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Page 4 = Halton Hills This Week, Saturday, June 26, 1993 Editorial Wednesday’s special ‘townhall meeting’ called by Halton-Peel MP Garth Tumer to discuss Acton’s present problems - specifically as related to the closure of the olde Hide House and its related stores - and the impact on the future of the community might best be termed a farce. No real knock on Garth, or the residents of Acton for that matter, but on the performance (It’s Showtime) of P.O.W.E.R (Protect Our Water and Environmental Resources) President Barbara Halsall. This writer wasn’t in attendance personally, but in discussion with our reporter Jamie Harrison who covered the meeting and after handling numerous phone calls (because we had urged that something be done NOW about Acton’s dilemma) centering on Halsall’s antics, we offer this interrogative to all Halton Hills resi- dents! Just who the hell does Halsall think she is and where does a basi- cally unelected, special interest lobby group get off when it comes to attempting to dictate the lifestyle (in terms of jobs, social ameni- ties environmental consciousness) to a community that is struggling to survive. A community that is very much a special part of the whole that is Halton Hills. People in Acton were stunned by the closure of the olde Hide House and its associated stores (roughly 120 people laid-off) and the ripple effect will continue as other small business dependent on the tourist trade the olde Hide House and its other enterprises attracted feel the crunch. So here we have “holier than thou” Halsall preaching about POS- SIBLE environmental concerns in regards development some 20 years down the line. In the interim, the people of Acton are worried about the present. Keeping their families together, putting food on the table and simi- larly, keeping their community going. Chill out lady, get your perspectives in gear. This is the same ‘stick your nose in where it doesn’t belong’ | environmental rock’n roller who turned up at a Niagara Escarpment Commission meeting June 10 to argue against a proposed aggregate site in Greensville (near Hamilton for gawd’s sake). The proposed aggregate site would be located a good two-and-a- half miles from the Niagara Escarpment boundary but good old Barb had to get her two cents in. Definitely a Halton Hills concern, Oh well, I guess it was a slow day on the environmental front, what with the International Greenpeace Foundation coming under flack for purported pilfering of donated funds. Care for the environment is one thing, but using this umbrella to wield special interest power is another. In a discussion with current federal Liberal candidate Julian Reed, who served 10 years as a member of the provincial legisla- ture and whose expertise was in the resource development and environmental protection field, it became abundantly clear that environmental protection and economic gain are not incompatible and can, in fact, go hand in hand. But then again, that would no doubt leave the “Sky is falling, the sky is falling” enviro-nuts with nothing to do. They might have to resort to tidying up the yards of their $250,000 residences. These hard done by people bring to mind the poem, To a Mouse, penned by the Caledonian Bard, Robert Burns. With permission, (or without) I will share it with my readers. And it’s dedicated to Barbara Halsall and others of her ilk. “Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’ rous beastie, O, what a panic’s in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty Wi’ bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee, Wi’ murdering pattle!” In other words, Get real. Colin Gibson Let’s get real HIS WEEK Geontn 0 Ont. L7G 481, andis is printed it in Oakville atQ.E. Web Printing. Halton Hills This peieel duced by this 4 i me ly the publisher services may not be sold. PUBLISHER: Ken Bella: PRODUCTION MANAGER: Kathleen Topolsek CIRCULATION MANAGER: Marie Shadbolt OFFICE MANAGER: Jean Shewell HALTON HILLS THIS WEEK IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED. EDITOR: Colin Gibson PHONE: 873-2254 FAX:873-3918 The People's Corner P.O.W.E.R. is sandbagging Acton To the Editor: While I was unable to attend Wednesday’s townhall meeting in Acton, I understand that P.O.W.E.R. further revealed its increasingly In what was - even for these peo- ple - an astonishing =Shplay of uplicity, P.O.W.ER. has attempted idbag - at the last minute - the elution to Acton’s 20-year develop- Wake up and smell the smoke To the Editor: It appears that the Halton Hills ouncil has once again proven that they have yet to understand part of their job is to the health and well-being of the people of Halton ills. Despite well-documented and publicized information about the extreme dangers of second hand smoke, the council has once again failed de act on our behalf. many more people have to get Tung cancer and heart disease before they wake up to reality and take some action. Those opposed to a smoking by-law should have to go and visit people who have advanced lung cancer and see firsthand what they could help prevent. We have a very nice indoor mall in Georgetown, but try walking through it without getting a lung full of second hand smoke with every breath. . I enjoy shopping in Buffalo because all the malls are smoke-free, and they don’t appear to be suffering from a lack of business. I guess I will have to continue to shop and dine in areas that protect the