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A6 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday, August 28, 2002 E D IT O R IA L SM D LE TT ER S IAN OLIVER Publisher NEIL OLIVER Associate Publisher TERI CASAS Office Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief STEVE CROZIER Circulation Director MARK DILLS Production Manager ROD JERRED Managing Editor K ELLY MONTAGUE Advertising Director R IZIER OV ER TO LLI Photography Director THE OAKVILLE BEAVER 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 337-5610 Circulation: 845-9742 M e tro la n dP rin tin g ,P u b lis h in g& D is trib u tin gL td ., in c lu d e s : A ja x /P ic k e rin gN e w sA d v e rtis e r,A llis to nH e ra ld /C o u rie r,A rth u r E n te rp ris eN e w s ,B a rrieA d v a n c e ,B a rry ' sB a yT h isW e e k , B o lto nE n te rp ris e .B ra m p to nG u a rd ia n ,B u rlin g to nP o s t. 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O s h a w a /W h itb y /C la rin g to nP o rt P e rc yT h is W e e k .O w e n S o u n dT rib u n e .P a lm e rs to nO b s e rv e r, P e te rb o ro u g hT h is W e e k ,P ic to nC o u n tyG u id e .R ic h m o n dH ill/T h o m h ill/V a u g h a n L ib e ra l. S c a rb o ro u g hM irro r, S to u ffv ille A J x b rid g eT rib u n e , F o re v e rY o u n g ,C ityo fY o rkG u a rd ia n THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: fcTTERFLY Jn i g e B e lF u n d Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association I o N T® LCOMH^ r AOONtm flteiav For U ta fZ V * Canadian Community Newspapers Association I oakville galleries I P O R VU J O N B S S S & T H E A X T S M a to pour ta ite 0 > U fH III The Oakwlle. Mitton and Oislrio R EA L ESTATE BOARD SKV (Vafa'iUe <§^M>a$s Suburban Newspapers of America BUSINESS EXCtUfNOf I w ag jf.ixuars Give us a break So Education M inister Elizabeth Witmer wants employers to "Give Parents a Break." Speaking to reporters Witmer described the program as a voluntary ini tiative calling on employers to make spe cial arrangements for employees getting their children off to school for the first day. We only wish the employers of Ontario would rebuff the Education Minister by replying en masse, "You first." Because if parents deserve a break this school year from anyone, it's from the Ontario Ministry of Education. As we prepare to enter another school year after five years of Mike Harris Common Sense Revolution inspired educational quick-fixes, it is becoming obvious that the provincial government is failing our children. Our largest school boards are involved in bitter feuds with the provincial govern ment over their unwillingness to bring in a balanced budgets. The boards claim to do so would gut the system and the province is now threatening to take over those rebellious school boards. And here in Halton, as we enter another school year, comes the news that both the public elementary and high school teachers could walk out or take other labour action in February. Why? Because in order to pass a bal anced budget for the upcoming school year, the Halton District School Board didn't include an allotment for salary increases for teachers. This would seem a large oversight for the school board, since the teachers exist ing contracts expire at the end of this week. Apparently this same oversight occurred in many of the province's 69 school boards. And while the union heads for both elementary and secondary school teach ers promise patience, that quality seems to be limited until about February. Both the school board and its teach ers' unions are hoping the province can avert the pending labour when a review of the provincial funding is completed in November. At that time, everyone hopes the provincial government has seen the folly of its ways and revamps the formula to provide more money. Is more money the answer? Well at least its a start. According to an article published recently by Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives executive board member Hugh Mackenzie, the Ontario Conservatives have shortchanged Ontario students by $2 billion since tak ing power. Give us a break. LETTERS TO THE ED ITO R Mosquito spraying program is justified I spent much of my childhood in Cape May, which is at the southern tip of New Jersey. Cape May is a shore community jutting several miles out to sea. When the sun goes down, the sea mist rolls in and the dampness attracts mosquitoes. Every afternoon a huge spray truck would go up and down each street spraying huge clouds of white pesticide smoke. As a child I had no idea what chemicals were in that smoke. In those days there was no air conditioning and when the smoke rolled over from a neighbouring street, everyone would temporarily close their windows, children would run inside or out of the way of "the Mosquito Man." We relied on "the Mosquito Man" to keep the mosquito population down, so that we could enjoy our lovely seaside town, strolling the boardwalk in the evening after dinner without being eaten alive by mosquitoes. After 40 years, I have yet to hear of any health problems resulting from the daily spraying in our community. Many people are frightened of pesticides, without looking at the possibility that they might serve a purpose, if used properly and with moderation. Education could be the key. I would be more frightened of being the odd person who might contract West Nile Virus and die of Meningitis. Even one death from West Nile would be too many for me to accept. Corinne M . Aird Shame on newspaper Re: Woman charged with killing exhusband feared losing daughter, Aug. 23edition of the Oakville Beaver. In your headlong rush to put your self at the centre of this story, the Oakville Beaver has left what sem blance of journalistic integrity you had in tatters at the feet of that false god of greed and self-promotion. And while it is true that Ruth-Anne Willis' visit to your office is newsworthy in itself, that you chose to repeat her story without any objective perspective or counter balancing information from the Bailey family is, to be charitable, unprofes sional. Shame on you for making one fam ily's pain a stepping-stone in your quest for ever larger circulation. Shame on you for putting another nail in the coffin of ethical journalism. JACK MLYNEK Son victim of racism by police I am sure you are bombarded with letters crying racism and prejudice on a daily basis, and at times those cries go unheard. I am not a person who