Roz Weston Lane and Acton

I wrote earlier about Lord Johnny Acton visiting Acton who gave our Town a lot of publicity. It was a summer of positive advertising for the Town of Acton thanks to former resident Roz Weston of 92.5 KISS FM fame and also a regular on ET Canada.

Roz and Mocha are two radio personalities on KISS FM and they started to call me in June and July as Roz wanted a street named after him. It was a lot of fun and to hear him speak so positively about the Town he grew up in. He is a small Town kid who did well. I came up with an idea to name the “unnamed” laneway behind Tim Horton's to the Beer store “Roz Weston Lane”. The radio station called me one more time to see if I had found anything. Of course this is all in good fun and very whimsical. Roz would brag to me on the air how famous he is. This is show biz and he is not that conceited. So I announced on the air about this dirt lane way with its own dumpster.

He loved the idea along with “Damn it” Maurie (his producer) and of his other half Mocha. Hence the radio station went into high gear promoting Acton leading up to the Acton Fall Fair. The played a great jingle on air, poking fun at Roz and promoting Acton. KISS FM did a live feed on Saturday September 17th from the Tim Horton’s. Tim Horton’s joined in as part of the promotion and gave out free coffee mugs to the first 100 people. They also promoted the Acton Fall Fair at the same time.


On Saturday, before the Fair we had the official unveiling of the Roz Weston Lane. The sign was covered by a potato sack (how fitting). Roz made a great speech about his time growing up in Acton. He jokingly said, "He got this by bullying the small town Mayor." Unfortunately, some with no sense of humour took this to heart once they read this in a local paper. It was all in jest fun. People who know me, know I don't get bullied. Roz road with me in the parade along with my wife Josey, DJ Climax, Maurie and Mocha. It was great to see his mother Diana who came back to town to see this. Diana had a fabric store in Acton.

The positive publicity for the Acton was unbelievable. For instance, never mind the countless times Acton, Tim Horton's and the Acton Fall Fair were mentioned by KISS FM. It was also on 680 news, CTV, the Metro newspaper and ET Canada gave Roz and Acton 30 seconds of fame. Not bad for what started out as a joke.

People from Acton should be proud of Roz for his accomplishments and I personally would like to thank Maurie Sherman who was relentless. All in all, I cannot think of another week where the Town of Acton, with Halton Hills has so much positive publicity by hosting Lord Johnny Acton and Roz Weston.

Lord Acton Visits Acton

These past couple of weeks have really put Acton on the map! We had the announcement of Lord Johnny Acton and Lady Lucinda was coming to Acton. This news made the Toronto Star and as late as Friday, the front page of the Glove and Mail.

The Acton Town Hall was the place to be on Sunday night as Johnny spoke to a packed house about his family tree. He is a very interesting character.

Lord Acton of Glouscestershire, England has written 13 books. Many of them off beat topics from soup to comedy and even hot air ballooning.

He had quite the Canadian experience. He canoed. Attended the Halton Regional annual farm tour. He was a judge for Miss Acton at the Fall Fair. He and Lady Lucinda better known as Percy were at the Acton Fall Fair eating varieties of Fair Food as well as looking at all of the various animals.

His speech at the Acton Town Hall was very interesting as he spoke about his family tree. Many of his relatives were scoundrels and rogues. He was quite open about it. Mind you, as I said, at the dinner if we all looked into our family tree there would be a lot of monkeys in it as well.

He will be making sausages at the Acton Farmer's Market on Thursday. That is his specialty. He is very down to earth and very engaging. Congratulations to those who went on Facebook to invite him to Acton.

Goderich Tornado Serves as a Wakeup Call

Have you ever thought of a Tornado coming to your Town? I am sure that like most communities in Ontario we think that it can never happen to us.

I remember the day the cluster of Tornadoes hit Arthur, Grand Valley, the Orangeville Race Track and later devastated Barrie. It was such a humid day you couldn't breath. I was working at my travel agency in Acton at the time and I remember going outside and the sky was black, I was dripping with perspiration yet there was a breeze. I came into the office and told my empoyees that we could get a tornado. Immediately they scoffed replying we don't get tornadoes here. One hour later Barrie was devastated and I believe 8 people perished. Probably the worst tornado in Ontario's history.

In 1979 Woodstock was also hit with a Tornado as was Perth in 1995. The reality is Ontario gets has many as 15 - 20 tornadoes a year. Most are in the F0 to F1 category so their damage is limited.

Could one come to Halton Hills? You betcha, last year it was thought that a Tornado it downtown Milton but it was later confirmed as a wind burst which did considerable damage to the down town.

Our Fire Emergency Services had a Tornado simulation exercise earlier this year. I can tell you that as much as you can never be fully prepared for a tornado the Town does have a plan for such an emergency. Let’s hope we never have one and give our thoughts and support for Goderich as they have been devastated.

