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durhamregion.com ♦ Sports/12 Generals building for success Wheels/Insert 2006 Azera earns respect Pressrun 24,150 ♦ Founded 1854 ♦ DECEMBER 28, 2005 ♦ 46 Pages ♦ Optional 3 Week Delivery $5/$1 Newsstand c -- ^^ Vandal destroys treasured family lilac Under cover of the night historic bush hacked down BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer ; BOWMANVILLE -- When Bèrtha Barnes and the rest of her family turned in for the night last Sunday, the unique Persian lilac bush she had planted on her Baseline Baseline Road property more than 50 years ago was just fine. But, the 90-year-old woman woke Monday to find the bush cut to the ground, its branches strewn "around the yard. , \ Workers cleaning up a fuel oil spill, caused by a car accident accident across the road from Mrs. Barnes's home several weeks ago, knew nothing of the demise of ,. the bush, and the Municipality of Clarington had not been involved ;in the cutting. It appears, at this point, to have been nothing more than vandalism against a woman ui-: ..$ho will turn 91 in;March.- ., "Somebody's worked very had to do it," said Mrs. Barnes' son, Ted. Mrs. Barnes said she bought the lilac at a nursery in Bowmanville soon after her family moved to the town in 1948. J"lt has a lot of memories to me," TV. she said., The bush is a Persian Lilac, a type that can't even be found.. now. "A lot of people had no idea of the value of it," she said, noting unlike typical lilacs, the Persian variety grows up from a crown, instead of coming from underneath underneath and shooting up. As well, "the bloom is wide at the bottom and very, very lacy" Mrs. Barnes isn't sure what was used to cut down the plant. - "Somebody had to use something something very, very strong," she said, though she doesn't think it was either a chainsaw or an axe. The matter has been reported to Durham Regional Police. Prior to it being destroyed, Mrs. Barnes's son had trimmed the lilac back to allow him access to mow . the lawn. The family has only ever once received a complaint about the bush impairing sight lines, though Barnes family members members say its location on the lawn should not have caused problems in terms of the intersection. Mrs. Barnes said the Municipality has been "allowed to cut it back any time it wanted to." By Tuesday afternoon, the branches were still on Mrs. Barnes's lawn. "It was like losing a very close friend," said Mrs. Barnes. "The fact is, I haven't had the heart to have Ted clean it up." . r---- BOWMANVILLE -- Bertha Barnes and her daughter-in-law Roxy Barnes stand by the remains of a rare Persian lilac bush that someone cut down in the middle of the night. William F. Hayball Charitable Foundation announces annual contributions DURHAM - Local charities were given the gift this year of $54,300. The William F. Hayball Charitable Charitable Foundation gave to 20 organizations in Durham Region this year. This brings its charitable contributions contributions to date to more than $1.5 million. Recommendations for 2005, include the Alzheimer Society ($2,000), Gate 3:16 ($3,000), Renascent Centre ($7,000), Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame ($1,000), St. Vincent's Kitchen Kitchen ($3,000), Durham Family Court Clinic ($2,500), Oshawa Oshawa .Community Health Centre Centre ($1,000), The Lung Association Association ($1,000), The Jennifer Ashleigh Foundation ($1,000), Association of Visual Language Interpreters ($1,000), Denise House ($4,000), Destiny Manor ($4,000), Grandview Children's Foundation ($2,500), O.T.A. Education Foundation ($1,000), Oshawa Deaf Centre ($5,000), Oshawa 'Senior Citizen's . Club ($500), Rose of Durham:;. ($4,000), Simcoe Hall Settlement Settlement House ($3,000), Oshawa- Whitby-Clarington United Waÿ 1 ($5,000), Ontario Regiment Museum ($2,800). . 