www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, December 5, 2012 · 6 Opinion & Letters The Oakville Beaver 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 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, Halton Region 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 Holiday wishes December has arrived. It's time to fill that Christmas list as it is the season of giving. And while everyone on your list is important, don't forget about that someone who is not yet on your list -- you may, in fact, not even know them, but it's possible you could make their Christmas wish come true. Making that kind of wish come true is what the spirit of giving and miracles of the season are all about. It may be a tiny tot who receives that toy they have been dreaming about, but believe they may not receive. It may be a teenager who finally gets to fit in with the crowd by receiving an electronic device, game or new tune, or outfit or hairstyle. It may be a senior, alone for Christmas, with only memories of holidays gone by or family far away. It could be a single parent, so busy providing Christmas for their children that they don't think of themselves -- or whose wish would be to give their children a happy holiday. It may be a family figurehead, running so tight that a little extra help would make ends meet and them the hero of the holidays. Each of us knows these people -- they are family, friends, neighbours, co-workers -- or ourselves. There are lots of ways to connect for the holidays through the many local charities, churches, service clubs, agencies and businesses. Halton police are running Toys for Tots. Oakville firefighters are collecting toys to ensure all children receive a gift from Santa under the tree. The Salvation Army of Oakville has its annual Christmas Kettle Campaign underway until Christmas Eve. There is Kerr Street Ministries' Christmas Wonders program. Seniors are not forgotten thanks to the Children of Christmas Past program, which The Oakville Beaver, and its Halton Division sister newspapers, is supporting (see page 15 of today's paper). Others are assisting women and children who will be in shelters and away from home during the holidays. Helping families put food on the table for the holidays are local food banks -- Fareshare, Kerr Street Ministries, The Salvation Army, Oak Park, local churches and more. Farther afield, World Vision can help someone select a gift for someone in need in other parts of the world. The New Year's Day Courage Brothers Polar Bear Challenge will support water projects in Africa. For information on these and many more charities, read our paper, visit www.oakvillebeaver.com or call local churches and agencies. There are lots of ways to reach out in the true spirit of the season to make a Christmas wish come true. 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. Letter to the editor Thank you to the kind woman in black coat We recently attended a variety show at Oakville Trafalgar High School to raise money for Jesse's Journey, an organization that funds research for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Our daughter, who has Down Syndrome, was involved in the show playing Love Story on the electronic zither on the iPad and wanted to invite her good friend who also has Down Syndrome. During the show, there were multiple raffle draws and after each ticket was called, my daughter's friend got more and more upset that he was not in possession of the winning number. A kind lady in a black coat across the aisle noticed his mounting disappointment and offered him her winning ticket when her number was drawn. At the end of the show, we looked for her to thank her properly for her kind gesture, but she was nowhere to be seen. So we would like to give her a big thank you for her generosity using this forum. We would also like to compliment all of the amazing performers at the variety show. It was truly an inspirational evening with a student at the school who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy kicking off the event, followed by Jesse's father giving a motivational speech of his fundraising efforts to date. For more information, visit www. jessesjourney.com. Brenda and Paul Bandiera, Oakville 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. Many benefits to free transit day for seniors Re: Free transit day for seniors up for budget debate, Oakville Beaver, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2012 According to Oakville Transit manager, Barry Cole, providing one free day a week for seniors would cost the Town $45,200. Compared to the 2012 total operating budget of $239 million, this represents a miniscule amount. Barry's comments on the program were as follows: "There were other soft benefits that were seen. Improved personal mobility, independence and opportunity, a greater degree of engagement in social activities, a higher level of activity, access to other community services, a sense of belonging -- these were all the things people suggested to us that were of benefit to them." All for just a meager $45,200. Members of council, this is a proverbial no-brainer. A compelling argument exists for rendering the pilot project permanent, in particular, seeing as it is wholly consistent with principles underpinning Livable Oakville. Peter D. Pellier, Oakville Follow Oakville Beaver staff on Twitter @OakvilleBeaver @NewsHooked @DavidLea6 @DominikKurek @BeaverSports or @Halton_Photog