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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, June 20, 2012 · 6 Opinion & Letters 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5566 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 KIM MOSSMAN Circ. Manager New beginnings Many residents will remember the Oakville Waterfront Festival. It was ranked among the best festivals in the province, but it could not continue financially, drew the ire of residents neighbouring its Coronation Park venue and, sadly, for many, went the way of the dinosaur. Now, the inaugural Oakville Family Ribfest is poised to roll out this weekend. The ribfest is set for June 22-24 on the grounds of Sheridan College's Oakville campus. Much of the elbow grease behind the festival comes in the form of volunteer help -- with sponsoring Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar leading the way. Not only will the club help introduce a new signature festival for Oakville, but it stands to gain fundraising dollars to support many projects here in town as well as helping to eradicate polio on an international level. With costs kept to reasonable levels through the good-natured support of volunteers, this local festival has also come up with answers to many of the other pet peeves associated with the former Waterfront Festival. Parking should be plentiful and while it's a goal to aspire to go green and promote public transit and environmentally-friendly transportation options, it's realistic to recognize people still drive. The parking will be free, is abundant and should not really disturb anyone, save but perhaps a few neighbours whose properties abut the campus and nearby apartment dwellers. Trafalgar Road, just north of the QEW, should not present the same type of potential traffic gridlock situations that arose on Lakeshore Road and throughout nearby residential sidestreets during the festival. Similarly, music will likely disturb far fewer residents. Being a licensed event, the confines of the college and its parking will likely make the authorities' jobs easier, should anyone decide to push the boundaries. With lots to see, do and taste, for all ages, the new Oakville Family Ribfest is definitely a festival that is well thought-out from beginning to end. We encourage Oakville residents to take in some summertime fun and enjoy some hearty ribs for a great cause. 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. Cell sites meet safety regulations Letter to the editor 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. Saying `thank you' to the not Bronte Athletic Park brigade Ribfest green Re: Summer weather heralds the arrival of the parking brigade, Wednesday, June 13, 2012, The Oakville Beaver As a resident backing onto The Bronte Athletic Park for over 30 years, I say a big `thank you' to the Park Brigade and the Town of Oakville. Over the years, we have seen steady growth and development in the area and in the use of the park. We, who have the privilege of living behind the BAP, also are very aware and involved in its increased use and development. The Town officials, Ralph Robinson and all parties concerned are working to ensure that the park (and its neighbourhood) is safe, No. 1, then maintained and developed for the area's residents. Bylaws are there for a reason and as residents, we have to abide by them, so do others who are coming to enjoy the BAP. There are a whole host of reasons that the park is monitored and there is security and a gate that gets locked at night. This is an old park, with a more than heavy demand on it. It would seem to me that rather than blaming the Park Enforcement for doing its job, perhaps one should question the wisdom in having these large venue events in a park that cannot provide adequate parking or other facilities. The events are getting bigger, whether football, baseball, soccer or swimming; the facility is just too small to accommodate the ever-increasing demand. When something gets overloaded, something has to give and I for one, hope it's not the bylaws that are there to protect and serve us all. Carolyn McCarney, Oakville Re: MP calls on Bell to reposition `powerful' towers, Friday, June 15, 2012, The Oakville Beaver Bell is operating the two new wireless cell sites in Oakville in response to customer demand for enhanced cellphone service. Both sites are on existing structures -- one, a public building that had already long been supporting wireless services, the other a Bell technology centre that has been operating on Balsam Avenue since 1953. Had Bell not placed these cell sites on existing buildings, we would have been required to consider new tower structures to support enhanced service for Oakville customers. These new sites, like all Bell cell sites, meet or exceed all federal and local requirements, including safety and operation regulations set by Health Canada and Industry Canada. Jason Lazlo, Corporate Communications, Bell Ribfest is coming and I can't wait. I was really disappointed to read that for a small fee I can ride my bike to the event and leave it in a secure parking section, whilst driving my gas-guzzling, pollution-creating car will cost me a whopping nothing. Surely this is a misprint. We wouldn't want to discourage Oakville residents from choosing a healthier, greener, more active lifestyle, reinforcing our commitment to making active transportation even more accessible for residents. by charging them to park their bicycles. If the ribfest organizers wanted to raise some extra cash for the event surely there are more productive ways to do it. Katharine Davis, Oakville