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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday September 6, 2008 - 11 Letting girls be girls at the Y I t's not always easy for girls to be girls with today's pressures to grow up too fast. That's what Vicky Boateng, Meghan Low and Natasha Ramsarup see at the YMCA of Oakville on Friday Youth Nights. "Girls are going through a lot of things...new things...and they just don't know how to deal with it and they don't know where to go for help," said Ramsarup. "We have lots of boys come to play sports and hang out, but when the girls come to the Y there aren't as many of them and they don't feel as comfortable with sports. They also tend to be younger, and they almost don't know what to do and how to handle things in a positive way." Boateng, Low and Ramsarup, all in their 20s, have volunteered or worked for the Y for several years. They have different backgrounds and experiences, but all have younger sisters and all are passionate about helping other girls. That is why they came up with the idea of a new program for girls called Together as Girls (TAG). TAG will be offered at the Y the last Saturday night of each month for girls aged seven to nine (4-6:30 p.m.), and 10 to 14 (6:30 ­ 9 p.m.). Boateng, Low and Ramsarup are volunteering to give young girls their own special time where cliques and bullying aren't an issue and they can be themselves. Boateng said girls are victims of, and take part in,m bullying. "The girls don't know how to deal with it. Bullying isn't new, but it feels more aggressive and you can see it in the schools even in Grades 1 and 2." "TAG will be a safe place for girls to come to and be true to themselves -- `Be True to You' is like a motto for us," said Ramsarup. "We will have lots of fun with the girls, with slumber parties, movies, games, and crafts, but we also want them to learn how to respect themselves and others." TAG is open to all girls ­ you don't have to be a member of the YMCA of Oakville ­ and runs on the last Saturday of each month, starting on Sept. 27. For more information, you can email TAG at tag@oakville.ymca.ca, or call the Y at 905-845-3417, ext. 555. -- Submitted by the YMCA of Oakville What's keeping you from having your dream kitchen? Consider these time, mess & cost saving options... a. Renew your cabinets with our unique "Tune-up". Our exclusive process restores and repairs the finish on wood cabinets (and any other woodwork in your home) to 90-95%. Time: 1 day Mess: almost none Cost: a fraction of replacement. CABINET REFACING AFTER b. Reface You may already own half of your new kitchen! If your cabinet boxes are in good shape, why pay to replace them? Choose from the largest selection of door styles and finishes available anywhere. See our website for ideas. Time: typically 2-4 days Mess: we clean every day and you never lose use of your kitchen Cost: 40-60% less than the cost of a new kitchen c. Re-style Turn the kitchen you have into the one you want. If you choose to Reface, we can change many other things you don't like about your kitchen. Add an island, pantry, molding or even new cabinets to match the refaced cabinets. Time: usually 3-5 days Mess: low disruption, thoroughly cleaned daily, often no loss of use Cost: considerably less than replacement BEFORE d. Replace Sometimes it's the only way to get what you need. Our Designers will help you create a new custom kitchen that perfectly reflects your personal taste, goals and budget. e. Don't forget the countertop: We can transform your existing cabinets with new doors andlaminate in your choice of style & colour. Select complimentary hardware & have the kitchen of your dreams. With so many exciting options available, we will help you to select the right countertop to put the finishing touch on your dream kitchen. Free Design Consultation & Estimate 905.637.3331 Showroom 3480 Fairview St., Burlington (Hours: 10-6 pm M-F Saturday 11-3) , No Payments, No Interest for 6 Months O.A.C. Visit our showroom or call for your FREE In Home Consultation Eight "Trustpoints" set Kitchen Tune-Up apart. 1313 Speers Road, Oakville · 905-847-8964 Mon. - Fri. 9am-5pm, Sat. 10am-4pm www.granitetransformations.ca We guarantee our estimates - guarantee our work - arrive on time - clean work areas daily - return messages within 24 hours - strive for harmony with your daily routine - tell you what we're going to do before we do it - listen carefully, tell it straight and keep our promises. kitchentuneup.com Kitchen Tune-Up, a division of KTU Worldwide, Inc. is a system of more than 300 independently owned and operated franchises