The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Last Saturday, the 13-year-old per- formed to a full house at Markham Theatre. The occasion was the York Region Media Group’s eighth annual Celebration of the Arts concert. BY “M MASON Staff Writer A]. de Boer normally sings in the bedroom of his family’s Lemonville house. A.]. was one of more than 40 young people from age 6 to university age from across the region who were presented bursaries to continue to improve their singing, dancing and acting. They made it through a series of auditions to be awarded at the gala. AJ. received the $1,000 Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville bursary, after singing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. “I was kind of nervous to start, but then I felt fine,” the Grade 8 student at St. Mark Catholic School in Stoutfville said. “That's the biggest crowd I've ever sung to." It won't be the biggest ever, he hopes. A]. has dreams of singing on Broadway, after, hopefully, attending the arts program at Unionville High School next year and then the presti- gious luliard School in New York City. He started takinglessons 18 months ago at the suggestion of his mother, Silvana de Boer. “I didn’t really want to." he said, “but I got over that and I really love it now.” You may have heard him sing the national anthem at Stouffville Spirit hockey games or at area talent shows. Ian Proudfoot, publisher of The Sunâ€"Tribune and the York Region Media Group, started Celebration of the Arts eight years ago. W L . F A?“ LEMONVILLE SINGER EYES BROADWAY 27 HERITAGE RIL, MABKIIAM 294-8030 For more information. go to yorkregion.com A. I. de Boer wins town scholarship at YRMG celebration SATURDAY. OCT. 25,2008 I SERVINGTHE COMMUNWYOFWHITCHURCHâ€"STOUFFVILLE I 36 PAGES/$1 INCLUDING GST A. I. de Boer, 13, performs before a full house during the York Region Media GrOup’s Celebra- tion of the Arts at Markham Theatre for the Performing Arts last Saturday. The lemonville resident was awarded the Town of Whitchurchâ€"Stoufiville’s $1,000 scholarship at the event. PHOTO/MIKE BORISKO BY ALYSHIA HIGGINS Tuesday’s council meeting was "all about Changes" for Mayor Wayne Emmerson. But not as many as Councillor Rob liar- grave was hoping for. Council voted in favour of lowering speed limits from 50 km/h to 40 in some areas. Mr. liargrave proposed an amendment to the motion to include several collector roads including Hoover Park Drive. Reeves Way Boulevard, Mantle Avenue and 'l‘enth Line up to Main Street. all streets within his south Sttiiillville ward. Ward 6. “l'm totally dismayed." he said. “My eon~ stituents and residents along Hoover Park have always asked to have that (speed limit) lowered, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so." Mr. Hargrave made two amendments to make the changes in speed. both of which were not supported by any members ()fC()llli~ eil. “It's too had there weren't more people there to see how people in certain political power don't really respond to the needs of the residents and constituents in an area that has a huge concern." he told the Sun-'I‘ribune. “It 's very unfortunate." Someofthechangestospeedlimitsinclude lowering the speed limits from 70 km/ h to (50 on St. John's Sideroad from Kennedy Road to Woodbine Avenue and dropping the speed from 80 to 60k on 'I'enth Line just north of Forsythe Farm Drive. But not enough for one disappointed councillor Paul Whitehousc. director of public works. Town speed limits falling Economy . . . . . Transportation Sports . . . . . . . . Classified . . . . . 5a )1: 31¢