The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

8- The Oakville Beaver, Friday January 5, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Teens discouraged from creating their own winter fun Continued from page 6 snowboarding or the usual winter activities, it takes more effort and creativity to stay busy and fill the days. When my 16-year-old son and his friends said they were going to collect snow from outside the local arenas to make their own winter, we were delighted that they were motivated to work hard to make their own fun. Imagine my dismay when my son came home and told me that a man on a street just around the corner from our house gave them a hard time, treated them with disdain and called them naive. This person apparently would not let them take the snow into the ravine they were planning to use. This was no bush party. It was a case of teenagers being up to good in the middle of the afternoon. Wholesome fun that any good parent would encourage. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Here in Oakville, I would expect more from people in the community. Not only did it send the wrong message about what is good use of time and what is not, it also sent a message that some adults just don't treat teenagers with respect, no matter how good they are. So, we have winter in our backyard. Not as much room as they would have had in the ravine, but fully supported. My son and his friends are going back for more snow today to spend the afternoon snowboarding and having a barbecue. I for one will always be supportive of teenagers pursuing activities that are wholesome, productive and absolutely harmless to others. CAROL DEVARENNES