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

. CCNA BETTER NEWSPAPERS COMPETmON 2000 w w w .o a k v ille b e a v e r .c o m " ^Speedy-- au _ nto to a«rwic« ·rw ic- $ 0 0 9 9 f ro m · Manufactured by Walker · 100% aluminized superior corrosion resistance See Manager for Details :2 9 Mufflers For the finest in CUSTOMUPHOLSTERING call Baier's. M akersoffineuphoL steiedf u r n i t u r e . 23 3 3 W y e c ra ft R o a d , U n it 7 (between* Bronte& Third Line) o y i 0X /* J ]0 1 112 Speeis Rd., Oakville n u st w est a t K e r) A Metroland Publication Vol. 39 No. 55 WEDNESDAY, MAY 9,2001 75 Cents (plus GST) Anti-pesticide faction fails to sway council By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Love 'em or hate 'em, Oakvillians are passionate about pesticides. On Monday night, they brought their arguments to town hall as councillors determined what to do about weeds in Oakville this summer. In a 9-2 recorded vote the Town gave a thumbs up to an Integrated Pest Management Program for 2001 -- a $30,800 plan that mixes pesticides and non-chemical weed treat ments. Councillors noted only 2.8% (30.9 hectares) of Oakville's 1,086 hectares of park land is lined-up for pesticide spraying. Ward 1 Councillor Kevin Flynn successfully proposed further advances in Town efforts to reduce pesticide use on public land. That includes finding easier maintenance alternatives to turf for areas like boulevards; reviewing topsoil standards for developers; and, 2002 budget options for pesticide alterna tives. The Town will also poll community opinion by this sum mer, said Mayor Ann Mulvale. Council avoided wading into the issue of banning pesti cide use on private property. The Town doesn't have the legal clout to do it, but will watch as a similar decision is challenged in court in Hudson, Quebec. "If I were a betting man, I'd wager that municipalities would not be granted the right of banning pesticides on pri vate property," said Flynn. Mulvale said that the Town's reduction efforts would like ly put it into a similar position as municipalities like Waterloo or Burlington, which either don't use pesticides or use them only in emergencies. "It's a good compromise," said Mulvale who called for a need for balance. She called Town's decision is "defendable and moving to sustainable." (See `Pesticide' page A5) Women police officers honoured by their peers A pair of Halton The Mentoring Award is Regional Police officers has given to an individual who been honoured with major assists officers in law awards by Ontario Women enforcement, develops pro in Law grams and poli E n fo rc e m e n t cies and assists (OWLE). with committees Det. Insp. that review polic Signy Pittman was ing issues. recognized with Pittman, the the Mentoring officer in charge Award while of the service's Constable Diane R e g i o n a l Hendry won the C r i m i n a l C om m unity In v e s tig a tio n Service Award. Det. Insp. Bureau, was rec Signy Pittman The lone ognized as an OWLE 25-year inspirational role Service Award model, who pro winner from vides opportuni Halton Regional ties for others and Police was records makes herself supervisor Denise personally avail Holland, a civilian able for advice employee. and consulta The awards tions. Pittman were handed out also encourages Friday night at networking and OW LE's Third serves on com Constable Annual Awards m ittees for the Diane Hendry Banquet held in advancement of Mississauga for nominees the law enforcement profes and honourees from a score sion. of police agencies. (See 'Diversity' page A2) Photo by Barrie Erskine Halton Regional Police Explosives Disposal Unit member Sgt. C h ris Perkins in his bom b suit. Hi-tech bomb experts rely on quick wits and improvisation By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF F today' s paper Business................ A 8 Focus................ B1-B5 Entertainment.B8-B6 Mother's Day....C1-C8 Sports..................... D6 Auto._________ D1-D3 Classified......... D4-D5 Homes._______ D7-D8 PartialDdhxry. OnSite Magazine, GoodUk, Smart Source, Enmdare Interiors, Sean Guan&m Drugs, Holland Park Gallery, Bob's Cruises, Home Outfitters, Future Shop, Natures QuestSource, ReviHome& Garden, Hoopers Pharmacy, Stoney CreekDecorCentre, WhiteRose, Lakeshore Place Retirement Product Agreement #435-201 or a country experiencing minimal terrorism, Canada remains a recog nized world leader in bomb disposal technology and expertise. The Explosives Disposal Unit of Halton Regional Police is no exception. As a part-time unit, the squad includes four highly trained officers who carry out their routine police duties, but are called upon to deal with explosives and "impro vised explosive devices" on an as-needed basis. They include Staff Sgt. Tom Chapman, Sgt. Chris Perkins, Const. Tom Moore and Const. Thom Doherty, who employ every thing from robotic weapon delivery systems and x-ray machines to a battery of other tools of the trade. Sophisticated as all this equipment is, few pieces of gear are as irre placeable as the human mind's ability to adapt and its capacity to deal with the rigors and stresses of life in the squad. "By and large, bomb techs are a little on the edge," said Perkins. Contrary to popular stereotype, squad members are far from crazy, Perkins contin ues, but are "imaginative" individuals who can cogitate outside conventional thinking. They are adept at deliberating problems then using, and often modifying, equipment on the fly to find solutions. Perkins said unit members must also think quickly under pressure and because explosive disposal is not an exact science, flexibility in ever-changing situations is a must. That's why duct tape, cardboard and Styrofoam are among an officer's best friends despite all the training on much more advanced equipment. "Duct tape is a bomb tech's dream," Perkins laughs. Despite the dangers associated with his job, Perkins says he has the utmost respect for other officers on the force - such as the Tactical and Rescue Unit, whose members have the courage and skill to enter a building after a barricaded gunman. Halton's Explosives Disposal Unit responds on average to 35 to 40 calls for ser vice per year, which range anywhere from the safe removal of old military ordnance in someone's attic to a mentally ill person armed with a grenade. The unit is summoned to four to six calls a year involving actual improvised explosive devices or hoaxes. "As far as we're concerned, everything is considered live," said Perkins, who has dealt with six "real McCoys" since 1992. Some of the stranger calls include the two (See `Bomb' page A3) Dr. Otto Weiglein B.Sc., M.D. FRCSC Certified Plastic Surgeon I N V E S T M E N T S ' j b re a s t a u g m e n ta tio n Member ASPRS LSNA ASAPS Stylizing SSUttahinQ rn K Sm w W <JAnti-Aging T h e ra peutics fa c e · n e ck · eyelids · brow · nose · laser skin resurfacing RETIREMENT PLANNING SPECIALISTS Free C o n s u l t a t io n · b r e a s t l if t · t u m m y tuck · ultrasonic liposuction All procedures carried out in our private accredited surgery facility - no hospital stay - financing available over 15 years experience and thousands of satisfied patients have made us the region's first and foremost private cosmetic surgicentre. Experience makes all the difference; put our experience to work for you!" 8 4 2 -2 1 0 0 PW er C W atso n f M .HLV., CJRR, R.I .R. _Visit our website at www.cosmedicasurgery.com Coll our patientco-otdincto to get the information you need. ie Centre/or Personal Surgery 520 locust st,, Burlington Call Now (905) 634-5573