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4b • SINCE 1854 • AMALGAMATED 1999 WITH CLARINGTON THIS WEEK • Pressrun 21,900 50 Pages Wednesday, September 19, 2001 Eagles take flight Sports, page 14 Rally inspired Wheels pullout Bowmanville woman recalls murder Family seeks justice for 1949 double slaying BY STEPHEN SHAW Staff Writer DURHAM - Justice delayed - even five decades - should not be justice denied, says Connie Dcwell, who is "amazed" a police police cold squad has reopened the investigation into the 1949 murders murders of her great-grandparents. The few precious memories Mrs. Dewell has of her late great- grandparents were revived last week by a This Week story that reported that police may be close to cracking the elderly Oshawa couple's unsolved murder. Now 52 years after the savage slayings of Nicholas and Helen Katerynych, Mrs. Dcwell says she recalls her great-grandmother's great-grandmother's soft voice, the smell of her spicy cooking and the wicker basket she once gave her. As reported by This Week, the team of cold case homicide detectives detectives had been actively investigating investigating the "heinous" decades-old crime when an elderly man whom police had identified as a possible suspect died two weeks ago. Durham Regional Police Inspector Inspector Paul Carroll, in charge of major crime, confirmed the extraordinary extraordinary investigation, which began in 1999. Despite the recent death, he also said the investigation re- GM plants, airport back on course BY CHRISTY CHASE ; , 'iIT'•"L* WALTER PASSARELLA/Statesman photo tour BOWMANVILLE - Donna Paquette's Grade 5 class at St. ography and math. The first stop was town hall, where Mayor Joseph's French Immersion Centre, Bowmanville, are sending John Mutton signed the bears'passports. Holding the bears two teddy-bears on a world tour in a project on language, ge- are Andrew Pomfret and Krista Metclaf. See story on page 7. Staff Writer OSHAWA - Production at General Motors plants in Oshawa Oshawa is back on track after border crossing slowdowns caused disruptions last week. "Hopefully the worst is behind behind us," said GM spokesman Richard James. All shifts of all three plants operated normally Monday and are expected to continue to do so unless there are new security problems at the Canada-United Canada-United States border crossings. crossings. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in Washington, D.C., ACCREDITED TEST & REPAIR FACILITY •An ollidal murk of the Province of Ontario used under licence. Whitby - Oshawa Honda 1110 DUNDAS. ST. E., WHITBY LOCAL (905) 666-1772 howda www.honda1.com and New York City, increased security at the border created lengthy waits, sometimes up to 20 hours, for trucks. The delays created parts shortages for GM and other automakers, which operate on just-in-time schedules. Last Friday, the day shift at car plant No. 2 was cancelled, idling 1,050 workers. The Thursday evening shift at the same plant was sent home halfway through its Thursday evening shift and the truck plant was sent home early Friday Friday morning. At Oshawa Airport, flights Inside Statesman WHERE TO FIND IT Editorial Page 6 Classified 9 Sports 14 GIVE US A CALL General.. .905-623-3303 Distribution .905-579-4407 Death Notices 905-683-3005 Sincerely Yours 1-800-662-8423 Web site durhamregion.com email jbobbitt@durhamregion.com FAX 905-623-6161 have returned to normal. General General aviation was. allowed late Thursday and cargo flights were restored by Monday. However, operations at the airport was slower than before. before. "There are increased security security precautions in place," said Ted Goodchild, Oshawa's development development services commis sioner. The airport was closed Tuesday just hours after two hijacked passenger planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third hijacked hijacked plane struck the Pentagon Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and a fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Thousands of people are believed dead. Hockey official scores a bride Eagles game was very engaging BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor BOWMANVILLE - A future future groom didn't get an icy reception reception when he popped the question to his bride-to-be at the Bowmanville Eagles game on Sunday night. Paul Renaud, a linesman in the game between Bowmanville and Port Hope, scored a "yes" after getting down on one knee at centre ice to ask his girlfriend, girlfriend, Kari Francis, to many him. "When I got down on one knee and the crowd cheered, it allowed me time to catch my. breath and collect myself," said Mr. Renaud of the nerve-wracking nerve-wracking experience. Bowmanville Eagles president president and owner Mike Laing escorted escorted Ms. Francis down a red carpet that was extended to centre centre ice at the conclusion of the second period intermission. With both teams waiting patiently patiently on the bench for the start of the third period, Mr. Renaud emerged from the referees' room, and skated to centre ice. He pulled an engagement ring from his helmet, and with a microphone microphone in hand, asked Ms. Francis to marry him. "1 had a feeling," that something something out of the ordinary was going to happen, said Ms, Fran- See GAME pose 4 mains "active." Detectives arc continuing to look closely at other living suspects, suspects, he said. "I think it's wonderful people still care. I'm curious to know how far (the new investigation) has gone. I was amazed and thrilled somebody else still cares after all these years," said Mrs. Dewell from her Bowmanville home. She said if police can unlock the mystery behind the couple's murder it would bring peace to the family and justice to her great-grandparents. "Even if the people who did it can't be brought to justice, just to know who did it would be nice. See WOMAN pope 4 Courtice man killed in motorcycle crash Experienced rider had just purchased new motorcycle BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer COURTICE - An experienced experienced motorcyclist from Cour- tice was killed on die weekend while on a customer appreciation ride from the shop where he had just purchased a brand new bike. Rick Coombes, 45, of Moulton Moulton Court in Courtice, was killed Saturday near Peterborough, while on a 240-kilometre, 23- motorcyclc ride that left from Blackstock, to travel around Rice Lake and back to Durham Region. Region. But, just before noon, on a road in Smith-Ennismorc-Lake- field Township, police say a van, carrying a Lakefield couple, that had slowed to turn left was rear- ended by a pick-up track, driven by an Ottawa man. The impact forced the van into oncoming traffic, where a group of motorcycles, motorcycles, including the one driven by Mr. Coombes, hit the van. Charges in the accident are pending, say police. Mr. Coombes was pronounced dead at the scene. Three other motorcyclists motorcyclists - Dan Blundell of Sim- coe Street, Seagrave, Blair Plummer, Plummer, of Union Avenue, Port Perry, and Mr. Coombes' fiancée, fiancée, Grace Schaefer, also of Moulton Court, Courtice - were taken to a Peterborough hospital. Mr. Plummer was later airlifted to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Rick Coombes, 45, was killed while riding his motorcycle motorcycle Saturday. Centre. Police could not say what type of injuries he suffered, but a Sunnybrook official confirmed confirmed Mr. Plummer remained in the hospital's critical care unit Tuesday morning. The Lakefield couple was also taken to hospital. Mr. Coombes and his fiancee, who planned to wed next September, September, had just purchased their new motorcycles in June, though neither was a new rider, says Ms. Schaefer. "We had identical bikes; his was blue and mine was black," she says. "He loved riding his bike." Motorcycling was something Mr. Coombes had done "all his life, and I can honestly say he was an excellent rider, cautious and careful," says Ms. Schaefer. "He was always watching for other drivers, and for me." Mr. Coombes had taken a motorcycle riding course, and "didn't speed. He was always very cautious," Ms. Schaefer says. JASON LIEBREGTS/Statesman photo Paul Renaud, a linesman at a Bowmanville Eagles game Sunday, popped the big question to Kari Francis at centre ice after the second period. 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