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6- The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday August 9, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 905-632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Commentary Guest Columnist NEIL OLIVER Vice President and Group Publisher DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager Metroland Media Group Ltd. includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Caledon Enterprise, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA ANCHOR Circ. Manager WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver is a division of IAN OLIVER President Media Group Ltd. Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora EraBanner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian Take the time to protect against West Nile Virus Gary Carr Gary Carr, Halton Region Chair RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: S United Way of Oakville TV AUCTION ummer days and nights are often thought of with fond memories: swimming, sunshine, campfires, yard work, picnics and popsicles. Until recently, the mosquito has been a common summer partner that is no more than a mere nuisance. But now, along with leaving an itchy red bump, a bite could infect you with the West Nile virus (WNV). While the risk of WNV infection is low, Halton Region is devoting significant efforts to the surveillance of WNV and taking actions to reduce human illness caused by the virus. We are working hard, but we can't do it without your help. I am asking each Halton resident to take steps to prevent mosquitoes from breeding and biting and to report dead birds to the Region. If you see a dead bird that has not yet begun to decay, please call the Region at 905-825-6000 or toll free, 1-866-442-5866. The bird will be picked up or we will give you instructions for safe disposal. In August and September, when we are most likely to find WNV infections in people, it becomes increasingly important to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites. Taking the following steps will help: · Cover up. Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants with tightly-woven fabric. · Avoid being outdoors in the early evening to morning. This is when mosquitoes are most active and most likely to bite. Mosquitoes are also active in shady, wooded areas. · Reduce mosquito breeding sites around your home by getting rid of all water-filled containers and objects. Change the water in bird baths at least once per week. · Use an approved insect repellent, such as one containing DEET. WNV has not yet been found in either the human, bird or mosquito populations, however, WNV has been found in the region every year since we started monitoring the virus, including two human cases in 2007. I urge you to continue to call in any dead bird sightings and to continue to take steps to prevent mosquito bites. To report a dead bird or standing water, or for more information about how to protect yourself from West Nile virus, please call Halton Region at 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866-4HALTON (1-866442-5866), TTY 905-827-9833, or visit our website at www.halton.ca/wnv. Touring the Windy City and re-bonding with the boys I t's 7 a.m. on a Thursday, and like Jack Kerouac before us, my two sons and I are On The Road, a five-day sortie into the States. We're sleepily sipping Starbucks as we watch the miles wiz by our windows, and we're listening to a CD my eldest compiled for the trip. He's labeled it Chicago because we're on our way to The Windy City, and it's rife with songs by bands slated to perform on the weekend at Lollapalooza -- Okkervil River, Broken Social Scene, Wilco -- because a day in the park at 'palooza is on our itinerary. A road trip can bring people together, or drive them apart. Naturally, we're shooting for the former, but I'm aware going into this getaway the latter is a possibility. Male bonding is always an iffy proposition and five days in close quarters with anyone, let alone offspring, can easily derail into a twisted wreck. Still, this trip was my idea. I'm acutely aware that, at ages 22 and 18, Matthew and Scott are close to flying the coop and then such getaways will become increasingly difficult to co-ordinate; even now, with assorted overloaded schedules, they're hard to arrange. To boot, I wanted to re-bond with my boys. For the past year it seemed our relationships had been reduced to nods and grunts as we passed each other at odd hours of the day, as they headed to work or got home from a night out with friends. Once we succeeded in blocking off the time, we narrowed down our list of possible destinations to Boston, New York or Chicago. We chose Chicago, in part because everyone who goes seems to fall in love with the city, and because it has Andy Juniper long been my ambition to make a pilgrimage to Wrigley Field in honour of my grandfather who was a lifelong Chicago Cub fan, but who never managed to make the trek to the fabled field. Once I ensured that Wrigley was on the itinerary, and that hard-to-find Cub tickets had been secured online, I handed over the organization of the trip to Matthew, who is a true traveller and who has a penchant for planning. It's 4 p.m. on a Saturday. We're in Chicago and we're having a blast. The Planner has our itinerary loaded up with activities that has on the fly each day and that subsequently has us truly seeing the city during our short stay. We've been touring via car, subway, and on foot (until my old dogs are barking). We've soaked up the unique ambiance of Wrigley Field and we've seen all the touristy sights and attractions from Second City to the Sears Tower to Lincoln Park Zoo and the Navy Pier. The Planner declared that it is his goal on trips -- and he travels a lot -- to plan something "really great" each day. And he has more than succeeded. At the end of each day we are hard-pressed to say what impressed us the most. Still, I have to wonder what The Planner was thinking on this day. It's blazing hot out and he has me standing in a throbbing crowd of some 75,000 sweaty souls. Me, the guy who is phobic of heat, humidity and crowds. But The Planner's itinerary for the day called for Lollapalooza and you don't mess with The Planner, or his itinerary. It's possible, of course, this is just his way of torturing the old man, if not killing him (he did ask if my life insurance policy is up-to-date). Strange thing is, I'm enjoying the scene. Okkervil River's playing their hearts out and I find myself getting lost in their incredible sound and infectious energy. I'm On The Road --- happy to be in the Windy City, happy to be re-bonding with the boys. Andy Juniper can be visited at his Web site, www.stran-