From MiltonSearch.com:

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From MiltonSearch.com:

Comments on this story are moderated

From MiltonSearch.com:

Wrestler Tiger Jeet Singh, shown at the school on Yates Dr. that will bear his name, is a philanthropist who was named to Milton’s Hall of Fame.

Well, Halton District School Board Trustees voted yesterday to name Milton’s newest elementary school after a former WWE wrestler.

That wrestler just happens to be one of Milton’s most famous citizens and recent addition to Milton’s Walk of Fame, long-time resident Tiger Jeet Singh.

The new school is located at 640 Yates Dr. in the Coates Crossing neighbourhood and it’s official name will be “Tiger Jeet Singh Elementary School.”

I have to admit that I was a little surprised to hear that was the name the Trustees decided upon. I know about Tiger Jeet Singh and am somewhat versed as to his charitable contributions to the community over the years, but I thought it was a little strange to have an elementary school named after a former WWE wrestler, especially because the official name of the school is his ’stage’ or ‘character’ name.

This announcement touched off a firestorm of a debate over on the ever-lively Hawthorne Villager discussion forums with user ‘thepowells’ starting a thread called ‘Milton #4 school gets a name – and we need to change it now!‘ as well as a Facebook group dedicated to having the named changed to Coates Crossing Public School or one of the other two options: Robert McCaw (Retired Halton Principal and renowned photographer) Public School or John Deacon (former teacher, Halton school inspector (1885-1912). Elected twice as Mayor of Milton) Public School.

Anyways, my initial instinct was to dismiss the name as inappropriate, however, now that I’ve had a chance to digest this a little bit, and read some of the comments from both sides of the argument, I’m completely fine with it. It honours a famous, high-profile Miltonian, someone who is a visible minority and a generous person who still lives in the community. And you know what? It’s a unique and memorable name for a school.

I’ll post a couple of polls shortly to try and gauge what you think of this decision. It seems as though the majority are alright with the decision to name it after Tiger Jeet Singh, however others raised good points such as possibly using his real name instead of a wrestling name as well as the thought that honouring the former wrestler may have been more suitable for a sports facility or secondary school.

A few interesting quotes:

thepowells:

I have nothing against professional wrestlers, but it’s hardly appropriate, in my opinion.

my2boyz:

With respect to the merits of Mr. Singh and with no disrespect to the Hans family, I still think it is a poor choice for an elementery school. Many parents, myself included do not even allow their children to watch pro wrestling until a certain age. My son just stated watching it this year (grade 4) because I felt he could now understand the theatrics behind it and see it as entertainment and understand that alot of it is staged. I still think the board could have kept this name under consideration when naming the new high school.

BackToMilton:

OMG! They’ve finally cracked. The HDSB has named a school after a Professional WRESTLER? That is a total joke. I’ve heard that he lives in a big house in Milton, around Peru Rd., but as far as I know that’s it. If anyone has any info that shows that he deserves to have a school named after him please post. If there isn’t any, then I nominate “Stone Cold” Steve Autsin as a school name….And that’s the bottom line, cause Stone Cold said so!!!

From Halton District School Board Trustee, Donna Danielli:

The name was chosen by trustees last night for a number of reasons: Tiger Jeet Singh was named and has served as “MIlton’s Goodwill Ambassador” by the Mayor’s office since the 1980s. He was recently honoured as one of the inaugural members of Milton’s Walk of Fame.

In his delegation to us, John Challinor summed it up, saying that “On a community level, he is a role model for humanity around the world, a humble man from humble beginnings who worked hard, achieved success and now advocates to thousands of parents and their children about drug and alcohol awareness, the importance of staying in school and the need to be physically fit.”

In his letter of support Mayor Krantz stated “Mr Singh, along with his son, are very postive goodwill youth ambassadors and models for our youth community.” The list of his philanthropic and humanitarian works is an incredibly long one.

From my own perspective, I supported this name for other reasons as well. Milton is a rapidly growing and diverse population. We are no longer the small rural community we once were. Visible minorities in our town have risen over 780% in the past few years.

All the data shows that students are more engaged in their learning when they see themselves reflected in the culture and community of their school. This means seeing people similiar to themselves within the school community, textbooks, events and more. Students who are engaged achieve better learning.

Mr Singh has committeed to involvement within the school, to mentor students and to promote that message of education and anti drug/gang use.

I believe that he will make a difference to the lives of the children within this school and community. And really, that’s what’s at the heart of any decision I make at that board table – the student.

I understand and respect that this may not have been the decision that everyone would have made. I hope this explanation helps you understand a little more.

I thought Mike Cluett summed things up nicely:

I have absolutley no problem with the name chosen for the school. All of the contenders, so to speak, were highly qualified to have their name adorne the school walls.

Both Tiger Jeet and Tiger Ali Singh were named as inaugural members of Milton’s Walk of Fame…an honour highly deserved.

The Tigers (Hans family) have grown up in Milton over the course of many many years. They were residents of this town long before many of us were called Miltonians. During this time, they have given back to our community. One of the Hans’ sons is a member of the Halton police force, serving and protecting our community. Many stories in the past of what they had to endure from “rabid wrestling fans” and others alike who made life for that family almost unbearable. Too many stories that this family is too proud to talk about. Lets just say life wasnt made easy for them. Yet they stuck it out.

