6 - The Oakville Beaver, Frid a y M a y 12, 2006 OPINION & LETTERS T h e O akville B eaver 467 Speers Rd, Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 E d ito ria l a n d a d v e rtis in g c o n te n t o f th e O a k v ille B e a v e r is p ro te c te d b y c o p y rig h t. U n a u th o riz e d use is p ro h ib ite d . T H E O A K V IL L E B E A V E R IS P R O U D O F F IC IA L M E D IA S P O N S O R F O R : Canadian Circulations Audit Board f THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: | oakville galleries | Recognized for Excellence by A / 'V 't 'l'a Ontario Community I C l Newspapers Association . Canadian Community Newspapers Association H ilto n Healthcare MayftrUfti SKI A c c r e d it* Suburban Newspapers of America A c c r e d ite d FDSJK* ® alOatoW? J s r . ^ ra T h e O a k v ille , M i l t o n ym c a m\ i IAN OLIVER P u b lish er NEIL OLIVER Associate Publisher JILL DAVIS E ditor in C hief RODJERRED Managing E ditor KELLY MONTAGUE Advertising D irector DANIEL BAIRD Advertising M anager TERI CASAS Business M anager MANUEL GARCIA Production M anager RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography D irector CHARLENE HALL D irector o f D istribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. M anager Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd., includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, Caledon Enterprise, City Parent, Colllngwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harrlston Review, Huronla Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmaiket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberiand News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtlmers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thomhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young; City of York Guardian Thank you for being there Nurses are arguably one of the most undervalued yet essential professionals in society. They are the first point of contact for virtually every patient who enters a hospital and they log more time with the seriously ill and injured than any one else in our health care system. However, the nursing profession's impact on Halton extends well beyond hospital care. If your child has received a school immunization, if you've ever attended a puBIicly:funded prenatal or parenting class, or if a relative lives in a long-term care home, you have met a nurse. Public health nurses offer advice on immunization and travel health to sex ual health and communicable diseases. They investigate outbreaks, offer sup port to the mentally ill, assist and guide new families, prom ote healthy lifestyles, and work with youth to pro mote healthy development. Unfortunately, nurses are often also the most accessible target for com plaints. When we face the fear of the unknown during a hospital admission we experience a health care system that is overcrowded, underfunded and understaffed and as we expect individ ual attention and service, we over-react when a nurse can't be found to respond to a simple request. Understandably patients (and loved ones) view a hospital" stay from a very personal point of view, but we m ust consider the bigger picture-- the mul tiple patients and administrative responsibilities a nurse has. Despite long shifts and infrequent acknowledgement of their contribu tion, most nurses remain devoted to a single purpose -- the well being of patients. Without the efforts of nurses -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week -- the sick and injured among us would soon discover just how much these people mean to the continuity and quality of health care in the region. National Nursing Week (May 8-15) is a chance to offer a simple thank you. STAY m COURSE., LETTERS TO THE EDITOR As a resident of West Oak Trails, I am pleased the Halton District School Board (HDSB), has delayed the decision for pro gramming of the school slated to open at the comer of Pine Glen Road and Oakhaven in September 2007. The school was originally designated dual track, however an amend ment was proposed by Ward 4 Trustee Susan Sheppard, and with a vote of 6-5, was changed to single track French Immersion. Once funding for the site has been approved, the issue of programming will be reviewed and further pubic consultation will 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. Parents question the future of schools in West Oak Trails be planned. At both public open houses, on Feb. 16 and April 25, the question was raised as to the integrity and success rate of the French immersion program in a dual track school versus a single track French immersion environment The response from the school board was clear: success rates and program ming are not negatively impacted by stu dents in a dual track environment All other new schools with a demand for French Immersion are planned as dual track, enabling the community to walk to school, and accommodating French at the new school, it is important to let our programming choic es be heard. A copy of the Proposed Capital Plan Version 2 is Immersion. I look at my local school, which will be available at www.hdsb.ca and a comment form, due back on May adding another portable, and it is greatly 18. Why can't we all come together to embrace the new school? CATRIONA FRANC over capacity. I think how frustrated and dis appointed I will feel, if my children have to attend this school, when there are enough children to fill the new school in my neigh bourhood. Should the new school be desig I just wanted to say a great big thank you to my Oakville nated as single track French Immersion, my community for its support of Daniel's last fund raiser "Hats children will be bused out, and children as On" at Gladys Speers Public School. for as north of the QEW will be bused in. Daniel had his surgery and it was a success and he is can With a big desire for an English program cer free. I want to thank Aaron Paterson for a wonderful show for the kids, all the Oakville car dealerships, BOT Construction, Dufferin Construction, Johnson Controls, York BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com Canada, CATONTRAC, Local 787, and anyone I have forgot ten for all the wonderful hats donated for the kids. I want to thank the Cancer Society for donating the yellow ribbons and to Susan Awary for getting us the buttons and bands on time from Brain Child at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. The efforts paid off -- we raised over $1,700.1 say God speed to you all and thank you again. MARGUERITA CARDOSO, MOM TO DANIEL AND MATHEW Hats off to Hats On The Oakville Beaver is a member o f the Ontario Press Council. The council is located a t 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M 7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event o f a typographical error, th a t portion o f advertising space occupied by the erroneous item , together w ith a reasonable allowance fo r signature, w ill n o t be charged for, but the balance o f the advertisem ent w ill be paid for a t the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.