Prospect Park Old Beach Safe to Swim Again

Many residents have been trying to keep cool during the hot weather and I’m pleased to announce that Prospect Park Old Beach has been tested and is now safe for swimming.

The Halton Region Health Department tests recreational water throughout Halton. Beaches are selected based on use for swimming and other water sports. These tests are done weekly.

Residents can call Halton Region to find out which beaches have been closed due to poor water quality. Beach water quality information is available 24 hours a day by dialing 311 or calling 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866-442-5866 or TTY 905-827-9983. During regular business hours ask for beach information, and after regular business hours press 0 for health information. Information is updated weekly and also posted on Halton Region’s website at www.halton.ca/beaches.

Imagine Halton Hills Survey - Listening to your hopes and dreams!

Over 1000 Halton Hills residents and visitors have already shared their hopes and dreams for Halton Hills over the next 25 to 50 years by responding to the Imagine Halton Hills survey! Thank you!

The survey has been extremely successful. Residents from all corners of Halton Hills have joined the conversation about charting a more sustainable path for the future. Residents of Acton, Georgetown, Stewarttown, Norval, Glen Williams, the rural area and others have responded. Visitors have also shared their views.

A wealth of information has been collected. Residents have described their ideal community and what attracted them to move/stay in Town. Thinking of the future, residents have noted the ingredients required for a sustainable Halton Hills.

In the coming weeks, watch for more information on the results of the survey and the Community Sustainability Strategy. In the meantime, please visit the Office of Sustainability at: www.haltonhills.ca/sustainability

Reflecting on the success of the Imagine Halton Hills survey, Mayor Bonnette (Chair of the Town Sustainability Advisory Committee) said:

“The success of the Imagine Halton Hills survey is a reflection of our community’s interest and commitment to a better quality of life and to creating a more sustainable future. Through this unique and highly successful community survey, dedicated members of the Town Sustainability Advisory Committee engaged residents in an important discussion on sustainability by gathering valuable input on our residents’ hopes and dreams for the future. I thank them for their dedication to this important project”.

Councillor Robson, an active member of the Steering Committee which is leading the preparation of the Community Sustainability Strategy, said:

“From the beginning, we recognized that a successful Community Sustainability Strategy would require meaningful community engagement. The Imagine Halton Hills survey was a highly visible means of engaging the community and gathering our residents’ thoughts on building a more sustainable future. Additional community engagement will take place soon. I thank all residents for their valuable input and encourage their continued involvement in this exciting project.”

About Imagine Halton Hills

Developed by the Town Sustainability Advisory Committee (Steering Committee), the Imagine Halton Hills survey is part of a process which will ultimately result in Halton Hills’ first-ever Community Sustainability Strategy, a community blueprint for a more sustainable future. To achieve this, the survey engaged the community in a discussion on sustainability, encouraged ‘community brainstorming’ to generate ideas on moving towards a better future, and raised awareness of the Community Sustainability Strategy.

About the Community Sustainability Strategy
An exciting path is being taken by the Town of Halton Hills! It is a path towards a sustainable future, with a great quality of life for all. This path is being prepared through a very unique process, one that is being led by a broad multi-stakeholder group of individuals and community partners who are committed to building a sustainable community. This group is the Town Sustainability Advisory Committee. It is made up of about 30 individuals, with each providing a voice for a specific aspect of our community that can help make it the best place to live, work and play. This includes residents, business community, Councillors, youth, seniors, school boards, culture groups, various Town committees and Town staff. The main goal of the Town Sustainability Advisory Committee is to help create a sustainable Halton Hills by capturing the community’s hopes and dreams for the future in an integrated Community Sustainability Strategy. With community input, the Advisory Committee intends to deliver the Strategy by mid-2012. With a long-term community vision, objectives, targets and tools to measure progress, the Community Sustainability Strategy will show the path towards a sustainable community.

Get Involved
We cannot do it alone! Your voice and that of your family, friends and neighbours is key to making the Community Sustainability Strategy a success!

Become involved by: (i) volunteering on a sub-committee; (ii) attending upcoming workshops and community events; and (iii) telling us your priorities for a more sustainable future. To receive updates on the Sustainable Community Strategy and other useful information, sign up for the sustainability newsletter by contacting the Office of Sustainability.

For further information contact:

Damian Szybalski
Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Sustainability
Town of Halton Hills
905.873.2601 ext. 2289
damians@haltonhills.ca

Prospect Park Old Beach is CLOSED until further notice

Prospect Park Old Beach is CLOSED until further notice. It is not safe to swim.

The Halton Region Health Department tests recreational water throughout Halton. Beaches are selected based on use for swimming and other water sports. These tests are done weekly.

