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NEWSMAKERS: Sports titles, road work, festive times made news in Whimhmch-Stouflvflle during 2009 peewee AE Clippers won Ontario Minor Hockey Association A titles. The hat trick is a best-ever for Stouffville. ‘ Brad May, who started playing hockey in the Stouflville organiza- tion, marked his 1,000th NHL game with the Toronto Maple Leafs last spring. He’s now with the Detroit Redngs. 4 The Clippers midgets, minor peewees and tyke B entn'es skated oil“ with York-Simone crowns. Michael Humphreys, the outgo- ing president of Stoufiville minor hockey, was named the town’s sports person of_the year. Michael Del lotto, who also got his start with the Clippers, launched The peewee Clippers would also compete at the Ontario Hockey Federation championships and settled for the silver medal. The six tides tied a Whitchumh- Stoufivifle record established in STAFF PHOTO/SJOERD WITTEVEEN Large crowds greeted thé Olympic Torch Relay on Main Street Dec. 17. Clippers,alumni have big year “It definitely me feel “more informed about the community in which I raide. ” “lerxjoyreoeivmgamteadmgeammofmeamfivmefim- Wmltddmtelynmhesmefeelmehmmmme oormmrfltthfidflmflda" From pop 1. mmmm manurme his big-league career with the New York Rangers this season. Forahnost40years,DianeWard has been lending a helping hand to whomever requested it and even to those who didn’t. “There are so many really nice people everywhere ,you go ...soIcan‘ttumawayfmmany one group," said the 70-year-old Wtchurch-Stouffville Citizen of theYear. . Many know the recipient of The Sun-Tribune award fmm her work with Markham Fair and the Stouffville Horticulture Society. A year later and after learning some urban children have never left the confines of Toronto, Mrs. Ward' partnered with the East York school board and transformed her Mrs. Ward and her husband, John, moved from the cityto a farm house at Bloomington and Ken- nedy roads in 1972. . DIANE WARD 'I‘heStoufivilleminormidgetsandtwootherGipperteamswonOWIAfideshstspdngItwasatOWnrecord. That model has since been rep- licated at the Willowgrove Outdoor Education Centre and the Green Acres Outdoor Education Centre. Mrs. Ward is also responsible for rejuvenating the Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency and is a livestock inspector, something she has been doing for more than 30 years. For 17 months, Main Street’s west end from around Wmona Drive to Hwy. 48 was dug up, wid- ened, reduced to a single lane and re-aligned, all in an efl’ort to widen and pretty-up the moroughfare. “I know it hasn’t been easy," said Wtchurch-Stouffville Mayor Wayne Emmerson. farm into an outdoor educational 18 inches of gravel, all at a cost of oasis for students. $11 million. The program focused on life Earliegthis mogtp. thg One would think Mrs. Ward has a background in education, however, she is actually a former negative ne-toucher. It all came to an end in October. In order to extend the life of the road and for it to be able to handle the additional weight and trafiic, three layers of asphalt were laid above six inches of limestone and MAIN STREET McGowan Road, was completed He - has 20 points in 38 games The remainder of Stouffville and was drawing rookie-of-the-year RoadtOHWY-WiseXPeCmdtObe whispersearlymtheseason. - Widened to four lanes by the end Of A first-round pick of the Rangers 2013, according to York Region. in the 2008 entry draft, Del Zorro played junior in Oshawa and Lon- ' ' h k STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL flffigém, ginhxon‘écfi and Markham. Eadie: this month, the widening and te-aligiing of Stoufiville Road at Hwy. 48 in Ringwood, along with the widening of the mad west to McGowan Road, was completed. What started as modest Canada Day festivities built around a soft- ball toumament are all grown up. Now a multi-day event, it shuts down Main Street for a day and draws thousands of residents and visitors to the community every lune. The Whitchurch-Stoufi’ville Strawberry Festival marked its 25th anniversary. The street sale and fireworks are crowd favourites. A year ago, Michael Del Zotto couldn’t get on the radar of Canada’s entry in the World Junior Hockey Championships. This year is a different story. The Whitchurch-Stouflville resiâ€" MICHAEL DEL ZO'ITD dent had junior eligibility but made the NewYork Rangers last fall. He isn’t coming back down. The 19-year-old earned the NHL’s rookie of the month award for October. Whitchurch-Stouffville resi- dents showed their community and national spirit Dec. 17. Main Street was lined with peo- ple of all ages, many wearing red and white, ‘to honour the Olympic Torch‘Relay ’ The torch stopped only momen- tarily, at Main and Church streets where residents stood three deep. The visit lasted less than an hour but left long-lasting memories. Sun-Tribune columnist Iim Thomas, who has written for local newspapers for more than 50 years, hadn't seen anything like it. with files fi'om Iim Thomas and Michael Hayakawa OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY STAFF NOTORM MASON