Here is the outcome of the trial of the high schooler that was charged with manslaughter and convicted :

Manny Castillo, 15, died after a teen drove him head first into the ground during a game at a Mississauga, Ont., high school in May 2007. (Canadian Press)A Toronto-area high school rugby player convicted of killing an opponent, Manny Castillo, will not serve any jail time.The teen was convicted of manslaughter in May.On Monday, he was sentenced in a Brampton, Ont., courtroom to one year of probation, told to perform community service and take anger management classes, by Justice Bruce Duncan.

The teen, who is now 18, cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Manny Castillo, 15, died a few days after the other teen drove him head first into the ground during a game at a Mississauga high school in May 2007.

Two years later, the older teen was convicted in Castillo’s death.

During the trial the court heard that the teen hoisted Castillo into the air, turned him and then drove him head first into the ground during a rugby game at a Mississauga school.

Castillo, a Lorne Park high school student, died from his head injury a few days later.

Dinner with Senator Mike Duffy was fantastic.  I was great to see the Ballroom at the Ramada in Belleville full.  Thanks to the organizers for a job well done.

I have just reached 10,000 hits in this website.  I want to thank all who have stopped by regularly.  It has been a pleasure to get to know you.

This caught my eye this week.  As a football official for high schools in the Quinte area, I am very concerned.  I believe that this decision will have far reaching implications.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/family-friends-weep-as-athlete-found-guilty-of-manslaughter/article1159105/

My son Stuart was part of the 2nd Annual Transitions Film and Animation Film Festival at Centennial Secondary School.  8 schools for across the county participated.  Stu was runner up in the Senior Animation category.

On March 3rd, Rev. Roy Kenny and I will be heading to Brazil.  Roy was a missionary there from 1955 to 1967.  We are going to be a part of some celebrations of his ministries that are continuing today.  It’s going to be a whirlwind trip but I am really looking forward to it.  We will be working in the slums of Sao Paulo most of the time.  We will be distributing clothing and food baskets to some of the poorest people in the world. Be watching this site for pictures and commentary of the trip.

Here is the article that was in the Belleville Intelligencer today. Hurray!!!

* Skateboard Park getting rave reviews from kids and adults

Thirteen-year-old Austin Cooney tests out the new Kiwanis Skateboard Park, following an unveiling ceremony Saturday.

photo by Stephen Petrick
Skateboard Park getting rave reviews from kids and adults
Official opening held Saturday
Posted By By Stephen Petrick
Posted 1 day ago

Brandon Vance says the new Kiwanis Skateboard Park at West Riverside Park is “friggin’ sick.”

That’s youth for good — perhaps even great.

The concrete is smooth, yet chaotic with several dips in the ground as steep as an empty swimming pool. It also mimics an urban public property, with staircases and railings to perform jumps.

“It’s a nice set up,” said Vance, a 15 year old who has been skateboarding for four years. “It’s a nice layout,” added Brycen Thompson, 13. “It’s easy to skate on. It’s challenging in some ways.”Kyle Foley, 13, said he was looking forward to having a place to skate legally and not get “chased by the cops.”

“I’ve had it done,” he said, standing among a group of friends. “All of us.”

And adults who put the skate park together are equally happy that Belleville youth have a place to skate, free from authorities.

City councillors and community volunteers gathered Saturday to officially open a park they say will help young people stay active and feel like an important part of the community.

Gary Foster, a member of the local Kiwanis club, said the park will “help disenfranchised youth to become franchised. It was important to integrate these people into the community.”

Kevin Kay, co-chairman of the Can’t W8-2-SK8 committee, said the skateboard park will be mostly used by males ages eight to 25.

“You keep those guys happy and you’ll look after your community,” he said.

Standing inside the concrete park, with kids buzzing by him left and right, Kay said he could not believe the opening day had arrived.

His committee, co-chaired by Colleen Phillips, started about eight years ago and has been through three city councils.

Phillips got it started when her son Josh was 12. He would constantly complain to her about not having a place to skateboard.

The mother approached city officials about opening a skate park and, while the city at first seemed interested, few others in the community seemed willing to go to meetings, Phillips said.

“It would just be me and a few city people there,” she said.

But gradually, the movement for a new park gained momentum. In 2005, she said, Desert Stream Church got involved and pledged $100,000 to the project.

The following year, Kiwanis pledged another $100,000.

And this past March, the Ontario Trillium Foundation awarded $75,000 for the project.

The City of Belleville provided $300,000 for the park and the final $25,000 of the $600,000 total project came through fundraising by the Can’t W8-2-SK8 committee.

On Saturday, officials marvelled at how far the sport of skateboarding has come. They pointed out that, at one time, it was regarded as an illegal activity. Now, the older generation accepts it is a healthy activity that helps kids stay outside.

