The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, May 30, 2012 · 6 Opinion & Letters 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 -- Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The Oakville Beaver THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award Neil Oliver Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The OakvilleBeaver is a division of David Harvey Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief Daniel Baird Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN Managing Editor Riziero Vertolli Photography Director Sandy Pare Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production Manuel garcia Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution Sarah McSweeney Circ. Manager Kindness counts Letter to the editor Often in a busy world it's easy to forget to stop and smell the roses or generally be kind and interested in the world -- and the people -- around us. The late Jim Arnold took time for others and the impact of his simple kindness, friendly interest in others and respect for those sharing the journey of his life, is obvious to all. Not long after news of his death spread through the Glen Abbey community where he had stood day in and day out, in all kinds of weather for 15 years, a makeshift memorial saw flowers and remembrances placed at `Jim's Corner.' In that corner of life in Oakville, Jim Arnold, once named Canada's Favourite Crossing Guard, made an impact on others. Jim shepherded children to and from school in safety. Jim got to know the young people and their parents. He made friends. He shared good news and bad news, an encouraging word or two, a smile that brightened the day or brought sunshine to someone's otherwise stormy day on a daily basis. Jim was trusted by the young people to help them get to school and back home. Jim was trusted by parents that their children would have someone watching out for them. Jim was a friend to many. He was not just the local crossing guard. As we move through life, the days and years seem to move past ever more rapidly, sometimes leaving what's really important in the blur. Young people do tend to take time to savour their surroundings more so than adults, who are often caught up on a treadmill of racing from one thing to the next in the course of each day. Yet, even now, in our fast-paced world that moves ever quicker and often appears to be growing more impersonal with the boom of the electronic age, it's important to recognize the impact -- and therefore the importance -- personal contact, a friendly nature, simple kindness, can have. Though we may text, Google, Twitter and Facebook, though we may find ourselves dealing with people more through our computer screens than face-to-face, we must all recognize that we, like the environment around us, are also connected to the life that is teeming outside of our electronic world. And in the end, while Jim is remembered via our many electronic means, it was his personal touch with others that made him so special to many. 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. Jim Arnold Services for Jim will be open to all The following is the information we forwarded to our school community. St. Matthew graduates have been phoning the school. It would be appreciated if the date and time of the mass was included in your article so that our graduates would be informed. As you are aware James (Jim) Arnold, our crossing guard, passed away on Monday, May eric riehl / oakville beaver 21. in memory: Students look at flowers laid in memory of Jim Arnold On Tuesday, June 5 -- a crossing guard at the corner of Monks Passage and Nottinghill Gate at 9 a.m., we will be Anyone from the community wishing to celebrating a mass at St. Matthew Church, located at 1150 Monks attend is most welcome. Thank you. Passage, on his behalf. All our students and staff will be attendS. Varricchio, secretary ing. St. Matthew School, Oakville Letters to the editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. On Monday, May 21, our community here in Glen Abbey lost a loving touchstone when crossing guard Jim Arnold passed away. Jim was stationed at the corner of Monks Passage and Nottinghill Gate, safely shepherding generations of kids to St. Matthew School. It's not just that Jim knew the name of each and every child that made him extraordinary, he took the time to get to know each of them and that personal greeting or anecdote that he shared with every child, every day let them know they were loved. And love him back, we all did! Even years after my kids had moved on from St. Matt's, we'd go back for visits just to catch up and were always warmly remembered. When my 19-year-old son shared the news with me last week, I found it extraordinary when he told me it was all over Facebook. How often do we get to see young people discussing and sharing stories about a senior citizen who simply helped them cross the road? In 2009, Jim was honoured as Canada's Favourite Crossing Guard, but it was we in our community who were honoured for having this amazing man as our guardian. I'm obviously not the only one who feels this way as evidenced by the make-shift memorial that has popped up at "Jim's corner." Seeing people pass and stop and share memories, reminds us all how one loving soul can influence an entire community for the better. Good job, Jim, well done! Elizabeth Turner, Oakville Jim is missed