$1.00 www.oshawaexpress.ca Well Written, Well Read Vol 4 No 13 Wednesday, Jan 21 2009 SPORTS Pgs 11 & 12 Taxes going Parnham on par with up, going, Tavares gone By Cynthia McQueen The Oshawa Express The 2009 budget is in the works for the city of Oshawa and the one thing on everyone’s mind is taxes. Residents and councillors alike have expressed their concerns about taxes since Oshawa was deemed the highest taxed in the Greater Toronto Area in 2007. However, after the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) announced new property assessments in November, like it or not, taxes will be going up in 2009. Oshawa The question is by how much. Since the region of Durham Generals next increased the combined water and games sewer rates by 7.9 per cent as of Thursday, Jan. January 1, there’s yet another increase in the works. 22 VS And given Ritson Road was voted 16th on the Canadian Automobile Peterborough Photo by Katie Strachan/The Oshawa Express Association’s Top 20 Worst Roads in Pete’s, Friday, Ontario, at least one major artery is in From left, Gail Jackson, Dave Jackson, Dahna Sanderson and Mike Sanderson share their fond memories of their son, Don Jan. 23 in need of infrastructural spending. Sanderson who died as a result of a head injury sustained during a hockey fight earlier this month. Ottawa at the Councillor John Neal is looking to the government to help Oshawa 67s and improve its roads, “We need our fed- Sunday, Jan. eral and provincial governments to Dunlops score big for 25 VS Belleville come to the table and assist us with our infrastructure. We need road Bulls at the GM improvements.” Centre. But, without a federal budget to go Sanderson memorial in, it’s difficult to say what the By Katie Strachan regular game with the Brantford Blast. province can provide for municipali- The Oshawa Express FEATURE Pg 10 During the fight, Sanderson’s helmet came off and he ties. fell backwards hitting his head on the ice. Mother of two However, according to MP Colin The big win that the Whitby Dunlops scored over the After nearly three weeks in a coma, and after undergo- Carrie, very few councillors have sub- Brantford Blast on the weekend was more than just anoth- ing brain surgery, Sanderson was moved to life support survives four mitted spending proposals to be er game it was a tribute to their teammate Don Sanderson. until his death. cardiac See NO PROPOSALS Page 7 Sanderson died in a coma January 2 after a hockey fight arrests on December 12 resulted in a serious head injury during a See MEMORIAL Page 6 Ritson Road 16th worst in Ontario By Katie Strachan Ritson Road nabbed the number 16 spot on the “I find this road so bumpy and full of potholes The Oshawa Express Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) Ontario’s that make my teeth rattle and my back ache as I use Top 20 Worst Municipal Roads Campaign list. it each day back and forth to work” wrote one driver. If you’ve driven on Ritson Road in Oshawa “It doesn’t surprise me one tiny bit,” said council- Potholes can lead to alignment issues and tire and recently, you’ve probably noticed at least one reason lor John Neal of Ritson Road appearing on the list. rim damage. thousands of Ontarians voted it one of the 20 worst “It’s total disrespect for the taxpayers and I hope According to the CAA website on average municipal roads in the province. that something good comes out of it,” added Neal. See ROADS Page 7 Bomb squad called Project Caribou gets results Unknown substance causes A six-week investigation threaten homeowners. into street-level robberies and As a result of the project, ordeal on Vancouver Street home invasions in Oshawa has 32 crimes were solved, includ- By Cynthia McQueen dropped the package off dropped it off after resulted in 38 arrests and over ing nine home invasions, 13 The Oshawa Express our regular mail delivery and tucked it in with 130 charges street-level robberies and one our regular mail,” said Brenden Nevills who Project Caribou began in store robbery. Vancouver Street in Oshawa became a flur- arrived home from work around 3 p.m. to dis- November 2008 after officers Of the 139 charges laid, 42 ry of activity for police, the fire department cover his family had been locked out of their noticed an increase in street were for robbery, 33 were for and the regional health department as a result home for approximately four hours. level robberies in the city. breach of probation, nine were of a suspicious package. The substance was taken to Toronto for An investigative team was for wearing a disguise, nine The package, which fire platoon chief John forensic analysis, which later revealed the sub- assembled from Oshawa’s were for breaking and enter- Pudlis called small, contained an unknown stance was not hazardous. Community Response Unit, the Criminal ing, eight were for breach of recogni- white substance. “We think it’s Investigations Bureau and Uniform zance and five were for possession of When Nicole more or less a Patrol. dangerous weapons. Nevills checked prank,” said Nevills. Through data analysis police deter- Since these arrests, the level of street her mailbox at When asked if mined that many of the street-level rob- robberies and home invasions in Oshawa approximately Nevills knew some- beries were connected with home inva- has substantially declined. 