4 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday February 28, 2009 www.oakvillebeaver.com Brantford police cleared in Oakville man's drowning The Director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has cleared the police of any wrongdoing in relation to the death of a 32year-old Oakville man in Brantford last month. Benjamin Wood had been interacting with an officer of the Brantford Police Service in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Jan. 20. Wood ventured out onto the ice surface of the Grand River near the Brantford Casino. A short time after doing so Brantford police officers saw Wood going through the ice. Members of the Ontario Provincial Police Underwater Search and Recovery Unit located Wood's body later that day. A post mortem conducted afterwards determined that Wood died of drowning and hypothermia. The SIU assigned four investigators and two forensic investigators to probe the circumstances of this incident. Director of the SIU Ian Scott said, "The Brantford Police Service officer followed a set of shoe prints from a stolen car to the bank of the Grand River. He found Mr. Wood standing near the bank on the ice-covered river and asked him to get off the ice. Mr. Wood approached the officer and a struggle ensued. The officer pulled back from Mr. Wood and Mr. Wood ran back out onto the ice. Other officers responded and pleaded with Mr. Wood to get off the ice. Mr. Wood would not do so, but instead walked and then ran out into the centre of the ice-covered river. He fell through the ice and drowned." Scott concluded, "I cannot find any criminal liability linking the actions of the Brantford Police Service officer with the unfortunate death of Mr. Wood." The SIU is a civilian agency that investigates cases of serious injuries (including allegations of sexual assault) and deaths involving the police. Bat-wielding bandits rob variety store Halton police are investigating a robbery at Bong's Variety Store on Trafalgar Road Thursday night. Shortly after 7 p.m., two men entered the store. The first male went straight to the cash register and tried to open it. The second man confronted the lone clerk and threatened him with a baseball bat. When the first man couldn't open the cash register, he tore it from the counter and both suspects fled in a white mini-van. The clerk was not injured. Police aren't saying how much money was stolen. The first suspect is described as a white male, 16 to 18 years old, 5foot-6 and had a muscular build. He was wearing a white sweatshirt with a pattern on the front and had his face covered with a white shirt. The second man was a white male 14 to 16 years old, 5-foot-4 and was thin. He wore a blue T-shirt with a red button-up shirt. He had his face hidden with a red scarf and was armed with an aluminum baseball bat. The suspects were seen leaving the area in a white mini van. Police believe the same pair is responsible for a robbery at the Sunoco Gas Station, 754 Bronte Rd. Thursday morning. Anyone with information related to the robbery is asked to contact the Oakville Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-8254777, ext. 2215 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). What's keeping you from having your dream kitchen? Consider these time, mess & cost saving options... a. Renew your cabinets with our unique "Tune-up". Our exclusive process restores and repairs the original finish on wood cabinets to 90-95%. Tuning Up your cabinets and updating the counter top and handles is the easiest and most cost effective way to get a fresh new look for your kitchen. Time: 1-2 days Mess: almost none Cost: a fraction of replacement. Correction Notice In the Kennedy Ford advertisement that appeared on February 27, 2009. The words `lease for' should have read `own for'. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Fun and Rewarding! Help a child thrive at school. Be a volunteer homework club supervisor. 905.339.2355 b. Reface your existing cabinets and save 40-60%. If your cabinet boxes are in good shape, why pay to replace them? Choose from the largest selection of door styles and finishes available anywhere. See our website for ideas. Time: typically 2-4 days Mess: we clean every day and you never lose use of your kitchen Cost: 40-60% less than the cost of a comparable new kitchen. c. Re-style your existing kitchen into your dream kitchen. If you choose to Reface, we can change many other things you don't like about your kitchen. Add an island, pantry, molding or even new cabinets to match the refaced cabinets. Time: 3-5 days Mess: low disruption, thoroughly cleaned daily, often no loss of use Cost: the more of the original kitchen you reuse, the more cost-effective the remodel. d. Replace with a custom kitchen designed to your budget. Our Designers will help you create a new custom kitchen that perfectly reflects your personal taste, goals and budget. e. Don't forget the countertop and hardware: With so many exciting options available, our consultants will help you to select the right countertop and accessories to put the finishing touches on your dream kitchen. Free Design Consultation & Estimate Showroom 3480 Fairview St., Burlington (Hours: 10-5 pm M-F Saturday 11-3) , Financing & Deferred Payments Available Eight "Trustpoints" set Kitchen Tune-Up apart. We guarantee our estimates - guarantee our work - arrive on time - clean work areas daily - return messages within 24 hours - strive for harmony with your daily routine - tell you what we're going to do before we do it - listen carefully, tell it straight and keep our promises. kitchentuneup.com Kitchen Tune-Up is a system of independently owned and operated franchises