OAC art students show their best SCHOOL SUCCESS w w w .c h is h o ln ic e n tre .c o m Coyotes roll with local talent S ports M e rc e d e s - B e n z (l.E .V V . & D o r v a l D r. (905) 844-3240 A rtscene w w w .o a kville b e a ve r.co m R IC A 'S^vlO ST AWARDED COMMUNI How DARE they? D ru g e d u c a tio n p r o g r a m m a y b e c u t By Tim Whitnell SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Th e scop e, and p erh ap s even the existen ce, o f p o p u lar p rogram s like D A R E , C eleb ratin g L iteracy an d F ood F or T h ou gh t is in d ou b t in the H alton pu b lic school system . Budget recommendations have been May 29 at 7 p.m. at the board office in made by staff with the Halton District Burlington. The board funding of the Drug School Board that funding for those ini Awareness Resistance Education tiatives be removed. The administrative direction, which (DARE) program that is in jeopardy amounted to $80,000 this was met with sadness by trustees, came during the "We have a lot of work year. The board has had an third in a series of budget left still. There isn't ongoing relationship with meetings Monday. going to be any the Halton Regional The public board is wrestling with an evolv surprise when we come Police Service, which implements DARE by ing 2002-03 school-year to you with a budget having officers go into budget that is expected to that far exceeds the elementary classrooms vastly exceed the project $281.4 million" and give anti-drug and ed revenues coming from peer pressure talks to the provincial govern · Halton District Grade 6 students. ment. School Board Celebrating Literacy No firm decision has Business Superintendent and Food For Thought been made yet about the Carla Kisko was a two-year commit three elementary school programs in question or the others that ment from the board that saw it give Barrie Erskine · Oakville Beaver $90,000 this year to the Halton Social were talked about on Monday. Trustees are reviewing and debating Planning Council, to help it administer SAFETY FIRST: Eight-year-old Victoria Tweedle comes to a full stop at the annual Bike Safety Rodeo at Sunningdale School on Saturday morning. The fun safety clinic, which teaches young cyclists the rules of the road, was co-sponsored financial projections being made by reading and snack and breakfast pro by State Farm Insurance and Cyclepath. staff with a final vote on next year's grams. The idea of losing the three pro budget expected by mid-June. The proposed budget for the 2002-03 grams does not sit well with some school year is $281.4 million, however, trustees. "I'm quite concerned we may be the general legislative grants from the have their collections completed by the Mulvale, Major Ray Braddock, Tim Ministry of Education, which account com prom ising (disadvantaged) kids' By Wilma Blokhuis (See `Literacy' page A4) end of this week, "and some will be Howlett, Heather Missen and Perkins for the bulk of board revenues, won't be OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF known until late May at the earliest. handed out the chocolates. done by the end of the month." People can help by calling to volun That X factor is causing concern among However, some areas have not yet The Oakville Salvation A rm y's teer, or calling in if their donation has board staff and trustees and will deter annuaJ Red Shield Campaign got a been canvassed. mine how much wiggle room the board The $12,300 does not include the not been collected: 905-339-2043. healthy start with $12,300 collected has in setting its budget. "With Oakville getting behind the money collected in kettles at the Bean during Monday's door-to-door blitz. Board Business Superintendent local campaign, we can fund continued Lunch held on April 20 to kick-off the "That's close to the $13,000 collect operations of services in the shelters Carla Kisko indicated people will be ed for all of May, Red Shield Month, Red Shield Campaign. That day was deemed a success with and foodbank, budget counselling, job doing more squirming than wiggling last year," said Campaign Manager search support and our other services with the dollars they'll likely have at $661 collected. Wendy Perkins. A 23-year old Oakville man is facing that give the people of Oakville a help their disposal. At the start of the campaign, Perkins The Salvation Army had 190 can "We have a lot of work left still. assault charges in connection with a said she would like to see $50,000 ing hand when they need it," said vassers going door to door. There isn't going to be any surprise stabbing during a pickup basketball "We've had people running behind raised in Oakville, however, no formal Perkins. "For some, the success of this cam when we come to you with a budget that game last month. the canvassers saying lI didn't see you goal was set. far exceeds the $281.4 million," Kisko According to Halton Regional paign means the start of a new life." The campaign also had a `sweet sur at my door and I just want to give you Police, the incident took place April 16 The Salvation Army has opened a told trustees. prise' for early morning GO Train com a cheque'," said Perkins. School boards cannot run deficit around 9:30 p.m. when the victim -- a "W e've also had people coming to m uters on Monday