11:45 on one who would have sions. For more information about Project Wednesday Jan 14, any reason to plan In several of the incidents, people Caribou, please contact D/Sgt. Randy she found an such a practical joke were robbed at gunpoint and in four Henning at 17 Division, 1-888-579-1520 envelope contain- he said, “Not that I home invasions Tasers were used to ext. 2700. ing an unknown know of.” white powered “We’re just a substance. family just trying to Sex offender and business owner charged Upon discover- get by just like any- ing the substance, one else,” offered After a lengthy sexual assault investi- with two counts of sexual assault, two which had already Nevills. gation into allegations of inappropriate counts of sexual interference and two leaked out of the Sergeant David Phillips standing outside 29 Vancouver While Nevills behaviour, the owner/manager of the counts of invitation to sexual touching. package, Nevills Street where homeowner Nicole Nevills found a pack- was surprised his Country Style Doughnut Shop at Hwy 12 Investigators want to ensure there are immediately called age in her mailbx seeping a white-powdered substance. wife called the and 7A in Port Perry has been arrested. no other victims. police. police, he did say, Two male employees reported inci- Investigators want to ensure there are The fire department was called in along “When it comes to our family, she wouldn’t let dents of inappropriate comments and no other victims. with the regional health department to diffuse anything hurt our family and I think she did the touching from their employer, which Anyone with information on this mat- the situation. right thing.” occurred during the fall of 2008. ter is asked to contact Det/Sgt Herb The package did not come with regular mail Anyone with information about this is The victims were not physically Curwain at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 2674 in and had no postage marks. encouraged to call Crime Stoppers 1-800-222- injured and weapons were not involved in the 15 Division Criminal Investigation “What we figure happened is that whoever TIPS (8477). these assaults. Bureau. The 30-year-old accused is charged Remember pets in frigid temps Grow op bust on Nonquon Road in Oshawa By Katie Strachan The Ontario SPCA has even created a pam- The Oshawa Express phlet for owners of outdoor dogs to ensure that Members of 17 Division Target Team cet tablets and codeine. they are providing their animal with the “ideal dismantled a small marijuana grow oper- A 45 year-old Oshawa man is charged As the mercury in the thermometers plunge doghouse.” ation at a residence on Nonquon Road in with Production of a Controlled below zero, the Ontario Society for the Dogs should never be chained to anything Oshawa. Substance; Possession for the Purpose of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is as it can result in serious injuries, they should They managed to seize over $80,000 Trafficking; and three counts of reminding pet owners to shelter their animals be brought inside the family home often to in plants and drugs. Possession of a Schedule Substance. from frostbite and hypothermia. socialize and play and their dog houses should On Jan. 16, at approximately 6:00 p.m. The Durham Regional Police Service If not properly cared for, pets are just as have flat roofs so they can climb on top of their officers from the 17 Division Target reminds the public to be aware of poten- susceptible as humans to severe cold. houses to get off the cold ground. Team executed a search warrant at a resi- tial grow operations in their neighbor- Both cats and dogs should only be outside “Ontario SPCA investigators will be on the dence on Nonquon Road Oshawa and hood and to report any suspicious activi- for a short period of time. alert for animals left without protection in seized plants, dried marijuana and drug ty. Cats, shorthaired dogs and puppies are intolerable conditions,” said Williams.