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8- The Oakville Beaver, Friday March 14, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Friendly reminder to my neighbours I have a little challenge for all Oakville housedwellers. Sometime today, bundle up in your winter gear and take a stroll around the block. Better yet, take a stroller with you. Borrow one if need be. Did you have more than a bit of trouble navigating through the bumps and piles and drifts on the sidewalk outside of your house? Did the baby get dangerously jostled when you were forced to hoist the stroller over mounds of snow or ricochet it off of paths that are only a foot wide? Then please, shovel your sidewalk. The Town states that residents have 12 hours to clear the sidewalk after a storm. Well, I think we are at about 100 hours today, and I am still not able to go for a safe walk in my neighbourhood. Yes, this is a snowy winter. Yes, that means a lot of shoveling. It also means many housebound days for stayat-home parents and caregivers, as well as those with mobility challenges. Please please please be considerate. Clear your sidewalk. Signed: Your frustrated neighbour who didn't appreciate having to walk her baby's stroller on the side of the road today. A. Pichora Good Samaritans to the rescue On March 5, I came back from the symphony at Roy Thompson Hall after midnight. I had parked my car at the GO station. Unfortunately the car was iced up and it was very difficult to see. It was a short distance home so I thought I could make it. Due to the weather I had difficulty seeing and ended up stuck on a median on Cornwell Road. I stepped out of the car and to make matters worse I accidentally locked my keys in the running car. It was very cold and now I was locked outside of my car at 1 a.m. A number of cars passed by but then a car with several young people turned around and offered to help. They took me in their car to warm up and called a tow truck who managed to open the car as well as get my car back on the road. They refused to take any payment and they wished me a safe drive home. Thank you kind strangers. It's people like you who make the world a better place. BRITTA BRAND A GREAT-GREAT GRANDMOTHER GO Transit users already receiving rebates It is not fair to petition for a rebate on something you haven't fully paid for. GO train service is subsidized, with revenue from fares only partially covering the operating costs. As an Oakville GO commuter, I am grateful for the level of service we have. I rest assured knowing that when GO trains are delayed, personnel are taking the time to put my safety first. If you want to influence GO management, do so through the proper channels: Oakville GO commuters know their way around the boardroom. RACHEL COUBAN Kind-hearted residents make Oakville a town Continued from page 7 It also had the professional health care for my mom's disability. I grew up here and have stayed here because the attitude has remained "town-like"; warm friendly and inclusive with a flair for the unusual based on local characters. When Willie (the cute little man who use to collect newspapers to support himself) had his wagon stolen, a "neighbour" business man anonymously stepped up to the plate and replaced the stolen wagon with a better one. Phil the mentally-challenged man who went for long walks in our neighbourhood was never bothered and in fact would feel accepted enough to ask me "who my barber was" every time we met walking on the street. These are the sort of people stories you find in towns, but not so much in cities. These are the sorts of stories local town papers like the Oakville Beaver publish, because "town-like" people like to hear them. I like that the Town Council has never considered changing the town's name and I hope they never will. Size is not so important or status; kind-hearted people are, and that is what the Town of Oakville is based on. JOHN S. KAY Vision ­ To be the most livable town in Canada 2008 OAKVILLE BUDGET MEETINGS The 2008 Budget process is underway. All meetings are held at Town Hall, 1225 Trafalgar Road. Visit www.oakville.ca for more budget information. Oakville's Budget Committee meetings can be viewed live on Town TV at www.towntv.ca. UPCOMING BUDGET MEETING DATES March 17 March 25 9 a.m. ­ 12 p.m. Committee Rooms 1 & 2 7 p.m. Council Chambers Budget Committee Deliberations Presentation of Budget Committee Recommendations and Approval by Council