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14 Independent & Free Press,Thursday, May 19, 2011 Frustrated by vandals, thieves WPEC seeks community help Devastated by the theft of major components of their new renewable energy station, volunteers with the non-profit Willow Park Ecology Centre (WPEC) in Norval are appealing to local citizens for help. "Sometimes community ecology volunteers start to wonder whether or not they are having a positive effect on the communities they endeavor to serve. They spend so much time and effort at trying to raise money, pick up after vandals of all types, and taking care of the property they all love that they often neglect themselves in the process. But at times it seems to be an unending battle against people who are determined to defeat them by vandalizing and stealing," said a demoralized Carolyn Martin, Chair of the WPEC Board of Directors. Last week one of the volunteers discovered that the locks were missing on both the Compost Area garden shed and the Welcome Area Kiosk. Upon further investigation, they discovered the newly purchased Renewable Energy Education Station (REES) display unit and sturdy wheelbarrows were stolen from the garden shed, said Martin. The unit is a one-of-a-kind teaching aid (with a value of more than $4,000) that monitors solar and wind energy and is used in combination with solar panels and a windmill. WPEC recently obtained grants from Sobey's Earth Day Canada and the Ontario Trillium Foundation to purchase this teaching equipment to give a visual representation of solar and wind energy to the children and adults of the community and local schools. They were storing it in the locked shed preparCAROLYN ing to install it in a perMARTIN manent location last weekend when the theft was discovered. "This summer's renewable energy programs are now in jeopardy and our solar and wind energy displays may not provide the education that we had hoped for," said Martin. WPEC has had repeated problems with vandalism in the past, including an incident where the bars were bent on the previous solar photovoltaic (PV) system's battery housing and instrumentation was torn out of the display unit, demolished, and the pieces spread around the park. "WPEC is appealing to local citizens, including solar equipment vendors/installers, and security specialists, to make suggestions that would help to prevent future vandalism and to give us your suggestions for the future of our REES project. Please visit the volunteer blogsite at http//wpec. willowparkecology.ca to give us your insight," urged Martin. It's easy to feel at home when you're among friends. Step into a V!VA community and you can feel the difference. The scent of freshly baked muffins wafting from the café. Music and laughter trickling from the on-site pub. A V!VA Team Member greeting you with a warm smile and an inside joke. With thoughtfully designed amenities, spacious suites, three freshly prepared meals daily, and a V!VA team ready to make your day great, retirement living really doesn't get any better than this. Moving Made Easier Seminar Learn to simplify your move with tips from a senior certified real estate agent and a senior moving specialist. Wednesday, May 25th, 2011 at 1:00pm Refreshments will be served. Call 905.566.4500 or visit vivalife.ca to RSVP! 1 Day Sale! Sat. Sat May 28th 10:00 `til til 2:00 Super Savings and Discounts! Great New Items You Must See! Enter Our Gift Basket Draw! Meet Our Special Guest: M Brilliant B ri Been-A-Boob® Breast Form Janet J a Cockburn Of O f Janac Mastectomy Featuring Her As A sseenon s seen on Dragon's Den! V!VA Mississauga Presentation Centre 3030 Thomas St., Mississauga (Southwest corner of Winston Churchill Blvd. and Thomas St.) I BR TA N N IA RD . .W Ç PRESENTATION CENTRE IN W N O ST N LL HI RC HU C . VD BL Call 905.566.4500 or visit vivalife.ca to book your tour! TE N . THOMAS ST BO N N IE . ST C LU Y D R. EG LIN TO N E AV . .W TH LIN E . W ...at Young's Pharmacy & Homecare 47 main Street South in Downtown Georgetown Call today to book your private consultation: (905) 873-4021 ext. 133