Residents can call Halton Region to find out which beaches have been closed due to poor water quality. Beach water quality information is available 24 hours a day by dialing 311 or calling 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866-442-5866 or TTY 905-827-9983. During regular business hours ask for beach information, and after regular business hours press 0 for health information. Information is updated weekly and also posted on Halton Region’s website at www.halton.ca/beaches.

Heat Alert Issued for July 18, 2010

During a heat wave, everyone is at risk, but some groups are more vulnerable than others. Those most at risk include older adults (65+), infants and young children, and the chronically ill, including people with asthma.

“We want our residents to know that they have cool, safe places to go to escape from the heat,” says Mayor Rick Bonnette. “We have been in touch with community service providers to inform them of the Town’s Cooling Centres as they deal first-hand with the people who may be most vulnerable.”

Region of Halton has issued a Heat Alert for Monday, July 18, 2010 and it is expected to last throughout the week. Town of Halton Hills has designated cooling centres throughout Halton Hills for your relief. Please see attached for details.

During periods of hot weather conditions, particularly when humidity levels are high, the body works extra hard just to maintain a normal temperature. Some medical conditions that can result from exposure to high temperatures include:

Heat Cramps
These are painful spasms usually in the leg and stomach muscles and usually accompanied by heavy sweating. They can be alleviated by moving to a cooler place and lightly massaging and stretching the affected muscles. People experiencing heat cramps should also sip up to half a glass of cool water every 15 minutes.

Heat Exhaustion
During heat exhaustion, a person may be sweating heavily, but their skin may be cool, pale or flushed. Other symptoms are a weak pulse, fainting, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion and headaches. Body temperature may be normal but it will likely rise. People suffering from heat exhaustion should lie down in a cool place, loosen or remove clothing and put on cool wet clothes. They should sip water slowly, about half a glass every 15 minutes. Water should be discontinued if they are nauseated. They should seek immediate medical attention if vomiting occurs.

Heat Stroke (also called Sun Stroke)
This is a severe medical emergency that can result in death. Body temperature is high (103° F or 39.4° C) as opposed to normal body temperature of 98.5° F or 37° C, the pulse is strong and rapid, and breathing is shallow and rapid. The person suffering heat stroke may be experiencing throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, have red, hot and dry skin (not sweating), and may become unconscious. This person should be taken to a hospital as quickly as possible. Delay can be fatal. En route, keep the person as cool as possible by removing clothing and sponging with cool water.

Heat can also aggravate other conditions such as:
• Heart disease, especially high blood pressure
• Kidney disorders
• Psychiatric disorders

The public is advised to "Beat the Heat" by taking these precautions:
• Drink lots of water and natural fruit juices
• Stay out of the blazing sun or heat. UV rays are strongest between the hours of 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.
• Avoid strenuous physical activity outdoors, including gardening and lawn maintenance
• Go to places that are air conditioned, including shopping malls, libraries, community centres and movie theatres
• The temperature inside of a car is even higher than the temperatures outside. Never leave children, older adults or pets unattended in a car, even for a short period of time

If you experience symptoms of heat-induced illness, such as cramping in your arms, legs or stomach, rapid breathing, weakness or fainting, headache and/or confusion, seek medical attention right away. Also, check with your pharmacist to see if your medication has any side effects during extreme heat.
During a heat alert, please take a moment to call or visit family and neighbours who may be at risk. We need to ensure the safety of all residents, particularly those who are most vulnerable to the extreme weather.


TOWN OF HALTON HILLS – COOLING CETNRES

Residents who do not have air conditioning can find relief in Town facilities, such as recreation centres or either branch of the Halton Hills Public Library. During periods of declared heat alert, these facilities will be open during their standard business hours as places of refuge for persons to seek relief from the heat. Please call the facility for their operating hours:

Mold-Masters SportsPlex – 221 Guelph Street, Georgetown, 905-877-8488
Acton Arena & Community Centre – 415 Queen Street, Acton, 519-853-0020
Halton Hills Cultural Centre & Library (Georgetown Branch) – 224 Maple Avenue, Georgetown, 905-873-2681
Halton Hills Public Library (Acton Branch) – 17 River Street, Acton, 519-853-0301
Halton Hills Civic Centre – 1 Halton Hills Drive, Georgetown, 905-873-2601
Gellert Community Centre – 10241 8th Line, Georgetown, 905-877-4244
Aquatic Facilities - Daily Recreational Swimming
Acton Indoor Pool* (519) 853-3140
Gellert Community Centre* (905) 877-4244
*Admission fees apply.
For recreational swimming schedules please call the pool of your choice:
Splash Pads - Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Gellert Park (10241 Eighth Line)
Dominion Gardens (135 Maple Avenue)
Superior Glove (Prospect Park 30 Park Avenue)

For further information contact:
Cindy Bodrug
Senior Administrative Assistant
Recreation & Parks Department
905 873 2601 Ext. 2261
Email: cindyb@haltonhills.ca