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Sports/81 Nemisz welcomed ■ by Windsor Spitfires Eht Canabtan Wheels/lnsert Jeep Patriot * freedom unveiled durhamregion.com ♦ Pressrun 24,150 ♦ Founded 1854 ♦ MAY 10, 2006 ♦ 60 Pages ♦ Optional 3 Week Delivery $5/$1 Newsstand Newtonville together to help nine-year-old girl Spaghetti dinner and auction raises more than $30,000 BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer . NEWTONVILLE - It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a very special kind of village village to raise the spirits of a child touched by cancer, and her entire family, That's exactly what the village of Newtonville did last weekend, weekend, as it pulled together for one of its own, nine-year-old Lena McNeill, for whom more than : $30,000 was raised, to help offset the ongoing costs associated with -the illness she is currently bat- 'tling. - The Grade 3 Newtonville Pub- die School student was diagnosed ;in February with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, for which -she- has, ever since, been receiving receiving chemotherapy treatment. Soon, perhaps as soon as next >eek, she will undergo surgery to have her knee and half of her leg bone replaced with a prosthetic. . It's a limb-saving surgery. After the surgery will come even more chemo and follow-up surgeries. "I don't like the needles," said dimpled Lena, pale and obviously obviously tired but happy after the weekend's events. "It isn't so bad, though." * The months of treatment, and potentially years of follow-up and future surgeries to come, have taken a. finartcial toll and will continue to do so, with the costs of going to Toronto, paying for parking and meals, and all associated associated costs adding up. So, one of the teachers at Lena's school, Merna Zahn, approached Betty and Frank Stapleton, who run the Jason Liebregts/Metroland Durham Region Media Group The community of Newtonville recently held a fundraiser to benefit Lena McNeill in her fight with bone cancer. A playhouse that was auctioned off was donated back to Lena, front, and her twin sister, Emma. local auction centre, about a pos- ..sibJe.fLmdraiser.„perhaps.ajdance. But Mrs. Stapleton thought perhaps perhaps there would be more money to be made with a spaghetti dinner dinner and silent and live auction. Donations from across the region started rolling in, with items for the auction and all the food being donated. And then,, they started selling selling tickets. Before they knew it, about 800 tickets had been sold. When all was said and done, they fed about 500 people, Mrs. Stapleton figures. "It started at 6 (p.m.) but we started serving at 5:15," because ' that's when people started showing showing up, she said. The auction, both silent and live, along with a children's raffle, -..raised about.$15,000. As money. was raised, so were spirits, said Mr. Stapleton, who handled the auction. "The feeling was so good. It's the feeling you hear about, you read about ... that good, smalltown smalltown Ontario feeling," said Mr. Stapleton. "It took Lena to bring it out." For a family that has been through so much, it meant more than even the money, said Lena's mother, Cathy. "It lifted our spirits so much," she said. A wooden playhouse was part of the auction. Five parties each put in money to pay $1,000 for it, but none of them took it home -- instead, it was given to Lena and her twin sister Emma. "This house means everything to Lena and Emma," said their mom, as tears welled in her eyes. In another instance, a man knocked at the residence door of one of the organizers, refused to give his name, and handed over an envelope containing 10 $100 bills, to go toward the cause. The Stapletons still haven't figured out who it was, referring to him as "Mr. Anonymous." Fundraisers were also held by the Kendal Lions, The Pines Senior Public School, Clarke High School, Newcastle Public School, Ontario Street Public School, and St. Francis of Assisi. As well, the company Lena's father, Rupert, works for, Zir- catec, contributed significantly. Lena and Emma's bus driver, John Sharpe, collected pledges for shaving his head,"raising more than $300. Funds came from all sorts of sources. .. The community's love is something something that will stick with the family family forever, said Mrs. McNeill. "This is something we'll remember for the rest of our lives," she said. "You have certain events in your life that really stand out and this is one of them." Lena, too, is committing it to memory, as much as is possible for a nine-year-old. "I'll try to remember this when I grow up," she said. Two airlifted from scene of serious 401 crash Toddler, man injured in rush hour crash: 'OSHAWA - A toddler who was airlifted to hospital