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* DEPENDABLE _ * WE THINK GREEN * QUALITY * FAST FUSSY Our Goal ... CUSTOMERS FOR LIFE ol For A Free Estimate 2575 Dunpas StreEt West AT Winston ChurcHiut Bivp. (g05) 828â€"4332 MERE Do You Gco TO GET Located at 3rd Line Rebecca in Oakville â€" 827â€"0229 AT HOME WITH SERVICE, STYLE SELECTION! The whole family will b ave pails of fun‘! . Visit our GIANT SANDBOX in Centre Court, complete with toys and beach chairs! Rain or shine, enjoy a day at the beach on us. July 4 â€" 3ist _ David Wilkins Serving Oakville Since 1986 Bugs are beautiful at Bronte Creek Provincial Park! Come and join the park‘s interpretive staff, as they explore the wonderful world of insects â€" this Sunday. Staff will explore the aquatic insects that live at Bronte. Wear your rubber boots as we conduct our pond study and get ready for an ooze and gooze good time. Meet at the Visitor Centre at 1 The night comes alive as staff stalk our nocturnal insect friends. Prepare to be mystified by the bugs that only come out at night! The fun begins at 8 p.m. at the Visitor Centre. Build a bug catcher or create a creature at the crafts around the Visitor Centre all weekend from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bronte Creek Provincial Park is located north of the Q.E.W. between Oakville and Burlington. Take exit 109 into Burloak Drive to the park entrance. Park hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Entrance fee to the park is $8 per family (max); $1.25 per person between 6â€"17 years; $2.50 per perâ€" son 18+ years; and $1.25 for seniors or persons with disabiliâ€" family (max); $1.25 per person For information, call the park between 6â€"17 years; $2.50 per perâ€" office Monday to Friday, 8:30 son 18+ years; and $1.25 forâ€" a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at (905) 827â€" seniors or persons with disabiliâ€" 6911. Next Walking Tour July 17th The next Walking Tour of Old Oakville â€" with your guide Dick Marshall â€" is slated for Sunday, July 17th. As in the past, these tours are two hours long and cost $10 per person with proceeds going to the Erchless Restoration Fund. Each tour leaves the Oakville Museum at 2 p.m. on the following dates: Sunday, July 17th; Sunday, Aug. 21st; Sunday, Sept. 18th; and Sunday, Oct. 16th. Each ticket includes a tour of the beautifully restored Chisholm Family Home... Erchless. Space is limited, so get your tickets early to avoid disappointment. For more information, call the Oakville Museum at 845â€"3541. Joanne Zywine, Superintendent of Instructional Services with the Halton Board of Education, will be one of the guest speakers at the 41st annual seminar of the National School Public Relations Association, running to July 10th to 13th in Toronto. The conference features some of the leading communication and education professionals in the United States and Canada speaking on how to develop new and creative solutions to meet the challenge of school reform, reduced budgets, school violence, school critics, culturâ€" ally diverse audiences and more. Zywine will speak on how educators can assist their communities in understanding the often dramatic changes facing education. Zywine, a member of the National Staff Development Council, has presented internationally on the subject of educational change. Her point is that much of the criticism about education arises from a lack of understandâ€" ing about what‘s happening in schools today. The National School Public Relations Association, with members in both Canada and the U.S., has been a leader in educational communiâ€" cations for almost six decades and is dedicated to advancing education through responsible communication. I was recently at a meeting when someone made the remark "they sure don‘t make houses like they used to." Many people firmly believe that older houses are much better built than new homes. Halton school superintendent speaks at NSPRA seminar The truth of the matter is they don‘"t build houses like they used to. They build them better. Much better. Let me give you an example from personal experience. When people compare older houses to new homes they invariably say old houses are much more solid". Well several years ago I owned an older "solid" house. The first problem I discovered was insulation. Older homes with solid masonary walls usually have little or no insulation, so in the winter the walls and floors were cold to the touch and the heating bills were a nightmare. Compare this to a home built in the 1990‘s. The minimum standards of insulation required by our building codes are so high that in some cases special ventilation systems have to be installed. Cold walls, floors and drafts are a thing of the past and heating bills are much more manageable. Another big difference between modern and older homes became apparent when I decided to renovate the kitchen. The first thing we did was take out the heavy, cast iron sink. Next came the countertop. This was sitting on top of twoâ€"andâ€"aâ€"half inches of concrete which was supported by oneâ€"byâ€"six boards, which were on top of a twoâ€"byâ€" four frame. I quickly realized we needed all those heavy timbers in the basement to support all the inefficiencies built into the rest of the house! Over the years we‘ve developed more efficient replacements for sinks, countertops and most other components â€" ADVERTISEMENT â€" ties. Fees for the pool are $1.25 per child between the ages of 4 and 16 years and $2 per adult. of a house. The windows in my older house consisted of a single pane of glass and the door was made of solid wood. No matter how much caulking or weatherstripping was applied, you could always feel a cold draft. Today‘s windows consist of double glazed or thermalâ€"insulated glass and doors are steel with lots of insulation and factoryâ€" installed weatherâ€"stripping. And in an older home, the single biggest source of heat loss is the fireplace. When there‘s a roaring fire, more heat goes up the chimney than into the home. But in new homes, they‘re installing natural gas fireplaces which actually help heat the home. In Ontario, significant improvements in building methods and materials are quickly written into our building codes, so our minimum building standards are among the highest in the world. And all the new homes here are protected by the Ontario New Home Warranty Program (one of only two legislated Warranty Programs in North America) which provides buyers with a one year warranty on almost all defects, a two year warranty on water leakage and a seven year warranty on structural damage. Dan Cooper is an awardâ€" winning Associate Broker with CounZywzde Town Centre Realty Inc. and can be reached at 338â€"6550.