OAKVILLE BEAVER Saturday, March 21, 2009 · 6 The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 905-632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 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. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Commentary Letter to the editor NEIL OLIVER Vice-president and Group Publisher, Metroland West DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Metroland Media Group Ltd. includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Caledon Enterprise, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora EraBanner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian Support single-track FI In reference to Greg Bowman's letter in the Oakville Beaver, March 18, Trustee's motion out of order", I completely disagree with his view and his understanding of what a "vast majority" is. In 2008, 34.3 per cent of first graders started French Immersion in Ward 4. That's 172 students out of a total of 501, as per the Halton District School Board's numbers. That's one third of the entire Grade 1 population and the indicators show steady growth in the future. I can assure you the parents of those kids support Halton District School Board trustee Kathryn Bateman-Olmstead's motion. The letter writer says "it is time our representatives moved on to something other than expanding French immersion". It is precisely because more parents are choosing French immersion that our representatives should expand the program! I understand the concern of English-track supporters when French Immersion is becoming more popular and leaving empty seats in English schools. Alas, it seems the only reason French immersion has suddenly become a concern of English track parents is that their schools are losing enrollment and see French Immersion as the culprit. Education Director Wayne Joudrie's proposal to send 117 (originally 137 kids, minus 20 that will be grandfathered) French Immersion kids to Pilgrim Wood is convenient to fill Pilgrim Wood's empty seats, but it does practically nothing to address the overcrowding at Ecole Forest Trail, since 158 new kids will start next year and only 50 will graduate. In fact, the population at Ecole Forest Trail could almost fill two schools. I simply do not understand why we do not already have a second single-track French immersion school in Ward 4. The numbers have been screaming for it since at least last year! In order to address the population changes of English track schools, what is wrong with redrawing their boundaries? I see it as a much more logical solution than to destroy a successful single-track French immersion program just to use the bodies to fill empty seats. IGNACIO ART DIRUBE RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: United Way of Oakville TV AUCTION Bowled over by honour Trustee's motion lacks support We are parents whose daughter has already been relocated from Captain R. Wilson Public School to Emily Carr Public School. I have already sent my letter outlining our shock and concerns with respect to Kathryn Bateman-Olmstead's proposed motion to once again realign the English-track boundaries, thus resulting in the uprooting of our daughter and other students at Emily Carr again. I felt compelled to send another e-mail, however, after attending the recent parent information night hosted at Pilgrim Wood Public School. I was pleased to see that through the representation of school council members from other potentially affected schools in Ward 4, that no one supports BatemanOlmstead's proposed motion. NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER TOURNEY HOSTS: Mayor Rob Burton recognizes and congratulates owners Ron and Linda Watson for hosting the recent 45th Annual Youth Bowling Canada 4 steps to Stardom Provincial Championships.The tournament of 16 teams is the third step of four in the series, with winners going to provincials. Hopedale Bowl will celebrate its 50th anniversary next month. See Disregard page 7 Put the kettle to the metal and let March's madness begin I t's to the point where I don't even need a calendar to tell me what month it is. If I find myself up a tall tree, blowin' in a breeze, or spending an inordinate amount of time hanging around retirement homes, or if I find myself overdosing on dance, or wondering what time zone I'm in, then it must be March. And because it's March, there is madness. Ah, March's madness. My wife kicked off the craziness by declaring a liquor-less Lent. Sacrificing the cocktail hour and drinks with dinner and the odd fortifying nightcap -- forgoing all Chardonnay, Shiraz and Merlot -- for the duration of the season, and replacing it all with tea. A sea of tea. More tea than what was heaved into the harbour during the Boston Tea Party. My wife: boiling water for another cuppa, incessantly putting the kettle to the metal. With March inevitably comes a little meteorological madness that, thankfully, includes a teasing spell of warmer weather that offers up the illusion that we're actually out of winter. Mercilessly cooped-up for ages, we tear outside in our shorts and t-shirts to embrace this weather, even though it's barely above zero (but it ain't minus-whatever, and the sun is shining). Naturally, we race to get done all those outdoor jobs we haven't been able to get to on account of the drifts of snow. Speaking of breaks: it wouldn't be March without one. March Break: the kids all home, underfoot, undertaking tomfoolery, creating chaos, up to all sorts of shenanigans and, if they are of the subspecies known as Andy Juniper `teenagers', living in a completely foreign time zone. Tough enough that we all lost an hour of sleep with the Daylight Savings time change, but it's hard to catch up on lost shuteye when there are teenagers around intent on turning night into day. As I'm getting ready for bed, they pile into the house, saying they're just going to slip into the basement to watch a few movies, and promising to be quiet. Yeah, about as quiet as teens watching movies all night in my basement. The other day I passed our sleepy son in the hallway. He man- aged to croak a "Good morning" en route to the kitchen for breakfast. It was three in the afternoon. I guess, technically, it is still morning, in some time zone, somewhere. Finally, how I always know it's March without the aid of a calendar is when I start seeing people going green, and not with envy, and not all environmentally. Our daughter, you see, is an Irish Dancer with the Finnegan School of Irish Dance. Each year around St. Patrick's Day week, they perform an ambitious series of shows in seniors' residences, hospitals, malls, taverns and the like, bringing Irish cheer to shut-ins, and Irish spirit to those in need. As my daughter's chauffeur, I've seen more dance shows and heard more Irish tunes in the past week than a non-Irish mind like mine can even consider. So what's kept me going? Green beer. Oh, and chasing down cups of green tea for the Irish lass in my life, who doubles as my wife. Andy Juniper can be visited at his Web site, www.strangledeggs.com, or contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com.