after being freed from a mangled car year-old man who was ejected will require plastic surgery for from the vehicle as it rolled facial lacerations suffered suffered in a spectacular accident that closed Hwy. 401 in Oshawa Monday evening.' Meanwhile, a 28- For more on this story is listed in critical but stable condition with multiple fractures, fractures, Whitby OPP duHM.mregion.com sa id. The 20-year-old female driver of the *i WATCH VIDEO , t '■;/ ' .3 , k T <,tester * * A.J. Groen photos / Metroland Durham Region Media Group Oshawa firelighters, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Durham Ambulance Service and two air ambulances responded to a single car crash in the westbound lanes of the 401 near the Oshawa-Whitby border. car escaped with minor injuries, police said. Rush-hour traffic on the westbound westbound 401 was snarled for hours Monday as emergency workers rushed to tend to the injured and police investigated the incident. OPP closed the westbound lanes between Park and Thickson roads at about 5:45 p.m. after a 1992 Mazda veered into a ditch on the north side of the 401 and rolled, ejecting a 28-year-old male passenger and trapping a two-year-old child in the back seat. The car came to rest on its "wheels. Paramedics arriving on scene attended to the child until Oshawa Oshawa and Whitby firefighters performed performed an extrication, freeing the youngster from the wreckage. wreckage. A car scat prevented the child from suffering more serious injuries, lire officials said. Police said the 20-year-old female driver was able to escape from the car on her own, suffering suffering a concussion but no other serious injuries. Onlookers watched as two ail* ambulances landed on the highway highway to transport the passenger and child to hospital. Dr. Chris Sankey was on hand at the accident with emergency service personnel personnel and said without their professionalism and skill it's likely the outcome might have been different. Drivers abandoned their cars to walk along the side of the highway and watch the scene unfold, while dozens of curious onlookers gathered along the fence that separates Champlain Avenue from the 401. Police have yet to determine exactly what caused the crash, which occurred on a stretch of the highway that is currently under construction, Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call Whitby OPP at 905-668-3388. Heritage area almost approved Three-year trial up for council vote next week BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer BOWMANVILLE -- After almost four years of discussion, a plan for a heritage designation in Bowmanville has received. preliminary approval. However, though a large portion portion of old Bowmanville was originally eyed for designation, only one street will get the title on a three-year trial basis. Clarington's General Purpose and Administration committee voted Monday to adopt a Beech Avenue Heritage District Plan, which will be reviewed after three years. Originally, the Municipality was looking at a much larger heritage conservation district. The goal was to conserve the neighbourhood's architectural, historical and contextual character character by providing guidance,to both private and public property owners. Under such a plan, special heritage heritage permits would be required for some exterior alterations to properties, such as replacement of existing windows or doors that are visible from the street or for removal or changes to architectural decorative features features which are visible from' the street. > But, the plan was met with resistance from part of the originally originally proposed neighbourhood. Eventually, a proposal came forward forward from Beech Avenue residents residents asking for full designation of their street only for a three- year trial, at which point it is to be reviewed, according to what was passed by committee. Also, under the designation, no further heritage conservation districts should be considered until after the three-year review of the area and that when Beech Avenue comes. up for reconstruction, reconstruction, no further dollars be spent beyond what would normally normally be paid for such work. Designation offers "a measure of protection from unsympathetic" unsympathetic" changes, said Isabel Little. "Change is inevitable and will happen over time ... what this plan will do is it will guide change," she said. Council will vote on matters from the General Purpose and Administration committee next Monday. ©~ ONTARIO'S • SERVICE • PARTS ■\ MON., WED., FRI. 7:30 am - 6:00 pm TUES.ATHURS. 7:30 am - 8:00 pm SAT. 9:00 am - 4:00 pm ACCREDITED TEST A REPAIR FACILITY WHITBY OSHAWA Honda 300 THICKSON RD. S. 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