health and welfare of its citizens. It’s too bad, because Halton Hills is such a lovely place to live, and I am sure that the merchants’ fears will not be realized if a smoking by- law with teeth is ever passed by this or any council Michael James Glen Williams Computer camp gets boost To the Editor: Iam writing to express my thanks for the article you ran about my computer camp. Since this is our first year, we desperately need all the publicity we can get. After the article ran, I received a great many calls asking for more infor- mation. Almost all of the calls were from people who said they learned about our camp from your aper. We still could use a lot more registrations, but for first year numbers, they aren’t too bad. I am hoping that by the end of this week, we will still have enough registrations to run for the full seven weeks. Thank you again for the time and effort you put into the article. ithout it, we would not have had nearly enough registrations. Lo} ‘a Gee Camp Coordinator Limehouse ment freeze. While the content of P.O.W.E.R. President Barbara Halsall’s secret letter to the federal Fisheries Ministry is utterly bereft of substance, it plays into the hands of certain DFO officials seeking to jus- tify their own simplistic positions. While Halsall, wihen 1 forced to read the letter aloud at the meeting, atte hasize a line or two, which qualified P.O.W.E.R.’s objec- tions, the intent of wd missive was Clear to all in attendanc Whether or not this st stunt succeeds in destroying Acton’s economic I hope all citizens of this community who are not in need of deprogramming will express their appreciation for this treasonous e by those who are. Steve Dawkins Acton To the Editor: The photo shot by Simon Wilson which appeared in Halton Hills This Week and showed me bleeding all over Guelph St., near the Normandy Plaza after a bike accident - the result of my own stupidity - probably serves as a good lesson to other cyclists, especially children. Fortunately, I was wearing a helmet and I’m told, it’s almost certain this saved my life as I hit the road hard on the left side of my head. ear in Ontario, about 15 children are killed in cycling accidents, another 1,000 require hospitalization and of these, 150 have permanent brain injury although bike helmet use cuts injury risks by 85 per cent. I [ have No statistics on similar adult deaths and injuries. for exercise, you can’t be too careful. I’ve been ped: adult bikes for 40 years. In traf- fic, on country roads aa es in the Swiss Alps. My June 10 accident occurred when I decided to take a chance and carry a bike rack, bought at a garage sale, for a short distance through Georgetown rather than picking it up later in the car. I held the bike rack in my left hand while also grasping the dropped handlebar but must have been distracted for a second, for part of the rack cauent i in my front wheel and sent me flyi I suffered a "badly cut face, required stitches to my eyebrow and cheek, got a wonderful black eye and also ended up with a par- tially-separated shoulder, bruised or cracked ribs and superficial cuts to shoulder, hands and legs. The bike repair bill was $117, a new helmet cost another $49 and replacing my smashed glasses cost $183. I also said farewell to the torn and blood-stained shorts and shirt I was wearing at the Lucky to be alive While biking is fun and super’ time. My wonderful wife, JoAnne, says I’ll have to do a lot of bargain-hunting at garage sales to make up for that loss and she’d Teally like me to do the rounds in my car in future. No way! Anyhow, please be careful while biking this summer. Don’t ride without a helmet or risk hav- ing clothing or objects getting caught in bike wheels. When driving my car I take special care when I see cyclists ahead, although I’m often amazed at the unsafe practices of some teenage and adult riders, like traveling on the wrong side of the road against oncoming traffic and zipping along bumpy sidewalks past “blind” exits for motor vehicles. As well, it’s so easy to “fall off” a sidewalk on a big bike and you have no business being there as a cyclist unless you are a very small child on a bike with 60 cm (24 inch) wheels or smaller. So long as you look and plan ahead, give proper signals to traf- fic and look behind before mak- ing lane changes, you should have no trouble riding safely on the road, following the same traf- fic rules as cars and trucks However, don’t get wheels caught in such things as iron drain grids or train and streetcar tracks. My only other bike acci- dent happened when I was aged about 12. It was my first time cycling along a road with street- ar tracks and I fell off when J didn’t cross them sufficiently at right angles. A motorcycle and sidecar com- ing from behind went right over the middle of my back and I got up and walked away from the accident. I went around like a hunchback for a few days but otherwise was okay. Do hope you all have a sum- mer of happy and safe one Brian Dexter Terra Cotta Letters Welcomed Halton Hills This Week wel- comes your letters. Letters must be signed and include your full name and address. Names will be with- held on request. Halton Hills This Week reserves the right to edit, revise, or reject any letters on the basis of factual errors, punctuation, spelling errors or as a result of space limitations. Send your letter to: The Editor Halton Hills This Week 232 Guelph St., Unit 9 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1