Tiger Jeet Singh is a world renowned wrestler and a classy gentleman who doesnt hesitate to offer his help whenever its needed (Troys Diner and other charities) I remember during the Canada Day Celebrations of Milton’s 150th anniversary talking with him and listening to his acceptance speech was moving. More moving still was his son’s speech (Tiger Ali) and the pride that both of them felt for their home town. They felt the honour they received by being inducted to the Milton Walk of Fame was the highlites of their lives…and given the careers both individuals had, thats saying something.

I had the privilage of being the soccer coach of their grandson and despite hectic schedules and travelling all over the world where they are still in demand, he made it to most of his grandsons soccer games.

Through all of this they call Milton their home and they burst with pride when they do so.

There are a number (way to many too count) of Miltonians who have lived here and currently live here that deserve the honour of having a school named after them and Tiger Jeet Singh IS one of those people.

What do you think? Feel free to submit your comments below.

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From MiltonSearch.com:

GO Transit has announced that yet again during a recession, they plan to raise fares by 5% in 2010.

As he was a year ago, Milton resident Andrew Salmons is all over GO Transit’s recent announcement that they will yet again raise fares by 5% for 2010.

I’d have to agree with Mr. Salmons on this one. During not only a recession, but a supposed environmental crisis — not to mention the traffic issues faced daily by GTA commuters — this is absolutely the wrong decision by GO.

I realize GO is continuing to make improvements and additions to their service, but it’s wrong to hit riders with this increase, especially with so many experiencing either wage freezes or taking pay cuts in the past year thanks to the state of the world economy.

In my mind, it would make sense for GO to keep costs down as much as possible so that taking transit becomes a ‘no-brainer’ for commuters. There would probably be an increase in ridership which would fund planned improvements and growth. And if funding falls a little short, well, the government seems to be more than willing to throw around stimulus money these days… Wouldn’t appeasing the huge number of GO commuters be seen as ‘low hanging fruit’ by the Provincial Government?

Are you a user of GO Transit? If so, we would encourage you to do your part by signing the online petition we received from Andrew Salmons via email.

Will this change anything? More than likely not, but I think it’s important for GO to see where it’s riders stand on this announcement and also read your comments and suggestions.

From Andrew Salmons:

GO Transit has done it again! They are increasing your monthly pass rate by 5% again this year, on top of the 5% increase last year. That is a 10% increase in just 2 years, while annual inflation is 1.2% as of December 2009, and was 1.3% as of March 2009.

To put the latest 5% increase in perspective:

A rider traveling from Milton to Union will now pay $272 per month from $260 in 2009, $250 in 2008, and $246 in 2007. 8.8% increase since March 2008.

A rider traveling from Oakville to Union will now pay $214.50 per month from $205 in 2009, and $195 in 2008. 10% increase since March 2008.

Add your name to petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to (1) reduce GO Transit fares to be inline with inflation since 2007, (2) conduct a complete review GO Transit’s operating expenses and contracts, and (3) develop and implement a strategy for economically sustainable and affordable transit in Ontario.

I ask you for your support and ask you add your name this year’s petition against the fare increase.

Please sign here

Feel free to forward this petition to your friends, co-workers, and family, and your Member of Provincial Parliament.

Thank you for your support!.

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From MiltonSearch.com:

Andrew Salmons confirmed today via the Milton Hawthorne Villager Forum, that he has indeed filed his paperwork and is running for Councillor in Milton’s Ward 1.

Hi Everyone,

I’ve decided to run for Councillor for Ward 1 and registered my candidacy. I’ll have a website ready soon to outline my platform, my experience, and ways you can contribute/donate. I promise to listen to my constituents. I’m a big believer in openness, communication, and accountability, and flexibility.

More to come. I would like to thank for those who supported me in my decision to run.

If you have any questions/comments, please post on the forum, or you can PM me, or email me at andrewgsalmons@gmail.com. I am very excited to hear what you have to say and any issues you would like me to address for Ward 1.

Sincerely
Andrew Salmons

And yes, it’s this Andrew Salmons.

Andrew’s posts of late on the Hawthorne Villager Forum seemed to indicate that he would indeed throw his hat into the ring at some point, as he had begun to share some detailed opinions and solutions on some of the current issues facing the Town right now. To anyone who follows or participates regularly on that particular online resource, I don’t think this news really comes as a surprise.

Again, I think it’s great to see people like Mr. Salmons getting involved and showing a passion for our community. It’s becoming clear to me that Milton’s next Council will be it’s most diverse, caring, enthusiastic, engaged and accessible ever.

And as Canada’s fastest growing Municipality continues to rapidly define and shape itself, that is a very good thing.

As always, we encourage everyone to get to know the candidates in your Wards and what they stand for, be informed on the issues that are important to you and make the effort to get out and vote this October!

We also wish Mr. Salmons all the best in his run for office and congratulate him on his desire to run and be actively involved in Milton’s future.

