1200 Speers Road unit 23 Offer valld to Oakville Beaver "Shop Locally" card holders Garden Centre Liquid lawn fertilizer ;eedex Kit Balcony Box Reg. 4.97 2 litre bottle Mondayâ€"Friday 9â€"9 Saturday 8â€"9 Sunday 9â€"6 SAME DAY SIGNS AND LETTERING Liquid Lawn Fertilizer 15â€"2â€"5 797 e bottle Magnetic A Frame Signs 397 cutting Eagerâ€"Beaver Gas Trimmer gauc by McCullOCh ~ a, Plastic Urn Reg. 4.97 Reg. 99.97 94" E197 30% off Th Regular Selling Price Uprights Spreaders White Stone _ SALE 22L bag Q 47 Lawn Crafter Fertilizer Spreader 50ib cap. 4‘â€"8‘ pat. m Reg. 4.97 F hile the mayor feels balâ€" â€" ance, not polarization, is the key to the Town‘s pesticide issue, Tuesday‘s Community Services Committee meeting positively overâ€" flowed with diametric debate. By HOWARD MOZEL Oakville Beaver Staff Town drops 2,4â€"D herbicide from weed spraying program At first, representatives of several 199 1/2"x 50° Viny! Hose Duraflex Vinyl sALg 50‘ hose Q 97 Reg. 4.47 Made In Canada Mondayâ€"Friday 9â€"9 Saturday 8â€"9 Sunday 9â€"6 residents groups â€" despite their firm opposition to spraying â€" seemed relucâ€" tantly content to allow the Town to reduce its spraying program at its own rate. This air of compromise quickly evaporated, however, when more miliâ€" tant parties tossed their opinions in the The ball got rolling when Parks and Recreation director Bob Perkins made it Cow or Sheep SAE Manure 27 9 kg bag ng At the very most, Perkins said the Town would spray only 30% of its 168 parks and six cemeteries. After all, he said Oakville has an "extensively natural" park sysâ€" tem and would be willing to naturalize more if not for the resistance from some taxpayers. Perkins recognized that a blizzard of conflicting literature on the subject exists, but stuck to his stand that approved materials applied according to directions are in fact safe. He said his department is not "bombarding" the town with pesticides, but is using only the minimum necessary. official that his department would not go back to using the controâ€" versial herbicide 2,4â€"D on parkâ€" land or even road allowances. Three alternatives would be used instead. Unlike those who believe Oakville should adopt the turf management poliâ€" cies of neighboring municipalities, Perkins maintains the Town is already a leader when it comes to being environâ€" mentally responsible. Staff, he added, had initiated a "drastic reduction" in spraying long before the influence of community pressure. "Anything that is used too much is harmful," said Perkins, explaining he‘s received only 32 letters against the use of 2,4â€"D. "We don‘t believe we‘re drenching the town with harmful chemâ€" icals." Susan Moore of the Oakville Pesticide Action Group applauded the elimination of 2,4â€"D but raised alarm bells over the health effects caused by the chemicals to be used in its stead. She asked that the Town develop a plan to reduce the use of chemicals to 5% of turf management in three years; increase the use of such "low risk" methods as mowing, overseeding, aeraâ€" tion and fertilizing; and initiate a public education program regarding the use of such low risk methods. A palpable air of animosity develâ€" oped when Bruce Lofquist of Ecoâ€" Praxis Inc., a local environmental eduâ€" cation and advocacy group, claimed the Town was "grossly misinforming" the public and called for Council to replace the Parks and Rec administration. Homeowner Bob Stafford, a longâ€" standing supporter of herbicide use, asked councillors to take the parks back from "fearâ€"mongering environmental groups" and their SWAGs (Scientific Wildâ€"Assed Guessing). The majority of taxpayers, he said, would like to see parks and roads maintained properly. Mayor Ann Mulvale tried to smooth the waters by calling for constructive discussion and pure scientific underâ€" standing free of underlying agendas. To that end, the Committee accepted a motion to set up a meeting with FORG in order to keep a productive dialogue flowing. Steven Moore, representing the Federation of Oakville Residents Groups (FORG), presented nearly idenâ€" tical proposals and asked that Oakville follow the lead of such municipalities as Mississauga and Waterloo. "I‘m getting tired of these politically correct and environmental wackos comâ€" ing at us from every angle," said Stafford. Lofquist, who said he flirted with not "legitimizing the process" by even showing up, also asked the Town to phase out spraying completely in three years. Bob Perkins