Wednesdsay June 23, 1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER ---------------- *----------------- Humane Society donation honours memory of Diane Cross By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Diane Cross was such a lover of animals, says her father, that last week's sub stantial donation to the Oakville and District Humane Society makes perfect - if bit tersweet - sense. On Friday morning at Berkshire Securities, Dr. Ron and Charlotte Cross gave $45,000 in their daughter's name to Humane Society president Anne Smith and treasurer Dennis Alexander. The money, says Smith, puts their fundraising drive over the top and will allow the Society to finally install a much-needed sprinkler and water-supply system in the Cornwall Road shelter. "This is something we've been dreaming about for years," says Smith. The Humane Society had raised $28,000 for the project, but was still several years and $45,000 away from having enough to start work. According to Ron and Charlotte, both Society members, they had the means to help and did. "(Diane's) last night was out walking with the dogs. She always had a great affection for animals," said Ron. "We still take the walk she took every May. It's something you don't get over." Diane - a French and Latin teacher at St. Mildred's Lightboum School - did not return to work from lunch on May 1, 1996 when her classes resumed. She was a diabetic who required four shots of medication daily. For weeks volunteers from across town and beyond spent enormous time comb ing woodlots and ravines all over Oakville in an attempt to locate Diane. A little over three weeks later, on May 24th, Diane's body was discovered on the porch of a summer cottage near St. Donat, Quebec. The cottage is only several miles from a camp where she once worked as a counsellor. It was while at the camp that Photo by Barrie Erskine Ronald and Charlotte Cross present cheque to Anne Smith, president of the Oakville Humane Society and Dennis Alexander Treasurer Oakville Humane Society. Diane took ill in 1991 and her diabetes was diagnosed. A plaque to be displayed in the Humane Society will read: "Dedicated to the memory of Diane Elizabeth Cross and to all those who assisted in searching for her, May 1996." "So many people helped out that we didn't know," said Ron. Smith explained that the money will help the shelter offer complete protection for the more than 5,000 wild and domestic animals that are cared for every year. Without the Crosses' generosity, she said, the sprinkler system would still be one and half to two years away. Smith said hopes work could start this summer and thanked the Crosses for their thoughtfulness. A9 SEWING MACHINE STORE REPAIRS TO SINGER and all other makes & models EXPERT PINKING SHEARS & SCISSOR SHARPENING 198 SPEERS RD . • 842-2033 Inside Oakville Vacuum It's Barney! Come see me this Sat. June 26. 11:30am- 2:00pm a t . . Philthy McNasty's Town Centre II Porval & North Service Rd 844-6703 S o n h as s e v e re a l le r g ie s to p ea n u t b u tte r & e g g s (Continued from page 1) But the untimely end of her cherished career, and the difficulty of starting over again at the age o f 38, did not stop M itchell. She went on to pursue a M asters of Business A dm inistration. And despite the difficulties of com bin ing her studies with raising a young fam i ly, she excelled. M itchell graduated this June from H am ilton's M cM aster University at the top of her class winning two awards and making the Dean's Honour List. She received the Hedden Gold Medal for being judged the m ost outstanding m ember of the graduating class and the Litvak Medal in M arketing for achieving the h ighest overall standing in the Strategic M arketing stream. Even with what she describes as "child care that makes her friends cry," (both sets o f parents live nearby and pitched in to help) M itchell said com pleting an MBA with two kids was the hardest thing she had ever tackled in her entire life. She w ould not start studying until around 9:30 p m , after preparing dinner, helping with piano homework and tucking the boys into bed. She would study hard until 2 a.m. and after finally getting to bed. would often be woken by her youngest son. "I knew I just had to do it for two years," said M itchell. "I was exhausted by the time it was over." A lthough M itchell's allergy is now under control, the family still has to con tend with allergies. M itchell's son Jason has a life-threatening allergy to peanuts and eggs. Twice she was called out o f class and rushed back to Oakville in a panic when Jason's teacher noticed him having an allergic reaction. Luckily, the reactions never developed into a life-threatening sit uation. "Allergies sound so simple, but they have totally affected our lives with my son having food allergies and me with mine," said Mitchell. M itchell is not alone in finding her life changed by her fam ily's allergies. Dr. Eric Leith, an Oakville Allergist and Clinical Immunologist, said recent studies have been carried out by the M ontreal C hildren's Hospital, objectively examining the effects of peanut allergies on families, and found the allergy lowers the quality of life for those families affected. Even so, M itchell does not let the aller gies get her down. "I don't feel sorry for myself. In the scheme of all the diseases, it was an easy one to get," said Mitchell in her typically positive manner. "It changes your life and you deal with it." 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Local land scape architect Marius de Bruyn took the idea of a park and added his own unique spin; he added a butterfly. de Bruyn designed a gar den shaped like a butterfly, with flower gardens for wings and water fountains in the antennae. S u rro u n d in g the butterfly is a rippling water way whose pools would create a sense of serenity If you have a news or feature story idea, call the Oakville Beaver at 845 -3824 UMITED TIME OFFER! I CAR LOAN Sale No Sin Competitive Fixed Interest Rotes* 1 Year................. ...6.99% 2 Years........ .............7.49% 3 Years..................... 7.99% 4 Years...... .............. 8.49% 5 Years..................... 8.99% Apples to any new oc used car, van, SUV or Sght truck-. 100% financing lor qualified oppfconts. Reward Loan A Program Rate Reductions w i apply Ask for delok. * ' lafenfaiKt to diange. "Ughl mdsupblln. Alan, vare. SUVs ad luds tm iym ofq jfl •4 b too H H bo few of 3 p s mot bt a*wd by Id, 17. Iff*. RATES AS LOW AS , 9^ CLUB I Years of Service 1939 • 1999 Avestel Credit Union Limited I Lakeshore Rd. W. • 844-4881 In support of the many Veterans that granted us the opportunity to celebrate Canada Day, For the 5th Year O akview Funeral H om e will again be placing a C anadian Flag on the graves o f Veterans in O akville. I f you have a loved one you would like to see honored in this way, please contact O akview Funeral H om e to arrange for a flag to be placed on the grave. Flags will also be available to anyone w anting to place a flag on a V eteran's grave outside of O akville. P lease contact O akview for more inform ation at (9 0 5 ) 8 4 2 -2 2 5 2 . O a k v i e w l ^ FUNERAL HOME 56 Lakeshore Road W est O A K VILLE (905) 842-2252 Don Clarke - M anager A Monthly Discount Day for Shoppers aged S5 Solute to Our Ntighboufhood Volunteers CAjesAdl*., A 'VOtAtXy fal fill 4 ^ ^ In celebration of Senior's month and the International Year of the Older Person we are hosting a Salute to our Neighbourhood Volunteers in conjunction with Halton Social Planning Council. Visit the displays and learn more about the services and resources available in the community and find out how you can contribute to the vital agencies that support our neighbourhood. Thursday, June 24 • 1:00 p.m.-3:00p.m. • Centre Court Win Great Prizes Pick up your Neighbourhood passport and have it stamped at a minimum of 5 displays and you could win . variety of great prizes! Names will be drawn l n t e m a t i o n a i Y e a r o f O l d e r P e r s o n s 1 9 9 9 throughout the 2 hour exhibition. Visit the Customer Service Centre for details. Hopedale Mall 3rd Line &. Rebecca • 827-0229 • www.hopedalemall.on.ca Shop: Mon. - Fn. - 9:30 am to 9:00 pm • SaL - 9:30 am to 6.00 pm • Sun. - Noon to 5 rOO pm http://www.bertinstables.com mailto:bertin@webtv.net http://www.hopedalemall.on.ca