m orning. Red campaign office at 465 Morden Rd., budgets so Kisko said a summary list of 20-year old Toronto man -- was play our campaign office and the citadel to Shield Campaign workers handed out Unit 107, call 905-339-2043. all proposed program cuts would come ing basketball on an outdoor court with The citadel is at 1225 Rebecca St., 2,000 pieces of chocolate donated by drop off donations," she said. to the next public budget meeting on friends and another group of individu Most of the canvassers expect to Bernard C allebaut. M ayor Ann call 905-827-5324. als. Arguments, then a fight, broke out between the two teams, and during the altercation the victim realized he had been stabbed numerous times and made his way to Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. The Sandhus lived at the an air conditioner running fullBy Howard Mozel After police were summoned, offi Greenridge Circle home for 15 tilt in November. OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF cers determined that the man had been What Drug and Morality Unit years before buying another stabbed four times -- three times in the Following months o f house nearby and decided to rent officers found there, when they arm and once in the abdomen. Surgery heartache after being victimized their former property last year. executed search warrants, were was required to repair internal injuries. by marijuana growers, Their Realtor found a couple large-scale growing operations The suspect fled the scene. Oakville's Sandhu family would who showed up to meet the with the capability of producing An investigation led to the arrest of a like to offer advice to others Sandhus driving a nice car and millions of dollars worth of ille suspect. thinking of renting their homes, appearing to be perfect tenants. gal drugs. The Sandhus' other Bertram Carl Blackbird, of Kerr They moved in on Sept. 15. son, Michael, received a phone but can't. Street, is charged with aggravated call from a detective with the "It seems like we did every assault and assault with a weapon. He is bad news. thing right," said Harry Sandhu, scheduled to appear in Oakville "We lived in that house "I was shocked," said whose parents, Harbhajan and Provincial Court on June 11. for 15 years and they Michael. "I thought he had the Satnam Sandhu, rented out 1528 destroyed the place in wrong number." Greenridge Circle last year to a No such luck. W hen "nice young couple." two months." Harbhajan and Satnam were "There's nothing more we · Satnam Sandhu, picked up and taken to the prop could have done," he said. owner o f the rented-out erty, police said they were This included using a real grow house cleared of any wrong-doing. It estate agent to deal with the red quickly became obvious, how Mother's Day................. B1 tape of renting their home, "Everything checked out," ever, that the front door which Focus.......................... C l ensuring first and last months' rent was paid and having post said Harry. "They seemed like had been broken open by offi Artscene...................... C4 cers was the least of their prob dated cheques in hand. In the nice people." Business......................C6 On Nov. 14, Halton Regional lems. end, however, the Sandhus were C8 Sports................. "The police told us to be pre left with a property virtually Police swooped down on a trio Best Wheels................D1 destroyed on the inside, an insur of north end houses, one of pared," said Harbhajan. "It was a Classified............. ........D3 ance company that stalled at which was the Sandhus' mess on the inside." Partial Delivery: Sport Chek, Innovative Storage, Barrie Erskine · Oakville Beaver Adds Michael: "It was a dis every step and a massive elec Greenridge Circle property. The On Site Magazine, West o f the City, Bell World, Undos, Tech One Computers, Alexanian Carpets, tricity bill that Oakville Hydro raid came about, in part, as a aster. There was dirt everywhere, Harry, Harbhajan, and Michael Sandhu want to warn Cudmore's Ganlen Centre. Emisclare Interiors. CIMS Drugs, result of a tip by the Sandhus' plant material. Everything was others to be wary of renting out homes. Even though the demanded the family pay. Holland Park Gallery, Home Depot, Party Packagers, Appleby Mall, Auto Park, Select Flowers, Future Shop, "I couldn't go to work, I former neighbours, who were ransacked." family hired a real estate agent to rent out their rental Sean, Good Life. The Bay, Yet, it was in the basement property, they wound up victimized by an illegal marijua Coast Mountain Sports, Lakeshore Place Retirement couldn't sleep," said Satnam. "I suspicious of "rough looking" people coming at odd hours and Canadian Publications Mail was sick over this." na growing operation inside the house. (S e e `F a m ily' p a g e A 3) Product Agreement #435-201 Red Shield Campaign off to quick start Man charged in basketball game stabbing Family still reeling from grow house mess Hydro threatened to cut offpower if $3,500 bill not paid O a k v ille V o lk s w a g e n 557 Kerr Street IJPeTERWiTSo N 11 I N V E S T M E N T S 9 0 5 .8 4 4 .3 2 8 5 www.oakvillevwaudi.com 4 M O T IO N a l l- w h e e l d r iv e RETIREMENT PLANNING SPECIALISTS Drivers w anted. Fre e C o n s u l t a t io n 8 4 2 -2 10 0 tJFJR*