Sean Herbinson Your Aurora Your local source for... “HOUSESOLD” Insurance NAME Investments Wealth Management 905 905 727 4605 www.hsfinancial.ca Aurora’s Community Newspaper 727-1941 Representing York Group Realty Inc. Vol. 3 No. 28 Week of May 6, 2003 905-727-3300 Bingo reprieve By RON WALLACE June as was originally did not want to get involved in the announced. ownership of the business Breathing room. Members of the Aurora Bingo "These groups are in the business A total of 34 charities who depend Sponsors Association met Sunday of raising money and don't want to on the Aurora Bingo Centre for with president of the Aurora Bingo be part of the business operation," revenue are breathing a little eas- Centre Inc., Henry Klein and came Please see page 11 ier today after learning the centre to agreement on the extended would stay open until September deadline. 30, and not close at the end of The Association also agreed it Briefly Valuable buttons Garden's open The famous Merlin's Hollow English flower garden opens to the public this Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. gain you access Created by Dierdre and David Tomlinson, the impressive garden is located at 181 Centre Crescent, near Centre Street and Industrial to festival events Parkway North in Aurora's east end. They're purple and gold and they win one of several prizes. Saturday will be the only open stand out like a broken thumb. The buttons went on sale last Paige Sillcox, left, and partner, Lori Paslawsky, inspect yet house in May. Another will be held They're also valuable. weekend at the Aurora Chamber June 14, with two others sched- another batch of delicious cookies headed to the Cookie It Lapel buttons, advertising the of Commerce Home & Lifestyle uled for July. Up oven. Auroran photo by Ron Wallace World's Longest Street Festival - Show, and they will be sold the The one acre garden was started this year slated for Sunday, June 1 day of the festival by yellow-shirt- in 1981 and features more than Cookie It Up - will be sold at a buck each and ed Festival Block Captains. 2,000 different plants. allow the purchaser access to sev- Meanwhile, the festival commit- eral featured attractions. tee - which is sponsored by the Twenty years later, "This will not only help finance Chamber of Commerce and the Auroran winners the festival," said Chairman Town of Aurora - met for the last Regina Brown, "but it is a nice time Thursday, to finalize plans for Three winners were selected in souvenir of this fun event and the eighth annual event. the Auroran’s Home Show draw her summer job could easily become a collector's Nearly 500 booths have already made last week. item." been reserved in the huge show, M & M Meats won a quarter page Buttons are currently on sale at expected to draw upwards of ad; Jaguar Gymnasium won an the Aurora Chamber of 25,000 people. eighth-page ad; and Richard still in the dough Commerce, Balloonacy, Flowers The committee this year added Arnold of Aurora won a classified. By CHRISTINE WOODLEY By Terry and the Auroran newspa- an hour to the festival's operating per offices, and advance purchase time, with the show opening at 11 also gives the buyer a chance to Please see page 7 It was the summer of 1983, and 21-year-old Paige Sillcox needed a job. She considered mowing lawns, but couldn't afford the capital Trio tradition ends expenditure - the mower. She could, however, afford a bag of flour and a pound of butter, and AYonge Street landmark is clos- façade facelift including the addi- thus was born Cookie It Up. ing, but should re-open later this tion of an outdoor Yonge Street Paige took orders from employees of Aurora's then-Yonge Street year with new owners and a new patio. business, making treats for the cashiers at IGA, the tellers at Sterling name. The three brothers will maintain Trust and agents at Aurora Vacations. Bill, Ted and Tely Spasopoulos, office space on the property to The product must have been awfully good, because word-of-mouth the three brothers who came to handle the real estate end of the grew the business quickly and steadily. Aurora in 1970 and opened the business. They own the commer- Twenty years later, Cookie It Up employs 10, and supplies cookies famed Trio Restaurant, told the cial block from Mosley Street to to gourmet shops, coffeehouses and basket companies across Auroran Friday the establishment the north end of the new Aurora Canada and into the United States. would close June 1. Library, on the east side of Yonge. In fact, the cookies are sold at Holt Renfrew, Laura Secord, and in "We