Wednesday March 8, 2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER A7 COMMENT Easy to get hooked on Harry Enough o f the Potter bashing. W hat is it about H arry Potter, the beguiling m op-haired boy wizard who has taken the w orld o f children's litera ture by storm , that m akes people so, well, hateful? Is success ju st too hard to swallow? A couple o f w eeks ago, a review er in the G lobe and M ail's illustrious book section tore the poor boy apart, claim ing his life m irrors the very worst o f co nsum er culture. It d o esn 't com e close to C/S. L ew is' Chronicles of N am ia series, sniffed review er M elissa Steele, not even close. She points out that although both series involve fascinating, m agical worlds peopled by interesting charac ters, they are vastly different. She says: `T h e com plicated difference between the H arry P otter books and the Chronicles o f N am ia is that each so vividly reflects the m oral and cultural fabric o f its particular tim e. In the Chronicles o f N am ia, we see the post w ar nostalgia for an im agined sim pler tim e w hen bureaucracy and m achinery did not dom inate and w hen individual choices m ight still carry w eight." She goes on to com pare C.S. L ew is' DIANE HART The Lion, T he W itch and the W ardrobe w ith the Potter books and finds the Potter lad com es up short. Too much consum er culture, she insists, less o f the moral, sim ple life. In Nam ia, she goes on to say, the em phasis is on deci sion-m aking and scouting skills, not cool toys. But w hat she fails to ask is this: w ho exactly gets to make the deci sions. I'll tell you who: the boys. M elissa Steele may well enjoy the Chronicles o f N am ia for its idyllic look at the world; its simplicity; its naivete. But where, pray tell, are her views on the roles o f w om en? W hile the boys get to "think creatively", Lucy is reduced to nothing more than a pretty decora tion, w ho quickly apologizes when Aslan, the all seeing, all knowing great lion, chastises her after the battle. She then shuffles off to nurse the injured Permanent school solutions needed I have been going over the school accommodation crisis that is now being faced in Halton and I have come across some information that has made me shake my head in wonder. I was looking over the information on the well meaning mothers who were known as the "M old Busters" . The mothers who brought national attention to the problems o f mold in portables. Then I looked at the cost in excess of $4 million for the initial clean up and even more for the inspections etc.. that are ongoing and I wonder. Halton has portables because o f our accommodation crisis. Would it not have made more sense for these mothers to have fought for school closures (espe cially those with asbestos and bad water) and put their well meaning efforts into the building o f new schools to accom mo date the children in classrooms. Would it not have m ade more sense for these sen sitive children to walk to school instead o f being bussed, kept in close quarters with overheated children sharing their various viruses. Shouldn't they have put their efforts into elim inating portables instead of propagating a problem. I recently spoke to one o f these moth Letters to the Editor ers who has her child on optional atten dance in another district to keep him from attending a school with portables that she fought so hard and so many of our dollars went to clean up. W hat good did it do if the result is not good for the few children who were sensitive enough to be affected in the first place? We are proposing a plan to eleminate portables in our area o f North East Oakville. The health and safety of our children should be our priority, lets find permanent solutions instead o f throwing good money after bad. Marsha Davies Take a walk...pick up trash M orning walks in O akville are a treat. We are blessed with many beauti ful trees and parks and Lake Ontario is at our front door. I would invite anyone to start their day by taking a stroll and enjoying the natural world so close at hand. M ay I suggest that on your morn ing excursions, you pick up a couple of pieces o f litter and discard them. It only takes a m inute and can make a differ ence both for us and future generations. Margo Jamieson while the boys discuss the battle. How wearily familiar. And then, when they all get to be kings and queens, this is how they are described: "....Peter became a tall and deepchested man and a great w arrior and he was called King Peter the M agnificent. And