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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, October 19, 2012 · 6 Opinion & Letters 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5566 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 905-631-6095 -- 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington 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 Circulation Manager Remember them Letters to the editor "We don't take comfort in knowing there are people who are still victims. In spite of all our work, in spite of all our efforts and the work of our police officers and the partnerships we've garnered, every day, we have more and more victims." -- former Halton Police Chief Gary Crowell in November 2011 at an event for Woman Abuse Prevention Month. Elmer is forgotten Remember their names. But above all, please remember their faces. These are the people -- Halton residents -- at the heart of three horrendous and unbelievably sad cases of domestic violence. A young mom won't see her three boys play hockey, watch Katherine Newman them graduate or celebrate their achievements. Katherine Newman, 43, of Oakville, was stabbed multiple times at her townhouse on a cold day in January. Her husband was later fatally shot by officers at a police station parking lot. A Milton boy, 6, will no longer chase rainbows, curl up with his mom to read a story or attend Debra Allen school. He will never know his teen years or adulthood. He died at the hands of his father. His mother's heart is shattered. No one will ever understand why Wojciech Kosalka decided to take his own life and that of his son's, Noah. What we do understand, though, is that there are families trying to move forward Noah Kosalka through unbearable grief. Last Saturday, Debra Allen, 52, a public school principal, was murdered in her Georgetown home, apparently shot by her husband Dave, who then turned the gun on himself. We hope we can all step up to help put an end to domestic violence. We implore anyone who is being abused to seek help now. Halton police have a domestic violence, Halton Women's Place offers shelter from the storm and the Halton Violence Prevention Council can be a link to its member organizations (www.hvpc.ca). Anyone in need can call call Halton Women's Place Crisis Line at 905-332-7892 (South Halton) or 905-878-8555 (North Halton). Domestic violence is everyone's issue. Let's not forget their names or their faces. 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. 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. Thanks for community warmth Thanks to the generous people of Oakville, the Coat Redistribution Day was a tremendous success. More than 250 men, women, and children have warm outerwear this winter. Recipients left the event satisfied with their choices and many words of gratitude. The Bronte Village Stakeholders would like to express appreciation to the Oakville Fire Department (particularly Bronte Station), St. Dominic's School, Bronte BIA, and CVS for their support in this event. To the people of Oakville... keep hold of those gently-used clean coats that collect in your closet over the spring and summer... and remember us for next year when we have our 2nd annual Coat Campaign. (Bronte Village Stakeholders -- In 2010 a group of local stakeholders/outreach groups from local churches and agencies, including our local council members gathered together to discern and assist with gaps/areas in local services in the Bronte Community. This is our second project.) Linda Oliver, Bronte Village Stakeholders I have to say out of all things I learned as a child growing up in Oakville, one of the things that stuck with me most was the simple instructions from Elmer the Safety Elephant. It would seem this does not hold true anymore. I know Oakville has grown since the late '60s and early '70s, but I would think the rules of a roadway still stand. Which rules you ask? Well how about when you are walking on the road (now jogging), you go against traffic single file. It would seem half a lane, three or four people wide is the new norm. We have sidewalks almost everywhere, this is a roadway not a jog way. How about cycling? You ride single file with traffic not in a gaggle five wide on both sides with the back end trying to pass on the inside. The road is for vehicular traffic in a strict and controlled method of flow. I'm not saying don't jog or bike on the roads, but be courteous and use it properly. If it is so important for you to be able to talk to your hobby buddy use a wireless headset and obey the rules. Yes, you are a pain in the butt, but you can make the change. Don't even get me started on the current "E-bike" virus or the trend of powered wheelchairs on the road. Maybe you should all be made to take a test and have to buy a yearly licence for the privilege to operate on a roadway... just saying. Peter David Fairweather, Oakville Residents need help giving away turkeys My husband and I have been talking about buying several turkeys for the last couple of years and donating them to the shelters. Finally, this year, we were in a position to do so. My husband first called the company where we would buy the turkeys and once it was confirmed we could buy the amount we wanted, he called a local church to find out how we can donate the turkeys. He was told to call a lady who over sees all of Halton. After speaking with her and letting her know our intentions and a couple of calls back and forth, she told my husband the turkeys were not needed. We give to other charities and do different donations, but we were really excited about this one. We were planning on donating 40-50 turkeys. I understand that they are bulky and hard to store but to not at least take five or 10 really surprised us. I then told my husband that next time we should reach out to Toronto. I was born and raised in Toronto and in my See Letter page 14