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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday December 29, 2007 - 5 New Year's signals that time of year By Andrew Rae GR. 11, T. A. BLAKELOCK New Patients Welcome! Dear Neighbour, If you are looking for a new dental office in Oakville, I would like to welcome you to consider my practice. My office has developed a number of amenities to make you and your family feel as comfortable as possible during your time with us. Some of these amenities include satellite televisions in each of our treatment rooms so you can watch your favorite programs or you can listen to music on an IPOD with BOSE noise cancelling headphones. We also have the fabulous, new ICUITI Digital Video Personal Eyewear glasses that allow you to watch DVD's on a virtual large screen TV. We have developed a number of special amenities that have been specifically added for your children's comfort including a Playstation 3 with a 40-inch Sony Hi-Definition flat screen LCD TV in the children's section of the reception room. I have recently invested in a dental laser that can treat cavities in you or your children's teeth without the drilling sound or vibration. The Laser treatment can lead to a decrease in the amount of anesthetic that is required during the visit to treat the cavity and improve the overall dental experience for you and your child. I am very fortunate to have a caring and friendly team that are committed to your overall oral health and will make you feel welcome and respected. If you have any questions about our office, please feel free to call us at 905-827-1619. We look forward to meeting with you and creating a long-term relationship. Sincerely I t's that time of the year when we start thinking, "Oh, it's that time of the year!" At this time of the year most Canadians seem to be conditioned by the need to improve their lives. This desire takes many forms, but can usually be narrowed to things such as weight loss, quitting bad habits or giving more time to certain things. The desire to change always appears to be for personal benefit. I think that it is time to change focus. We are now, more than ever, a Global Village, but not a happy one. Wars, religion, environmental degradation, population growth, food availability and many more issues are the reasons why we are "not a happy planet." Unfortunately, these global challenges seem to take a back seat. Apparently the survival of our planet and civilization is not as important as our need to quit smoking or lose a few pounds. This year my resolution is not to lose weight or quit smoking; rather it is to tell our political and economic leaders to create a real global village. It is our responsibility as citizens to pressure our leaders to unite with a common goal. We must bring forward goals that are truly `common.' The issue of global warming, global hunger, and global peace must take precedence. I suggest that we must become active because if we just sit back and "hope for the best, nothing will happen to effect change. Wars and religious conflict have been a part of human social and economic evolution. It is time to stop and take stock. We're a few years into the 21st Century and we are no further ahead. We're fighting or preparing to fight; and religious violence is in evidence worldwide. This environment of hate and violence has to be stopped by world leaders. We, as citizens, must push for it. It often is said that this is the only planet we have, so let's keep it healthy. This is becoming a joke! We take our planet for granted. We don't think about the fact that we are destroying it. Even more shocking is the fact that certain countries know the danger we present, but continue to take actions that can only increase the danger. We know that we are a wasteful civilization and we know we need to change those habits. Of course, we're also faced with the, "What can one person do?" question. Well, here's what you can do; next time a light bulb burns out, replace it with a more efficient one. You can also reduce your garbage footprint by recycling. These two little actions can help the environment. Our global village has citizens dying from starvation and preventable disease. We in Canada are so fortunate; we'll never experience such trauma. Help those fellow citizens by donating to agencies that can reach out and help. Get your school involved. "It's that time of the year" but if we don't act decisively, we may not have many more, "it's that time of the year" years left. Dr. Stephen Phelan Dental Surgeon. Laser, Family & Cosmetic Dentistry 1500 Heritage Way, Oakville, ON L6M 3H4 call 905.827.1619 to arrange an appointment Creating sensational smiles in Oakville for 15 years. OAKVILLE'S ORIGINAL BOOTCAMP 2 LOCATIONS: St Cuthberts Anglican Church 1541 Oakhill Dr. (off Maple Grove) 6:00am, 9:30am, 6:00pm River Oaks Community Church 2435 Munn's Avenue East 6:00am, 7:15am Classes start Monday, January 7 Oakville's Original Boot Camp Most waste collection a day late next week The New Year's holiday is making some changes to Halton's waste collection service schedule. During the week of Dec. 31 -- as was done the week of Dec. 24 -- trash pickup will take place as normal on Monday, however, as Tuesday is New Year's Day, those who normally receive waste collection service will have their trash collected on Wednesday. All other residents can expect trash pickup one day later than their regular collection day. Officials note collection times may vary due to high volumes of waste material and poor weather conditions. Residents are asked to have their waste on the curb by 7 a.m. on their collection day, but not before 5 p.m. the evening before. The Halton Waste Management Site (HWMS) will maintain regular operating hours and will be open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 1. The HWMS is located at 5400 Regional Rd. 25 in Milton. Christmas tree pickup will begin Jan. 9 and go on for three weeks with collection taking place in urban areas on the same day as Blue Box pickup. Residents are asked to take precautions to prevent items from blowing away. For further information visit www.halton.ca/waste. Do you have any friends who have been to another BootCamp? We will honour our returning bootcamper price for them. That means they can come to SURVIVOR BOOTCAMP for $199.00 Expires, January 30th, 2007. No other offers apply. The difference paid will be refunded once proof of receipt is received. INDOOR & OUTDOOR FITNESS TOTAL BODY CONDITIONING 1 hour a day / 3 or 5 days a week / 4 weeks Enlist today! Register online at www.survivorbootcamp.com or call 1 877 BOOTCMP (1.877.266.8267) Franchises Available! Small Class Sizes Ensure Guaranteed Results.