likes to sing the same `racism' song; unfortunately, an incident occurred two weeks ago to my son that has triggered my anger to the point where I believe that it was unjustified racism on the part of the police officers. I am a mother of a teenage son, age 16. Two weeks ago, he went to visit his grandparents in Malton. He and his cousin were walking home after work, around 1 a.m. A police cruiser passed by the two boys several times, then circled around and came back, stopped the two teenagers. One officer came out of the car and started to question them: "Where are you guys going?", "What's in the bag?", "Do you live around here?" They were detained for approximately 25-35 minutes. The officer looked at my son (wearing a durag, baggy pants, white t-shirt, basketball running shoes and a white ban dana), paused, then took his cousin aside and questioned him: "Have you ever been in trouble with the cops?", "Are you in a gang?" etc., then another cop from another cruiser came and spoke to my son (why did they need two cars?). "Do you live around here?", "What are you doing around here?", "What school do you go to?", "What's your address?" My son answered all their questions, except for his address. The police, looked at him skeptically and said: "It's your house and you don't know the address." My son replied: "We just moved in. I didn't memorize it." He narrowed his eyes at my son and the other cop in the car was doing some checking. Nothing came up so they told them to go on their way. Question? Why is that when two black teenagers are together, it is cause for suspicion and interrogation? Why are police officers/society on a whole hell bent on believing that all black teenagers who dress in this manner are gang-bangers, criminals, or on the verge of committing a crime? When white teenagers are seen in pairs of two or more and dress in the same manner, is it not cause for interrogation? Shouldn't the teenage white boys be pulled over as well and go through the same humiliation as that of a teenage black boy? Quite frankly, I am sick and tired of these `so-called offi cers' who are sworn in to "protect and serve." In my opinion, they are doing the opposite. They are the ones making it a race issue. Because as you know, you have more white teenage boys dressing in this manner, and as disgusted as society is with them, they are not looked upon as a criminal-to-be. It is time that police officers/society start giving black teenagers, especially boys, a break. Stop harassing them. Stop looking for the worst in them. My son is very athletic, very respectable, and his manner ism is good, and I don't want him to feel that he cannot walk on the street without being harassed because of the way he dresses or chooses not to dress. A similar incident happened to my son and another friend of his here in Oakville and, in my book, that is cause for concern. M A XIN E DIXON Mayor says send school busing complaints to trustees I am writing to you to share a con cern of local residents brought to my attention this week. A number of residents in the Joshua Creek area wrote to me seek ing my assistance in the matter of school busing for their children. They reported to me that they received a let ter only in the last week indicating that their children would no longer receive bus service to E.J. James School effective this September. School busing is the responsibility of the Halton School Boards and I have drawn this matter to the attention 6f the local school trustee. I recall the press release sent out by the school board in early July regard ing the changes in transportation poli cy as a result of the 2002-03 budget process. The Halton District School Board reports in its 2000 Annual Report that it spends approximately 3% or $8.7 million of its $285-million annual budget on school transporta tion. While some residents have inquired whether Oakville Transit could fill the gap, I am sure readers would understand that Oakville Transit is not currently set up to pro vide a safe and unsupervised bus serv ice to school children. Members of Council and I often receive concerns about school mat ters. I thought it might be helpful for your readers to know the names and contact information for their represen tatives (noted below) and know that the trustees are elected to represent their interests in school matters. This information is also available in the Your Town guide delivered to all households in Oakville and on the school board's website at: www.haltondsb.on.ca. Halton District School Board rep resentatives (public schools) as per website: www.haltondsb.on.ca: · Ethel Gardiner,Chair, Res. 905873-7888, Voicemail: 905-335-3665 ext. 3293, E-mail: gardinere@hdsb.ca · Wards 1 & 2: Drew Currah, Res. 905-465-2562, Voicemail: 905-3353665 ext. 7024, E-mail: currahd@hdsb.ca · Ward 3 & Vice-Chair: Mary Chapin, Res. 905-337-0880, Voicemail: 905-335-3665 ext. 7023, E-mail: chapinm@hdsb.ca · Ward 4: Annette Kirk, Res. 905469-0744, Voicemail: 905-335-3665 ext. 7030; E-mail: kirka@hdsb.ca · Wards 5 & 6: Kelly Amos; Res. 905-849-5971;' Voicemail. 905-3353665 ext. 7022; E-mail: amosk@hdsb.ca Thank you for the opportunity to share this information. MAYOR ANN MULVALE Kinetic Konnection clarification I wish to clarify a misconception that may have resulted in the story about my business Kinetic Konnection in the Aug. 16 issue of the Oakville Beaver. Kinetic Konnection is a Kinesiology based company that specializes in Sports Medicine products and services. Although these products and services are designed to treat uncomplicated soft tissue injuries when self care is appropri ate, I also understand and respect the role of a therapist. Obviously there are various injuries and individuals that need the care of a therapist. I believe that what I have to offer can compliment a more complex therapy program working toward a common goal of prevention and recovery. It was not my intention to undermine the importance of all the various therapists. Kinetic Konnection combined with other forms of therapy work very well in achieving a mutual goal of patient health and well being. We work well in get ting people better, faster. STEWART MCCONNACHIE Pud By STEVE NEASE We want your opinions and comments The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published, letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Road, Oakville, On., L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish any let ter.