Oh, and just in case you’re curious — here is the map of Milton’s new Ward boundaries for the upcoming 2010 Municipal elections.

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From Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton will be holding a volunteer information session Tuesday January 26 at 7:00 p.m. at its office, 69 Main Street E.

Children at a number of Milton schools continue to wait for an in-school mentor and a local agency is working hard to fix this.

If you would like to make the difference in the life of Milton child, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton is interested in speaking to you. The agency will be holding a volunteer information session Tuesday January 26 at 7:00 p.m. at its office, 69 Main Street East.

This is a great opportunity to hear more about who the agency serves and how its programs can have a powerful and positive effect on both children and their mentors.

Call (905) 878-8840 or visit www.bbbshalton.ca for more details.

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From Zeeshan Hamid:

Continue reading “Web-stream these meetings already!”

You can read Zeeshan Hamid’s blog here

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From MiltonSearch.com:

At 5:00 am this past Saturday morning, the phones rang out at the offices of MiltonSearch.com, waking everyone from their slumber.

The reason for this 5am wake-up call? Well, it was an automated message from Halton District School Board letting us know that indeed, classes and field trips were cancelled for the day due to inclement weather.

It’s worth mentioning again that it was a Saturday morning and after running to the window to see what kind of winter storm we were experiencing, there was absolutely no snow to speak of.

Later in the day — after waking up on my own — whilst perusing the Hawthorne Villager discussion forums, I realized we weren’t the only lucky ones who received this early wake-up call.

School trustee Donna Danielli later posted the following apology in the thread:

I am so very sorry for the glitch in our system which sent 5 am phone calls out to all of our houses this morning.

Technology is great when it works, but when it doesn’t….grrrr!

Again, my apologies to all who disturbed so early on a weekend. Please know that the Board tech department is investigating and hopefully it won’t happen again.

Donna Danielli
Public School Trustee
daniellid@hdsb.ca

and this:

Again, I cannot apologize enough for those who were disturbed so early this morning. Our head of IT sent out the following explanations for those who are curious how it happened:

This message was sent in error. It occurred as a result of testing updates to the system. I.T staff did not double check the cancellation of a test message. This resulted in the system sending the message you received.

We take this situation very seriously. We apologize for waking households and for delivering an incorrect message. We apologize for undermining the value of the Home Notification System and will work to ensure this never happens again.

And then Sunday, I came across this article in the Toronto Star, realizing that this wasn’t limited to Milton — thousands of families across Halton received the call. Apparently ‘the call’ also made the airwaves on 680News later in the day.

Now, as bothersome as it was to be unexpectedly awakened early on a Saturday morning, it’s hard to imagine how this ended up as front page news in the Sunday Star. Slow news day or what?

Let’s keep this in perspective folks — it was just a phone call. These kinds of technical glitches happen — albeit not too often — but they happen. It’s not the end of the world.

To Donna Danielli: thank you for responding to the online posters and apologizing, although I’m pretty sure you didn’t have to and it definitely wasn’t your fault.

And what about us? Were we annoyed? Well, yes — but it’s good to know the school board’s new automated phone alert system is obviously operational, date issues aside.

Granted, our children stayed sound asleep and snuggled in their beds during all of this. If that wasn’t the case, well, I think this post would have had a slightly different tone.

Chill, people.

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From MiltonSearch.com:

Milton resident and owner/moderator of the popular Hawthorne Villager discussion forums Rick Di Lorenzo, has filed his paperwork and declared his intention to run for Town Council in Ward 7.

Di Lorenzo launched his blog and discussion forums focused on Milton’s new development areas in 2004 and the forums in particular have grown in popularity to the point where its members represent a larger cross-section of Miltonians and capture the issues not only of new homeowners, but the pulse of the town as a whole.

Rick has shown a lot of patience and dedication in maintaining and moderating the forum over the years, and MiltonSearch.com would like to congratulate Rick for deciding to run and wish him good luck in the race. He has said he will post updates to his blog page, hawthornevillager.com.

The Municipal elections take place October 25, 2010 and we encourage everyone to get to know the candidates, their platforms and the important issues which your Ward and the Town of Milton is facing before heading to the polls this Fall.

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From MiltonSearch.com

In another message from the ‘worst kept secret in Milton’ department, Mike Cluett confirmed this morning via his Twitter account that he has indeed filed his paperwork and is officially a candidate in Ward 6.

Its official! Mike Cluett is a candidate for Ward 6 in the Town of Milton! #miltonvote

Mike is a great guy and his passion for the Milton community is second to none. He campaigned tirelessly around Hawthorne Village the last time around in 2006 and looks to be one of, if not THE favourite in Ward 6 in 2010.

Cluett is also visibly in touch with the community through his popular Milton blog, which he’s been posting on for at least five years now, and is also a regular contributor to the Hawthorne Villager forums.

MiltonSearch.com would like to wish Mike all the best in his run for Town Council in 2010. Mike truly is one of the good guys. As we have opined before, we strongly urge Miltonians to get out and vote in our Municipal Elections this October and elect the right people who will help to shape a positive future for our town.

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