6- ThVOakVille Beaver; Wednesday February 22, 2006 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 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: I Canadian Circulations I Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PRO UD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPO NSO R FO R : | oaKviHe galleries 1 HaltonH ealthcare Recognized for Excellence by A rtp M n Ontario Community A C l Newspapers Association a CanadianCommunity Newspapers Association SK Suburban Newspapers of America A TH E N A Aw ard TERI CASAS MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager > v 2 3 * * © The Oakville, M ilton YMC^ a $ Fife] m y IAN OLIVER Publisher NEIL OLIVER Associate Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief BOD JERRED ManagingEditor KELLY M0 NTAGUEAdvertising Director DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Manager Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd., includes: AJax/Plckerlng News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Banie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, Caledon Enterprise, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocqte/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown independent/Acton free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Mldland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, 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/TbornhilUVaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian Take this advice to heart We have all been warned, but are we paying attention? The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recently said that the wave of Baby Boomers celebrating their 60th birthdays could be the "first generation to turn back the clock and experience a decline in quality of life." This is all thanks to being overweight and leading a sedentary lifestyle -- certainly not some thing that should be passed along to future generations. According to Dr. Beth Abramson, Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesper son and cardiologist: "Boomers are cer tainly not headed in the right direction." As February is Heart and Stroke Month we thought it important to remind readers that eating properly and engaging in an active lifestyle might help ward off a stroke or heart attack. When you consider that a third of all deaths in Canada are caused by heart dis ease and stroke it is imperative for those of us who are inactive to join the fitness bandwagon. It also takes commitment and a healthy dose of common sense to fight the battle of the bulge. Parents should remember that good eating practices begin at home. Sit down y ^ r r v T v r m r * r r \s -\ 1 1 J l/Iv v ^ 1 0 and have a nutritious breakfast to start the day. A bowl of cereal and a piece of fresh fruit can get the day off to a good start in more ways than one. We are all guilty of eating on the fly, often with little or no thought given to weekly meal planning. Our lives are busy so heading to a fast-food outlet becomes an easy way to fix the nightly dinner. It is also an excuse. Any dietitian will tell you that there are quick and-simple ways to prepare healthful meals. The foundation is also hoping the fed eral government will follow through on its election promises such as providing a tax credit for parents who enroll their children in programs that promote phys ical activity. However, let's be honest, no amount of facts and figures will stave off this looming health care crisis. It is up to each individual to take charge of their own lives and that of offspring. It doesn't matter if the government offers a tax incentive if people continue to reach for fatty foods as they watch television or use the computer. Keeping fit to the best of your ability is within your control -- you have no one to blame but yourself. r I WOULDNT > TRADE THIS FEELING FOR k MILLION DOLLARS -P LU S BONUSES. cana r p u r * T T 'T M 'T V ^ v D 1 r i b m J l 1 O ja 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.f . Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The-Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. With the planet falling about our ears because of pollution, and wars rag ing around the globe, I know the matter I am writing about may seem a small one. However, in the interests of accu racy, will you please indulge me: From time to time I see references to th e par taking of "High Tea," usually for some charitable cause. Invariably, what is then described is not high tea at all. It is in fact "Afternoon Tea." Reader explains difference between teas sticking to the basics at budget time A case in point is the "High Tea Time" picture in Saturday's Beaver. The meal the ladies in this picture are consuming is certainly not high tea, as anyone from England will tell you, and to which the Oxford Dictionary will attest. For a meal to be categorized as high tea, it must contain a savoury dish, such as cold meats. Furthermore, high tea is not served in mid-afternoon, but late afternoon or early evening. We used to think of it as a supper -- something quite different from the bread and but ter, scones, and cake eaten with a cup of tea in the afternoon, I know that language is a `living thing' and that changes in meaning occur over time. However, if Canada is to adopt an English custom, I do think we should at least adopt its proper name. EDITH CUNNINGHAM BY STEVE NEASE snease@ haltonsearGh.com I am intrigued. Why would our budget committee, having frightened various community groups that rely on very small amounts of public funding with a threat to pare down or withdraw such funds, suddenly jump to comments about mandated services and download cost imposed on GTA municipalities that have been paid by Oakville for years? The mention of $60 million paid over the past four years, seems a blatant attempt to divert attention from the reality of sensible budget planning in to a nether world that, in reality, has little or no impact on the 2006 budget delibera tions. A ruse, a play for confusion in the taxpayers' mind? A more honest approach would be to inform taxpayers what, if any, increase in mandated download cost are part of the proposed 5.7 per cent tax increase for 2006. There is much that can be cut in this 2006 budget if one explores the fairy land of expensive unnecessary desire we have fallen prey to. Much of this expenditure does not add one jot to the ambience that is Oakville now or in the future. _____________________ IVOR DAVIES 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.