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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, November 25, 2009 · 10 Jesse Comeau's spirit remains with family and friends By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF His kindness made an impact on his community and now those who cared about Jesse Comeau are taking steps to ensure he is not forgotten. Comeau, 16, was killed July 11, when an altercation broke out between two groups of young people during a Burlington birthday party. Comeau was stabbed repeatedly during this incident, as were two other partygoers who have since recovered. Bradley Todorovich, 18, of Hamilton is facing a seconddegree murder charge in connection with Comeau's death. On Thursday, Oct. 15, Comeau's friends and family commemorated what would have been his 17th birthday (on Oct. 18) by adopting a tree at the Oakville Skate Park in Shell park in Bronte where Comeau spent much of his free time. A plaque at the tree's base describes Comeau as a `Spirit in the Sky.' "There is some graffiti in the bowl at Shell and that is one of the phrases someone has put there and there is a song called Spirit in the Sky by the Spin Doctors and that's provided lots of comfort to his dad," said Kathy Bradley, Comeau's stepmother. "This was the tree that they (Comeau and his friends) all went to and congregated under. That was his favorite place." Comeau's father David said the memorial was set up mainly for Comeau's friends, many of whom are still deal- ing with his death. "There's a lot of them that took this really hard, he (Comeau) was a very popular kid," said David. "He spread himself all over Oakville with the taekwondo club and his school and Shell Park. He was well rounded around the community. He was just a really good kid." The plaque is not the first memorial constructed at the skate park to remember Comeau with many of the skate park's obstacles and platforms already tagged with `RIP JESSE.' The teen's memory will also be preserved at Thomas A. Blakelock High School where students there are in the process of putting together a mural in his honour. "I believe it is important for our school community to recognize Jesse," said Blakelock Principal Kevin Caughlin. "A number of his friends go to our school. We had a couple of meetings with the friends of Jesse and staff members to come up with some ideas about what they want to do. We've done different things in the past for different students who have passed on and in this particular case the real thinking was having an art mural done by one of our students who was a friend (of Comeau)." Caughlin said the design for the mural was thought up by a number of students and will feature a collage depicting Comeau and his values and interests. Comeau's experiences at the Oakville Skate Park and his passion for the martial arts are just a few parts of his life the mural is expected to capture. The painting of the mural is currently underway with the hope being that it can be RIZIERIO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER See Tournament page 11 FOR JESSE: A memorial plaque for Jesse Comeau rests at the base of a tree adopted by the family at the Oakville Skate Park. The YMCA of Oakville Board of Directors and staff invite you to attend the · Quality Craftsmanship · Innovative Designs · Professional Service & Installation · 10 Year Warranty HWY. #6 W S E WATERDOWN Visit Our SHOWROOM Breakfast for Peace Join us Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009 from 7:30 to 9:00 am as we celebrate Miss Molly Burke, our Youth Recipient of this years Peace Medal for her fundraising and awareness efforts both for International programs and The Foundation Fighting Blindness. Presentation: About TAG ­ Together as Girls Entertainment: Folk Singer Elyse Simpson and The Morden School Choir Sponsored by Tickets: $10 Purchase tickets at the Y at 410 Rebecca Street, or call Sabrina Casciani at 905­845­5597 ext. 331 for Visa/MC/Amex orders. TH D HWY. #5 R. HALLMARK KITCHENS SOU Miss Molly Burke 905-845-3417 410 Rebecca St., Oakville, ON L6K 1K7 E-mail: customerservice@oakville.ymca.ca OB091111