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A 6 - The Oakville Beaver, W ednesday, July 17, 2002 EDITORIALS MR LETTERS THE OAKVILLE BEAVER 467 Speers Rd,, Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 337-5610 Circulation: 845-9742 IAN OLIVER Publisher NEIL OLIVER Associate Publisher TERI CASAS Office Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief KELLY MONTAGUE Advertising Director STEVE CROZIER Circulation Director MARK DILLS Production Manager RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director ROD JERRED Managing Editor Metroiand Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd., includes: Ajax/Pickenng News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Couner. Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance. Barry's Bay This Week, Bolton Enterprise. Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post. Burlington Shopping News, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection. East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Post. Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press. Hamston Review, Huronia Business Times. Kingston This Week. Lindsay This Week. 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Jin ge B dfFund 4 a A ja Canadian Community Newspapers Association | oakville galleries | cT U flft/fvdli mu U IAJ2.-4S'hliff.iins O A KVTU JE SK* Suburban Newspapers of America TV AUCTION UniUdWly a l O akville h J^thena J% ward © ~ T )h e© F O R B U S IN E S SE X C E L L E N C E R E A LE S T A T EB O A R D Thu Qaxvft' a, Mil'on and District I hritfvUMt N Pay attention to the ban It's hard to sit back and watch the lawn turn from a lush forest green to a crunchy golden brown and the pansies wither under the blazing sun. But get used to it. It's July, it's Canada and we don't have an infi nite supply of water. The urge of homeowners and gardeners alike is to get out the hose and give the plants and turf a good dousing of H20 . However, with the temperatures continuing to hover at and above the 30C mark and no significant rain in the forecast, Halton Region yester day (Tuesday) instituted a ban on lawn watering. It's a necessary precaution to take in order to ensure the Region's reservoirs have the ability to meet essential household needs and fire protection. Nowhere was this more evident than the recent townhouse fire in Burlington, where some 18 units went up in smoke. During this ban, residents may not water their lawns (the restriction goes beyond the even-odd house address system) or wash their vehi cles, regardless of whether the water comes from the Lake Ontario or wells. Automatic sprinkler systems should be turned off and residents who like to wash their driveways (that we can't understand) should cease this practice. That means, too, we don't want to see street cleaners deciding now would be a good time to douse the curbs in water. (We, of course, don't mean areas where the dust is so bad that you can't see a few yards in front of you.) Flower and vegetable gardens may be watered using a watering can or hose with a spray nozzle and newly-seeded or sodded lawns are exempt from the restriction. Remember, though, even if you fig ure nobody will see your sprinkler going full tilt in your backyard, you could still set yourself up to being slapped with a fine. Failure to comply with the ban, which also applies to commercial and industrial properties, can bring a fine as high as $2,000. If you are looking for more infor mation on the ban call the hotline at 905-825-6000 or 1-866-442-5866 (toll-free) or visit the region Web site at www.region.halton.on.ca. Water is a precious resource -- use it wisely. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Client says thank you to Salvation Army, shelter I am writing this letter to defend the Lighthouse shelter, but to praise them as well. My name is Mark and I was a client at the Lighthouse shelter. If it were not for the won derful people employed at the Lighthouse, I surely would not be here to write this. They are responsible for taking me off the street and in short "saving my life." What disturbs me the most is the fact that people in the Town of Oakville have seemed to lump together the criminals with the home less? I will not deny that "YES" I am a recov ering drug addict, but through the Lighthouse I have found friends, mentors and simply a shoulder to cry on when in need. I am not a violent person nor am I a pedophile, which seems to be the choice accusation from the ignorant masses. I have two children of my own whom I adore more than anything else on this planet and the fact certain people in this town can lump me together with the lowest form of life (pedophile), not only hurts, but makes me feel sick inside. I pride myself on being a good father and know that I am. It seems to me that people are afraid of what they do not understand, and homeless ness is something that I feel everyone should at least try to understand. As human beings we are all equal. Certain people may make more money than others, or live in bigger homes, but at the end of the day, we are all the same. We all hurt, we are all afraid and we all have feelings. Maybe if everyone in this town could spend one week without a home, then they would understand. I know that is farfetched, but it would sure teach everyone that homelessness is not some thing to be shrugged off. I feel that if it were not for certain people at the Lighthouse I would still be on the street not knowing where my next meal or shower was coming from. The rules are strict, but the people are car ing. There are no drugs there; there are no pedophiles there; for that matter, if one has a history of violent crime, they are surely denied. So having said all that, I just wish the know-it-alls that seem to think they know what they are talking about would leave the Lighthouse alone and allow them to work their magic like they have done in the past. I was not even living there when a close (almost father figure) friend of mine passed away from pancreatic cancer. The people at the Lighthouse were there for me even then and offered to help me with funeral arrange ments. The man I am referring to was also homeless and he was a drug