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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday November 10, 2007 - 5 Preventing woman abuse By Melanie Hennessey SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER New Patients Welcome! Dear Neighbour, If you are looking for a new dental office in Oakville, I would like to welcome you to consider my practice. My office has developed a number of amenities to make you and your family feel as comfortable as possible during your time with us. Some of these amenities include satellite televisions in each of our treatment rooms so you can watch your favorite programs or you can listen to music on an IPOD with BOSE noise cancelling headphones. We also have the fabulous, new ICUITI Digital Video Personal Eyewear glasses that allow you to watch DVD's on a virtual large screen TV. We have developed a number of special amenities that have been specifically added for your children's comfort including a Playstation 3 with a 40-inch Sony Hi-Definition flat screen LCD TV in the children's section of the reception room. I have recently invested in a dental laser that can treat cavities in you or your children's teeth without the drilling sound or vibration. The Laser treatment can lead to a decrease in the amount of anesthetic that is required during the visit to treat the cavity and improve the overall dental experience for you and your child. I am very fortunate to have a caring and friendly team that are committed to your overall oral health and will make you feel welcome and respected. If you have any questions about our office, please feel free to call us at 905-827-1619. We look forward to meeting with you and creating a long-term relationship. Sincerely Last year, Halton Police laid more than 600 domestic violence-related criminal charges. Of those charges, 84 per cent resulted from situations where a male assaulted a female. With this kind of startling statistic in mind, the Halton Violence Prevention Council marked the beginning of Woman Abuse Prevention Month on Monday by raising its banner at the Halton Regional Centre in Oakville. "Our goal is to raise awareness of the fact that domestic violence does take place," said Detective Brett Wilkinson, who's also the police service's domestic violence co-ordinator and a member of the Halton Violence Prevention Council. "We want the community as a whole to be comfortable with coming forward (to report domestic violence)." The council was formed in 1991 by Halton's police chief in response to community distress over the violent deaths of two young women. Its members include the Region, Halton Regional Police, Halton Women's Place, Nina's Place (Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital), Burlington Counselling and Family Services and more. The group's mission is to work toward ending violence to achieve an inclusive and healthy Halton community. Regional Chair Gary Carr said that Woman Abuse Prevention Month heightens community awareness and helps let victims know the kinds of supports and programs there are locally to help them. "We want to highlight the issue and begin the process of eradicating violence against women," he said. Last year, police received 2,686 calls that involved situations between partners, said Wilkinson. Of those calls, 636 criminal charges were laid for everything from assault to threatening to harassment. Ten per cent of the charges were laid in Milton, 13 per cent in Halton Hills, 35 per cent in Burlington and 42 per cent in Oakville. Wilkinson noted by the time police intervene in situations, there's often a history of violence that has gone unreported. "The goal is to have women come forward before it gets to that point," he said. Information regarding abuse issues will be available at tomorrow's Police Day at Sheridan College in Oakville, with Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services of Halton and Halton Regional Police's diversity officer on hand with brochures and handouts on the issue. Burlington Counselling and Family Services, at 905-637-5256, provides counselling for women in abusive relationships and their children, along with a Partner Abuse Response Program and a Caring Dads Program. Halton Family Services offers counselling for female victims of violence and their children. Call 905-845-3811. Halton Women's Place, which provides shelter for women and children, can be reached at 905-332-1200. To learn more visit www.neighboursfriendsandfamily.ca. Dr. Stephen Phelan Dental Surgeon. Laser, Family & Cosmetic Dentistry 1500 Heritage Way, Oakville, ON L6M 3H4 call 905.827.1619 to arrange an appointment Creating sensational smiles in Oakville for 15 years. been to Bronte lately...? brontevillage.net paintings · pottery · jewellery · photography · classes is a unique space that encompasses a retail gallery, an artists' studio and a teaching studio. You'll discover a wide variety of artistic styles and find yourself surrounded by fresh ideas--from the "fabulous" to the "funky." Orange Coloured Sky our hours Monday-Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 10am-7pm 10am-9pm 10am-6pm 11am-5pm 2336 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Oakville, ON L6L 1H5 OPENING CELEBRATION Grand Tel 905.825.9277 www.orangecolouredsky.ca Music, food and fun for all! Saturday, November 24th, 2007