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Backyard Touch 318 Guelph Street Georgetown 905.873.8835 2007 Models, Demo Models, and Scratch & Dents HUGE DISCOUNTS Open 7 days a week 3 DAYS ONLY! This Friday, Saturday & Sunday ONLY Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, May 21, 2008 3 Candlelight Tributes committee Tom Schenk checked out the damage to the cenotaph last week. Vandals were originally blamed for the damage but it now appears the tribute candles caused the blaze. The thing that disturbed me is that fingers have been pointed and people are going to assume that it was caused by kids or young men, age 15 to 20, but that wasnt the case at all, said Toth, a carpentry contractor with two elemen- tary school-aged children. We dont need to create an atmosphere of fear, because this was upsetting for a lot of people. It paints a negative picture of the youth of our community, when the majority of the kids wouldnt do things like that. Halton Regional Police reported a number of incidents of vandalism that same weekend, including damage to gravesites at the Fairview Cemetery in Acton, but did not receive complaints about the damage at Remembrance Park. Candleight Tribute Committee members cleaned up the candles Saturday morning and the Halton Hills Fire Department didnt notify police, which would normally happen in suspected cases of vandalism. Based on what they saw and the information that they were given, the firefighters who responded to the fire didnt believe it was vandalism, said Harry Olivieri, the fire departments deputy chief. Both Town staff and Candlelight Tribute committee member Tom Schenk appear to be backpedalling this week from the belief that vandals were involved. Schenk, who lives around the corner from the park, said that hes uncertain about what caused the fire but that mea- sures will be taken to assure that it wont happen again, including an all-night presence in future years. Held since 2003, the candlelight tribute hadnt experienced any prob- lems in previous ceremonies. Weve learned a little bit out of this and that the candles maybe were too close together, said Schenk. Once the casing starts to burn the candles can fall over and thats something well have to look at. We havent had a meeting yet but well definitely talk about it then. Warren Harris, manager of the Towns Parks and Open Space, released a statement yesterday (Tuesday) saying that site conditions observed by Schenk led staff to conclude that there was some disruption to the votive (candlelight) display leading to the damage. Cost of the damage to the cenotaph has yet to be deter- mined, although Harris said that because granite fragments broke off from the structure due to intense heat, its likely that short-term repairs would not be feasible. Halton Police are investigating a vandalism spree in Acton that occurred late Thursday or early Friday. The incidents included: A Kia parked at a Tanners Dr. residence was scratched from front to rear on the drivers side. Damage is $2,000. A satellite dish on the roof of a porch at a Somerville Rd. Acton home was pushed over. Damage is $400. Ornamental lights were dam- aged in a garden on Churchill Rd. S. A Chevrolet pickup truck on Tanners Dr. was scratched along one side. Damage is $2,000. A rear door at Robert Little School on School Lane was smashed. Damage is $500. The rear window of a Mazda parked at a Mill St. residence was smashed. Damage is $500. Three solar lights valued at $50 were taken from a garden at a resi- dence on Beardmore Cr. Another vandalism incident occurred on Dominion Gardens Dr. in Georgetown early Thursday when a small flowerpot was thrown at the windshield of a Saturn at a Dominion Gardens Dr. residence. The window was cracked. Damage is $300. Police say these incidents follow several occurenes of vandalism throughout Acton and Georgetown the previous week. Targeted in those incidents were the Acton Bandshell, George Kennedy School, Fairview Cemetery, and Glen Williams Ball Park. Det. Sgt. Murray Drinkwalter said police are very concerned about the vandalism and stresses damage to anyones property that is not their own is a criminal offence. Police urge anyone who witnesses a vandalism incident to call police immediately at 905-878-5511 ext. 5155. Anyone with information about any of the recent vandalism is asked to call Det. Ron Hansen at 905-878-5511 ext. 2114. Police are investigating an assault that occurred on Confederation St. in Glen Williams between 10:30 and 11 p.m. Friday May 9 Police say an 18-year-old woman was outside of Prestons Store in Glen Williams with friends when she was hit in the face with a projectile that had been fired at her by a male youth with a slingshot in a white Ford Taurus station wagon. The young woman received minor injuries. There were five male youths in the vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 905-878- 5511 ext. 2415 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. Five Canadian passports were taken sometime late Sunday or early Monday from a vehicle parked at an Eighth Line home. Police are investigating the attempted theft of three vehicles from Park Motor Sales on Hwy 7 that occurred sometime late Thursday or early Friday. The lock and steering column on a Dodge Caravan were damaged during the attempt. Also damaged while attempting to gain entry was a Mercury Sable and Ford Freestar. Damage in total is $1,900. A Georgetown man has been charged with assault and forcible confinement in connection with a domestic dispute at a Georgetown residence early Sunday. The adult female victim suffered minor injuries. Charged and held for a bail hearing is a 24-year-old man. Halton Regional Police in north Halton have launched a trial project to share information with the media about domestic violence situations where charges are laid. Previously, that information was not released by police to protect the identity of the victims. In an effort to bring the issue of domestic violence to the forefront in the community police have decided to release limited information, how- ever names and specific details are being withheld to protect the identity of the victims. Halton Hills firefighters were called to a fire in a detached garage on Esquesing/Nassagaweya Townline shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday. The garage/workshop was fully involved in flames when firefighters arrived. There were approximately 30 on hand to battle the blaze. The building and contents were destroyed in the fire. Preliminary damage estimate is $120,000. There were no injuries. Police/fire blotter Vandals go on spree in Acton United Way of Halton Hills recently recognized Dufferin Aggregates for being a Gold Sponsor at their 2007 Presidents Ball. Rob McDougall, (right) Site manager of Dufferin Aggregates Acton quarry accepted the plaque from United Way of Halton Hills president Ron Stitt and executive director Janet Foster. Photo by Ted Brown Dufferin is solid gold Candles blamed for fire Continued from pg. 1