are going to be open for The brothers made their way to Manhattan's Lincoln Centre, at the world-famous Dean and DeLuca Mother's Day, May 11," Tely said. Aurora from Richmond Hill where outlet there. "It will be our last Mother's Day." they operated a restaurant called The attendance wasn't that Local distributors include Gift Baskets and More, Hurst Bakery and The brothers have been negoti- the Three Coins. Mary's Flower Shop. ating with another Greek trio, two The Trio was destined to be a great, but these two took full And, of course, at the Cookie It Up outlet at 225 Industrial Parkway brothers and a sister, from success that same year when it advantage of the "Crazy South, in Aurora, where it has been for some two decades. Toronto, who will shut the restau- ran out of food during a Mother's Hats" program at the Aurora But if the road to cookie fame and fortune sounds smooth and gold- rant, renovate the building, then Day event. Library Saturday. Dominic en, think again. Paige Sillcox remembers the struggles of the early re-open it in about two months, "It's fitting that we close on such Faoro and Lynn Lamont years. under the name believed to be an occasion," the brothers agreed. model the results of their "I bought our oven (which can bake 36 trays of cookies simultane- Wellington's. "And we won't run out of food efforts. Auroran photo by Please see page 13 Included in the plans is a front this time." Naomi Tobin Happy Mother’s Day from % 50OFF ALL GOLD & LEGACY JEWELLERY DIAMOND 11 WeekWeek OnlyOnly JEWELLERY! EXPERT REPAIRS DONE ON PREMISES 14800 YONGE ST. 905-841-3065 2 - AURORAN, Week of May 6, 2003 MAY 10 Town of Aurora Community Recognition Awards at the AUGUST 22 Aurora Garden & Horticultural Society Plant Sale, Aurora Aurora Town Hall, including the naming of the Citizen of the Cardinal Carter Pioneer Class of 1993 Reunion. Pioneer Seniors Centre, 52 Victoria Street, 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Year. students and faculty invited. For ticket information, call * * * * JUNE 6 Joanna Jannetta 905-773-6717. Spring Fling at Devins Drive Public School, Aurora. 11 Aurora Grand Prix in Machell Park. Walk the course at 6 a.m. - 3 p.m. Games, pony rides, inflatables, craft make and p.m. prior to competitions and meet the riders afterwards. OCTOBER 25 take, music & food! For more info call 905-727-2022 Sterling Drug reunion, Aurora Legion, 7 p.m. Former JUNE 7 employees invited. For tickets call 905-775-6761 or 905- MAY 13-15 Family evening barbecue at Machell Park as part of the 775-6880. Also e-mail at [email protected]. Aurora Seniors Spring Getaway to Ottawa's Tulip Festival. Aurora Fair and Horse Show. Evening entertainment Trip includes 3 days, 2 nights accommodation, four meals, begins at 5.30 p.m. guided tour of the RCMP Musical Ride Centre, Museum of DAMIR VRANCIC Civilization. For details call 905-727-2816. JUNE 7-8 Aurora Fair and Horse Show in Machell Park. Tons of LAW OFFICE MAY 13 events and competitions. Aurora Public Library and York Region Health Services BUSINESS LAW, present "Together We Can Stop Bullying" for adults in the JUNE 25 REAL ESTATE, library's meeting room 3. 7 p.m. Pre-registration required. Women's Centre of York Region, in Aurora, charity golf WILLS & ESTATES 905-727-9493. tournament in support of its various programs, at the Mandarin Golf and Country Club. Book a foursome, donate 905-841-6411 MAY 16 prizes or sponsor this event, call Shelley Lundquist at 905- Providing valued and trusted legal advice since 1983 To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first official run of 727-5837. the first steam train in Upper Canada from Toronto to Aurora, then known as Machell's Corners, the Aurora Historical Society is looking for 12 volunteers to hand out HOME OF THE WEEK information cards to commuters on the 6:29, 7:19 and 7:51 morning trains. Call Jackie Stuart at 905-727-8991 if inter- ested. MAY 21 Election and inauguration of Officers and Directors of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce at the Tuscany Banquet Centre, Edward Street at 12:30 p.m. Guest speaker is Mayor Tim Jones. Call the Chamber office to register. MAY 24 Second Annual Spring Fling, Aurora Grove Public School, 415 Stone Road, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Special guest Johnny Bower. * * * * Aurora Heights Public School presents "Retrofest Fun $649,000 Fair", 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 85 Tecumseh Drive. Games, prizes, silent auction, barbecue. Music by Rock 95. Further infor- Marilyn Redvers mation 905-727-6902.