dance on Saturday, June 5th at Scadding Court Community Centre at 707 Dundas St. W. in Toronto, will go toward the relief fund. A live band, an assortment of prizes and Central American food are featured. Admission is $12 at the door of $10 in advance. Call Rossi at 849-8350 for more informa­ tion. Donations can also be made directly at any branch of the Toronto Dominion Bank or call the Hispanic Council directly at 1- 877-325-8222. 1/2 D a y C a m p B o y s & G ir ls 9 a m -N o o n o r I -4 p m J u ly 5 - A u g u s t 2 7 Session I - July 5-9 Session 2 - July 12-16 Session 3 - July 19-23 Session 4 - July 26-30 Session 5' - August 3-6 Session 6 - August 9-13 | Session 7 - August 16-20 1 Session 8 - August 23-27 ; *No Monday classes K in d e r c a m p _ B o y s & G ir ls f 2 -5 y e a rs o f age | Tuesday & Thursday o r Monday & Wednesday 9:30-11:30am o r l:30-3:30pm 220 Wyecroft Road U n it 52 E lfi S ch leg e l O ur N a t io n a l ly q u a l i f ie d , m a tu r e coaching staff and s p e c ia lly d e s ig n e d f a c i l i t y ensure your child's learning is both ] pleasurable and safe. 842-ELFS ( 8 4 2 - 3 5 3 7 ) Photo by Claudia D'Souza Hilda Rossi points to her home town in Guatemala which was devastated by Hurricane Mitch. "We already have a heavy commitment to Mitch survivors through our television min­ istry, but this sounded very credible," explains Reverend Jack Hawkins, mission projects supervisor. "Hilda is a lady with a vision; a go- getter not inhibited by disappointment. We're glad to help her." Numerous schools in Oakville, Burlington, Acton and Mississauga have also pitched in buoyed by Rossi's enthusiasm. Recently, Colin Robey, Sheridan College student union direc­ tor, raised $1,500. The Grade 3 and 4 class of Oakville's Gladys Speers Elementary con­ tributed nearly $400, as did St. James School on Morden Road. Many more schools are in the process of contributing to the fund. Although reconstruction throughout Central O A K V I L L E a ASSOCIATION Our matching and group programmes offer friendship, emotional support and guidance allow­ ing girls to realize their full potential, build on their unique strengths and enhance their self esteem. Please call Karen or Fiona at 338-0238 to see if Big Sisters is right for you! ALSO NEEDED: VOLUNTEER BOARD MEMBERS The Union Energy W eather G uarantee 1. Buy an a ir conditioner from Union Energy. 2. W atch the temperature in July and August. 3. If it's a cold summer you get your m oney back. la k e co m fo rt0 uuon e n e rg y Coll for o free in-home estimate 768 Westgate Rd., Unit 4 (905) 469-0570 OI* ] -888 687-687 1 SoutfTService Rd. 0 LXI 04 Purchase of air conditioner must be mode before June 23, 1999 from Union Energy. Terms and conditions apply Please see a Union Energy soles consultant hr complete detoBv