addict, as well. But he was and still is the sweetest man I have ever met (he was partly responsible for me admitting my own addiction and for me seek ing help), and thanks to the Lighthouse, I was able to deal with his death and did not turn to drugs again. In short, I would just like to say that I thank the Lighthouse and the Salvation Army for teaching me that life is worth living and there are people out there that truly care for people in need. There should be more like them... thank you from the bottom of my heart. Mark Zammit Homelessness will not go away without 'unified effort to correct it' I just returned from Florida where I helped out in a homeless/ recovery centre. The problem there has become so bad because each city/county has run off the homeless only to have them show up somewhere else. I sat through meetings with the homeless coalition, the city, county, the homeless and addicted, and outraged neighbours who had had it with the addicts and homeless and just wanted them "gone." I must admit that I sympa thized with both sides. As I helped provide meals, shelter, counselled, and cared for the addicts and homeless, part of me just thought "these people are just being irresponsible and leaching off whoev er they can; these drunks like being drunks and they won't change." I secretly resented spending my time and resources on "them" and I just wanted to get back to a safe and clean city again. The reason the problem got so bad there was: 1.The public saw these men, woman and children as a nuisance to be pushed into someone else's county and were non-compassionate to their needs and problems. Ignorance and selfishness. 2.There was no unity or support for a place to help these people to get back into society to stop the cycle of addiction and homelessness. Dissension leading to non-action. So, the problem didn't go away, the people just got more desperate to survive and some turned to extreme measures to hide and steal. Many just gave up and died in various ways. Who cares, huh? During my visit, I saw a number of people who did recover and become productive members of society again. I started to rethink my harsh attitudes toward them. One man named "Arty" had been living under a bridge six months earlier and was stable, working a good job, and get ting back on his feet. There were a number of other people I saw like Arty who just needed a chance. There will be some people who are career drunks/vagrants. They can be dealt with through good laws and recovery centre guidelines. But I hope and pray Oakville gives the people who want a chance a place to go. Let's not attack the solution, but work together to solve the problem. The problem will not go away without a uni fied effort to correct it; I've seen the end result of indiffer ence. Lonnie Mackley `For-Smokers-Only' attitude is a kind of prejudice, says visitor Oakville is very fortunate to have a mayor who considers all the residents and not just those who are without handicaps and infirmities. It is disappointing, however, to observe the attitude of some of the readers of this news paper who would deny others the rights and privileges that they enjoy and probably take for grant ed. Many non-smokers would enjoy a night in a pub or a meal in a restaurant of their choice, but, like handicapped residents were until recent legislation, the "ramp" that would allow them entry is missing. In the case of non-smok ers, their obstacle is just as real. That obstacle is smoke. The attitude shown in some let ters to this column exemplifies the English expression. "Pull up the ladder, Jack. I'm OK." This same selfish attitude was expressed when rights were extended to women, including being allowed to vote. More recently we heard com plaints from people who com plained about the expense of Care A Van, handicap ramps, handicap parking, enhanced washroom facilities, etc. as we tried to become a more caring society, giv ing equality to all. I was bom in Mississauga, not Oakville, but visit your beautiful city frequently. I have always found the merchants and others to be friendly and helpful. I am not handicapped and have never encountered the kind of people who write the "For Smokers Only" letters. My wish for them is that they never encounter their own kind of prejudice. Ivan (Ben) Rich Butt out of my life: smoker I have lived in Oakville for more then 25 years. It's a great town,and I will always come back. The problem I have is with this smoking bylaw. I read the article the 13-year-old boy submitted, and I think it's great for him to be looking out for his brother. The thing is I am a smoker and I'm sick of all these bored people with nothing better to do than to get involved with my life and other people's lives. It doesn't concern them. The Oakville bylaw is not fair to anyone except for the non-smokers. We all know smoking is bad, but if I want to smoke it's my choice. I have a nine-year-old son, and I never smoke around him. I go outside or I don't smoke. There are lots of places to eat out there where the food is good and there is no smoking. Oakville should do just what Toronto did. The owners have two choices. Either you call your self a bar, where you can still eat, drink, smoke, or not. No one under 19 is allowed in or you call yourself a restaurant, where any one is allowed any age, to eat drink, but not smoke. It works great there. People seem to always make life hard when it's not! I don't know if they are bored, unhappy or what. I'm not the one to answer that, but peo ple, just because you don't like it doesn't mean you have the right to change my lifestyle and countless others. There are lots of ways around this, you just have to look outside of the box your life is stuck in. Let's change the law so every one can enjoy what he or she likes to do on there own time. B. Maberly Pud By STEVE NEASE 1 - DING WN<5 X X p\H<9 PIN6J} MAX.' Listen: DoYouKttou/i WHrtTTHAT. 1 5 ? We welcome readers thoughts, opinions The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considera tions and grammar. In order to be published, letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Road, Oakville, On., L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish any letter. it