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T he IF P • H om ec om in g •T hu rs da y, A ug us t 1 , 2 01 3 2 Open Monday to Saturday 140 Guelph St., Georgetown (beside Georgetown Garden Centre across from CTK) 905-873-8196 Introducing the CLEAN OF THE FUTURE 15 Year Warranty Extremely Quiet - 68 DB 30% Less Energy Consumption Smart Screen Display *Rebate valid on purchase of ANY complete system package. INTRO SPECIAL INSTANT REBATE $200* THE CLUB AT NORTH HALTON 905-877-5236 363 Maple Avenue West, Georgetown, ON www.northhaltongolf.com TEST DRIVE US FOR NEXT SEASON AND PLAY THE REST OF THIS SEASON AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE! Contact Melanie Frazer to learn more about this great Trial Membership Opportunity. 905-877-5236 or mfrazer@nhgcc.ca EXCEPTIONAL GOLF . . . right in your backyard! town's social scene, having been the site of countless hockey games, fi gure skat- ing shows, wrestling bouts, rollerskating nights and more. The farewell started on Friday night with a wine and cheese at the arena, and continued on Saturday night with a dance featuring live music by local bands. The rink was a sea of hugs, hand- shakes, laughter and tears as old friends reunited. "I can't even begin to tell you how emo- tional this is," says a teary Diann Turking- ton of Fort Erie, Ontario, who ran into many friends she hadn't seen in decades. For Craig Lawrence of Georgetown, the weekend was emotional for a differ- ent reason. His grandparents used to run the Memorial Arena and he spent a lot of his life within the old brick walls. "My whole family worked here," Law- rence says. "My grandmother served hot chocolate at the canteen and I used to run back behind the bar to steal chocolate bars." Dave and Gerry Kentner also spent a fair share of their time at the Memorial. "The atmosphere in here on Friday nights when the Raiders were playing was electric," Gerry says. "My girls loved run- ning around the arena. It was a safe haven for them." Dave remembers rushing to the arena after school to get the best seats for the Raiders game. He also remembers spec- tators bringing bottles of alcohol to the games and dropping the empties into the arena's cinderblock walls. When the arena walls come down, he is going to be on the lookout for that special glass "insulation." Between the video and photos project- ed on its walls and the historical vignettes acted out by Georgetown Little Theatre members on its rink, the Memorial Are- na was the defi nite star of Homecoming 2013. "We all grew up (at the Memorial)," says Georgetown resident Debbie Smart. "It will be sad to see it go." Homecoming brings tears and cheers Continued from pg. 1 Members of the Georgetown Little Theatre performed a series of vignettes from the Memorial Arena's past. Actors Ro Palum- bo-Coates (left) and Adam McCormack bring back memories of falling in love at the infamous Bantam Tournament. Photo by Andrea Lefebvre