Susan grew into a tall and gracious woman with black hair that fell almost to her feet and the kings o f the coun tries beyond the sea began to send am bassadors asking for her hand in marriage." So here we have Peter, that tall deep chested man who does something fabu lous like be a great warrior w hile his sister gets the ultimate com plim ent she'll get married! And what will she be called ....Susan the Gentle. Then Lew is goes on to describe the character o f Edm und as "graver and quieter...and great in council and judg m ent." W hat happens to poor old Lucy? "But as for Lucy, she was always gay and golden-haired. And all the princes in those parts desired her to be their Queen and her own people called her Queen Lucy the Valiant." Lucky Lucy. Takes your breath away, doesn't it? And yet, Steele makes no mention o f the sexist, patriarchal w orld o f N am ia. To her, it is simple: the N am ia series is far and above Harry Potter. Well, I'll tell you this - I'll take the fastthinking intelligence o f R o w lin g 's H erm ione over the vacuous marriagedriveft gals o f Nam ia. And I'll take the more subtle, com plex moral dilemmas that Harry and Ron and H ermione have to wrestle with over N am ia any day. According to Steele, these selfless wonderful children in N am ia want to save their kingdom for all sorts o f great, selfless reasons, and there isn't that in Potter - they bumble about and ju st for the heck o f it all works out. She misses out on the sheer magic o f the Harry Potter books. T hat's what entrances my kids or anyone else who opens the first pages and reads about Hogwarts and the dreaded Snape, toys or no toys. And it isn't ju st the kids who are fas cinated. Immersed in the world o f quidditch and mail delivered by owl post, I stayed up way late one night to finish the final book in the series. I've got one thing to say to its imaginative, rags to riches author: keep writing. Qf O A K V IL L E 8 4 5 -6 6 0 1 P HE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF OAKVILLE ENGINEER/CONSULTANT SERVICES FOR 1.) DREDGING OF OAKVILLE HARBOUR AND 2.) RECONSTRUCTION OF BRONTE BEACH SEAWALL AL FOR PROPOSAL NUMBER PROP-14-2000 SEALED PROPO SALS for the above will be received by the Purchasing Departm ent, on or before 12:00 NOON, local tim e on Monday, March 27,1999 Address: 1225 Trafalgar Road, O akville, or by m ail to P.O. Box 310, Oakville, Ontario, L6J 5A6. Telephone (905) 338-4197, Fax (905) 815-2019. Specifications, Proposal form s and Proposal envelopes are available at the office o f the undersigned on or a fte r. A pre-bid site visit m eeting will be held at the proposed installation site. The C orporation reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and the low est or highest as the case m ay be will not necessarily be accepted. R. J. Coum oyer, C .I.M ., P. Mgr. Director, Purchasing & Office Services 1225 TRAFALGAR R O A D · O A K VILLE, O N T A R IO · L6J 5A 6 G> PROPOSAL NUM BER PROP-4-2000 MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2000 O A K V IL L E 8 4 5 -6 6 0 1 THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF OAKVILLE PROPOSALS ARE REQUESTED FROM INTERESTED FIRMS WHO W ISH TO USE AVAILABLE SPACE FOR ADVERTISING ON VARIOUS OAKVILLE TRANSIT FORMS / MEDIA SEALED PROPOSALS for the above will be received by the Purchasing D epartment, on or before 12:00 NOON, local time on TO W N OF O AK VILLE Class Environm ental Assessm ent Proposed Retirem ent o f the Existing Public W orks Road M aintenance & Patrol Yard Facility 2274 Trafalgar Road File: B-21-99 N O TIC E OF C O M P L E T IO N The above project is being planned under Schedule `B ' in accordance the requirements o f the Class Environmental Assessment (E. A.) for Municipal Road Projects. Subject to comments received as a result o f this Notice, and the receipt o f other necessary approvals, the Town o f Oakville intends to proceed to complete its arrangements for the retirem ent o f this road maintenance and patrol yard facility. A previous notice inviting public comment on this proposal was issued on D ecem ber 3, 1999. The Town o f Oakville Department o f Public Works' road maintenance and patrol yard located at 2274 T rafalgar Road is to be closed due to its incompatibility with new adjacent property development and land uses, and other current site limitations. The Town o f Oakville is considering the construction o f an alternative Central Operations Facility to accom m odate the requirements o f our road maintenance and patrol yard services at