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Wednesday April 18, 2001 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER A5 You can name Bronte Creek bridge By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Watch for the new Rebecca Street bridge crossing Bronte Creek to open som etim e between Labour Day and Sept. 21. And watch for your chance to name it. Town officials are in the process o f getting word out in the local media about how Oakville residents can participate in naming the bridge. The ultimate decision will rest with a name selection committee that will include Mayor Ann M ulvale, Ward 1 councillors Ralph Robinson and Kevin Flynn, and the Town's CAO and public works director. The committee is also expected to make a first report to town council on June 18 about an official opening ceremony of the bridge. I t's tradition in O akville to name large bridges, the last one being the Smith-Triller Viaduct, which crosses the Sixteen Mile Creek on Upper Middle Road. The Bronte C reek bridge project also includes reconstructing Bronte Road (from Sovereign Street to Speers Road) and Rebecca Street (from Mississauga Street to Bronte Road). To date, Bronte Road has been reconstructed from Rebecca Street to Speers Road, along with Rebecca Street, from M ississauga Street to the west side of the new bridge. Steel girders must still go up for the new bridge, and that's to be done this month and next. Over the summer, the concrete bridge deck, sidewalks and barrier walls should be built. The latest prediction is that the bridge should be ready to open to traffic sometime between Labour Day and Sept. 21. However, some work will continue after the bridge opens to traffic. For example, for nine weeks, a southerly por tion of Bronte Road will close for reconstruction between Rebecca Street and Sovereign Street. Hydro pole relocation and new streetlights should be up by late fall or early winter, and landscaping will be completed in spring 2002. GIANT CLEARANCE SALE o f Q u a lity U se d O ffic e F u rn itu re at 5 0 4 Iroqu ois S h ore R d ., U n it 4 A p ril 2 0 -2 2 April 20th: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm April 21st: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm April 22nd: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm K e n S k e r r e tt, 8 0 , w a s f ir s t H a lto n R e g io n a l P o lic e c h ie f Funeral services were held in Burlington last week for Ken Skerrett, the first chief of the Halton Regional Police. He was 80. He is remembered by senior Halton police offi cers as an innovative and approachable man who ably guided law enforcement through the growing pains of regional amalgamation. In 1974 he oversaw the fusion o f the Burlington, Oakville and Milton police services. Skerrett was a chief of police for nearly 20 years having come over from the Hamilton Police Force in 1962 to serve as head of the old Burlington Police Force. He was named Halton chief in `74 and retired in `81, giving way to James Harding. Burlington Sgt. Colin Vrooman has fond mem ories of working for Skerrett in Burlington and Halton. "He hired me back in 1970 when I came to Burlington. He was a very innovative chief; he always had the future in mind and usually he took a very new direction." Vrooman said Skerrett introduced team polic ing, which has since evolved into community policing, and also brought in a civilian social worker to work with detectives and adolescents in the area of youth crime. The Burlington sergeant said Skerrett had a tough job logistically speaking as the workforce he commanded more than doubled in size with amalgamation, increasing to more than 200 offi cers in Halton as opposed to the 80 or so he had led in Burlington. "I think he had the hardest job (of Halton's four police chiefs to date) because of regional amalga mation," said Vrooman. Burlington Det.-Sgt. Joe Barker echoed Vrooman's comments about the nature of Skerrett. "He was a gentleman and always proud of the service. I think he was pretty well loved by everyone here." Barker works with Skerrett's son, Steve, a detective in Burlington. He said the two joined Halton police on the same day in April 1976. Current Halton Chief Ean Algar recalled being a constable and, later, a detective under Skerrett. "He was an excep tional individual Ken Skerrett and always approachable. Rank didn't have its difference with the man. "He always demonstrated to me about commu nity participation. I remember him flipping pan cakes with the Rotary Club." Skerrett's history as a volunteer was almost as extensive as his policing resume. The former overseas member of the Canadian Army was a life member of the Royal Canadian Legion, from whom he received the Meritorious Service Award in 1993. Skerrett was also a recipient o f the Commemorative Medal for 125 years of Confederation, a Paul Harris Fellow as past presi dent of the Burlington Lakeshore Rotary Club, and Burlington's Citizen of the Year in 1978. His other public service credits include work with the Burlington "Association for the Intellectually Handicapped (Arc Industries), the Troubled Child Committee, the BurlingtonHamilton United Way, the Children's Assessment and Treatment Centre (CATC), and chairman of both the Traffic Advisory Board and the board of Information Burlington. Ite m sF o rS a le : ·W ooden D e sk s· C red en za's · C h a irs ·M eetin gT a b le s· F ilin gC abin ets · an dm o re V IS A A C C E P TE D Encourage your child to read a newspaper ;In cre a seY o u r Bust N a tu ra lly! w ith H e rb a lp ro d u ct 36C TM : R e c e iv e S p e c ia l E v e n t & C a ith ness G LASS , 1 0OFF M with the purchase « of 2 bottles (reg. `59' eaJ * w e o w e our children the greatest education w e ca n give them. A n d encouraging them to read a n e w spaper is an important part of that education. O p e n a door of em enalnm ent. w on d e r and Knowledge for yo ur children b y encouraging them to begin a practice they will enjoy for the rest of their lives. vT C o lle c t o r s w i l l h a v e th e p le a s u r e o f m e e t in g H e le n M a c D o n a ld , M a s t e r D e s ig n e r , f r o m C a it h n e s s G la s s , S c o t la n d . 'jty e n f a tT tte q i c 1395 Abbeywood Rd. OAKVILLE (In the Bruno i Fine Foods plaza) T h e O a k v il l e B e a v e r It illI s t a r t s u itli n e w s p a p e r . Otter expires April 25/01. Not valid with any other otter 469-4532 JStm^TOUNG presents ^ W i t h h e r d ia m o n d p e n , H e le n M a c D o n a ld w i l l b e d e lig h t e d to p e r s o n a lly s ig n a n y C a it h n e s s G la s s p a p e r w e ig h t p u r c h a s e d ii AS P E C IA LE V E N IN GJA Z ZC O N C E R TA TT H E d u r i n g t h is s p e c ia l e v e n t. 50* S T A R R IN G JE FF rave HEALEY B e s u r e to a s k a b o u t t h e m a n y b e n e f it s o f j o in in g th e C a it h n e s s G la s s P a p e r w e ig h t C o lle c t o r s S o c ie ty . TO R O N TO A L LS TA R B IGB A N D FR ID A Y M AY 4 th 7:00P M & HIS ALL STAR BAN PLUS TH E "R h y th m " 2001 E vent P a p e r w e ig h t H e le n M a c D o n a ld w ill be a p p e a rin g on: Tuesday, A p r i l 2 4 , 1 2 : 0 0 - 4 : 0 0 p .m . Canadian W arplane Heritage Museum Mount Hope Concert tickets $18 at the door or $15 in advance. Call 905-815-0017 ext. 448. Concert tickets include admission to the 50+ Lifestyle & Travel Show. "ASK ABOUT OUR BRIDAL REGISTRY" ch in a & c ry s ta l shops R o b M 'In t o s h Oakville Place (9 0 5 )3 3 8 -5 3 9 3