1 The .foundation was established established by. Bill Hayball, a' life-:; long resident of Oshawa. Mr. Hayball was president and chief executive officer of ACL Automotive Carriers Limited, ' MÇL Motor Carriers Limited, . and Citicar Limited. . , In 1988, Mr. Hayball sold his interest in his Oshawa-based transportation companies and established and endowed the William Frank Hayball Charitable Charitable Foundation to support charitable. charitable. organizations in Durham ■ Region. ' ' Mayor's levee set for Jan. 15 NEWCASTLE - Clarington Mayor John Mutton is inviting residents to ring in the new year at his annual levee. It will be held this year in Newcastle, to help kick off the village's sesquicen- tennial. The levee will be held Sunday, Jan. 15 at Newcastle Community Hall, 20 King Ave. W., with the opening ceremony set for 12:30 p.m., followed by a meet and greet, which will run until 2:30 p.m. Beverages and a selection of finger foods will be served.. The levee is generally held in Bowmanville. "It's not too often we take the Mayor's Levee anywhere else, but it's a pleasure to bring the event to the village to kick off the sesquicentennial," said the mayor. "The community of Newcastle Newcastle is flourishing." Let the beard growing begin In honour of Newcastle's birthday men asked to put away the shaver NEWCASTLE - Let the beards begin! To help celebrate Newcastle's 150th birthday, the village's Sesquicentennial Sesquicentennial Committee is holding holding a beard-growing contest. Entrants are to go, clean-shaven, to Newcastle Community Hall, 20 King Ave. W., on Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. to have 'before' photos taken. Beards will be judged for length in June. More information can be found at www.newcastlelSO. com. -'.-'.jw.-v'iiWiW'.v 'J 1 , SSmmSm i .•I - . Q-t ONTARIO'S • SERVICE • PARTS : MON., WED., FRI. v 7:30 am - 6:00 pm TUES. & THURS. > 7:30 am - 8:00 pm $ SAT. > 9:00 am - 4:00 pm ACCREDITED TEST g A REPAIR FACILITY WHITBY OSHAWA •' Honda 300 THICKSON RD. S. WHITBY 666-1772 HOixrmv www.hondal.com Work for your kids, says new board chairwoman BY VINCE VERSACE Staff Writer CLARINGTON -- The Catholic Catholic school board's new chairwoman- chairwoman- believes in providing as many options as possible to • keep students in schools happy and active. "We need to bring back the things that keep kids in schools," says Marg Godawa, newly elected Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board chairwoman. "Things like arts, sports, music and drama are important. They keep the kids happy and busy. The more we can help the kids out by having things for them to do, the better it is for everybody." Mrs. Godawa has been a school board trustee since 1985, was board vice-chairwoman two years ago and has been chairwoman chairwoman of the Special Education Education Advisory Committee. Mrs. Godawa was elected chairwoman chairwoman Dec. 13. Labour issues is a major item on next year's agenda, says Mrs. Godawa. The CUPE contract which needs to be ratified effects custodians, secretaries and school support . staff. "We will need to ratify a new CUPE contract in January," says Mrs. Godawa. "It is difficult to work without them." Working with the Province to increase special needs funding will be a goal for the upcoming upcoming year as well. Dealing with declining enrolment in School's throughout the board will also ' be a challenge, says Mrs. Gçda- wa. .. -/iv-; "Decisions will need to be made because elementary enrolment enrolment is declining," she says. "Accessibility at schools also comes into play. There are some school which are quite old and cannot become accessible." . ' ; . Mrs. Godawa says she is fortunate fortunate to have sat in on last year's hiring process of new,, board administrators and that she knows she has excellent staff to work with. •' "We had changes and we have hired some good people and 1 look forward to working with See NEW, page 4 Celia Klemenz/Metroland Durham Region Media Group Holiday treats PORT PERRY -- Max Hurst, of Courtice, seeks permission to use more sprinkles on the gingerbread cookie he is decorating. decorating. Max and his family were visiting WindReach Farms recently, taking in the inaugural 'Christmas on the Farm' open house. from allot at us PONTIAC COWAN YEAR END EVENT