a heavy industrial zoned property acquired several years ago at 1140 South Service Road, combined with lands recently acquired at 777 Redwood Square. The planning for the proposed Central Operations Facility is now in place, with the completed Environmental Study Report filed and approved as o f February 4, 2000 in accordance with the requirements for Schedule C ' projects within the Class E.A. process. With the planned opening o f this new facility in the spring o f 2001, the existing facility at 2274 Trafalgar Road will no longer be required. Further information, including the project file, will be available for review by the public and other interested parties at the: Town o f Oakville Department o f Public Works 2274 Trafalgar Road, 2nd Floor - Reception Centre Oakville, Ontario L6J 5A6 M onday to Friday - 8:30a.m. to 4:30p.m . Telephone:(905) 845-6601 ext.3303 Address: 1225 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, or by mail to PO. Box 310, Oakville, Ontario, L6J 5A6. Telephone (905) 338-4197. Specifications, Proposal forms and Proposal envelopes are available at the office o f the undersigned. The Corporation reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and the lowest or highest as the case may be will not necessarily be accepted. R. J. Coumoyer, C.I.M ., P. Mgr. Director, Purchasing & Office Services Road Closure By-law 2000-044 Closure o f Part o f North Service Road West TAKE N O TIC E THAT: 1. The Council o f the Corporation o f the Town o f Oakville proposes to pass a by-law pursuant to Section 297 o f the Municipal Act. R.S.O. 1990, C hapter M .45, in order to stop up and close for all purposes part o f Old Mill Road legally described as: Firstly: N orth Service Road lying northeast o f Burloak Drive, being part o f Lots 32, 33 and 34, Concession 2, SDS, Town o f Oakville, Regional M unicipality o f Halton, as in Plan 1122, save and except Instrument N um ber 654854. being all o f PIN 24926-0062; and Secondly: Part o f Lot 34, Concession 2, SDS, Town o f Oakville, Regional M unicipality o f Halton, designated as Part 1 on Plan 20R-3658, being all o f PIN 24926-0076. 2. Pursuant to Section 300 o f the Municipal Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter M .45, before passing this by-law. Council or a Committee thereof will hear in person or by his counsel, solicitor or agent, any person who claims that his lands will be prejudicially affected by this by-law, provided that such person makes application in writing to the undersigned on or before M arch 30, 2000, at 4:30 p.m. This matter will be heard at the Council meeting o f April 17, 2000, com m encing at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Cham bers at Town Hall, 1225 Trafalgar Road. Oakville. Copies o f Plans 1122 and 20R-3658 are available for inspection at the office o f the M anager, Realty Services at the address shown below, by appointm ent by calling 845-6601, extension 3022 during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Interested persons may provide written comments to the municipality on the proposal within thirty (30) calendar days from the date o f this Notice. Comments should be directed to,-and additional information can be obtained from: Mr. Dave Bloomer, P. Eng. Town o f Oakville Department o f Public Works 2274 Trafalgar Road, P.O. Box 310, Oakville, Ontario L6J 5A6 if concerns reg ard in g this proposal cannot be resolved in discussion with the municipality, a person / party may request that the Ontario Minister o f Environment "bump-up" this project to an individual environmental assessment. "Bump-up" requests must be received by the M inister at the address below within thirty (30) calendar days o f this Notice. A copy o f the "bumpup" request shall be sent to the Director o f Public Works. If there is no " bump-up" request received by April 7, 2000, the proposed retirement o f this road maintenance and patrol yard facility on Trafalgar Road will proceed in conjunction with the opening o f a new Central Operations Facility. Ontario Minister o f Environment 135 St. Clair Avenue, 15th Floor Toronto, ON M4C This Notice issued March 8, 2000 D. A. Bloomer. P. Eng., Assistant Director - Operations Department o f Public Works Telephone:(905) 845-6601 ext.3303 Fax:(905) 338-4159 E-Mail: dbloom er@ tow n.oakville.on.ca 3. M aynard M illm an, AACI Manager, Realty Services, Legal Department The C orporation o f the Town o f Oakville 1225 T rafalgar Road, Oakville, Ontario L6J 5A6 1225 TRAFALGAR ROAD · OAKVILLE, ONTARIO · L6J 5A6