Josh Phillips, now 20 and still skateboarding, was asked if that takes some of the rebellious spirit out of skateboarding. He paused for a moment, not knowing what to say.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It is what it is.”

But his mother said there’s no question that a legal skateboard park will take a lot of stress off parents.

“He would come home with threats of tickets,” she said. “It’s definitely a positive thing.”

spetrick@intelligencer.ca

Here is an editorial that appeared in the Belleville Intelligencer Saturday June 21, 2008.  I will comment further AFTER the skateboard project is completed later this year.

Looking around the Quinte region one will find a large void in Belleville’s landscape when compared to other municipalities.

Picton has a pool which is operational, Quinte West is in the midst of constructing a leisure centre with a pool and Tweed is partnering with the YMCA to provide a community pool for its residents. Belleville, while there are pools at the local Y and at Sir James Whitney School For The Deaf, remains a lone entity without a community recreation facility.

Sadly, it’s become a bad peer pressure situation: “Everyone else is doing it, why don’t you?”

Last week, residents had the chance to learn more about the city’s slow move towards possibly creating such a facility. Approximately 30 people attended a public meeting Thursday evening on the second floor of the Wally Dever Arena to hear consultant Jim Morgenstern explain the needs assessment study he’s now carrying out to determine if the city needs a leisure centre, what it will look like and how much it will cost to build and operate.

Thursday’s meeting was the launch of the needs assessment study and participants received surveys to complete.

The consultant said residents can fill out surveys at the city’s website over the next several weeks to tell him if they favour having a leisure centre built and what facilities they would like it to have. The city website is www.city.belleville.on.ca

Belleville city council is expected to discuss his report in September.

“The aquatic facility is the driving force behind the leisure centre and perhaps makes it the most exciting,” said Morgenstern, adding it’s also the most expensive cost item to build and maintain.

Perhaps it is the most expensive aspect of this plan but the long-term benefits to the community is priceless. Healthier lifestyles, aquatic fitness, water safety courses, public swimming … A long list of benefits can be had from a pool.

That’s not to say city council should give the facility a blank-cheque stamp of approval and expect taxpayers to flip the entire bill for such a development. There have already been groups who have approached council expressing interest in assisting in the establishment of a recreation centre.

Partnerships play a large role in today’s municipal government. One need look no further than the city’s skateboard park to see a shining example of what can happen when the community and city council work together. Council said the project would be done only on a level 50/50 split for costs and here we sit months away from that park being completed.

Jon Mills finished in a tie for 63rd at the EDS Byron Nelson in Irving, Texas. A tidy little pay cheque of $13, 568 (http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r019/results.html).  It’s now off to South Carolina for the Wachovia Championship.

Here’s the story as printed in the Belleville Intelligencer.

Bulls romp to East title

By Paul Svoboda

Not even close.

The Belleville Bulls blasted their way to the OHL Final - and a bonus berth in the 2008 Memorial Cup tournament in Kitchener - with a spectacular 11-0 demolition of the Oshawa Generals Wednesday night at Yardmen Arena to win the best-of-seven Eastern Conference championship series 4-1.

Gleeful Bulls players gathered at centre ice to embrace the Bobby Orr Trophy immediately following the game while most of the 3,324 fans in attendance roared their approval.

Perhaps no Bull was happier than defenceman P.K. Subban who was serving a penalty in the sixth game of last year’s conference final when the Sudbury Wolves scored in double overtime to eliminate Belleville.

“It’s a great accomplishment, especially after last year,” said Subban. “I maybe felt that the most being in the box. It’s been a great year and I’m looking forward to playing Kitchener in the OHL Final.”

The Rangers wrapped up the Western Conference title Wednesday night with a 5-0 win over the Soo Greyhounds to also win their series in five games. By virtue of the Rangers hosting the Memorial Cup, Bulls receive an automatic berth in the national tournament as East champs.

Bulls goalie Mike Murphy, who was a backup last year, was thrilled to get the Game 5 shutout and the ticket to the OHL Final. He made 28 saves while his teammates fired 47 shots at Oshawa’s Daryl Borden.

“Right now, celebrating in the dressing room, I was just thinking that from the start of the season we’ve accomplished so many things,” said Murphy. “It’s been a crazy season for sure. Nobody knew who I was last year and I don’t blame them. But I’ve learned a ton since then and this is just the best feeling I’ve ever had with this great group of guys.”

Bulls coach George Burnett flashed a double thumbs-up as he exited the ice after the traditional post-game handshakes.

“I’m really proud of our guys, especially for their discipline and resolve,” said Burnett. “We’ll enjoy this for a couple of days and then we’ll be trying to win an OHL championship. To just be satisfied being in the OHL Final because of the Memorial Cup situation this year would be a huge mistake.

“Kitchener is a wonderful, highly skilled hockey team and we hope to put our best team on the ice to compete with them for an OHL title.” Team captain Matt Beleskey led the offensive charge in Game 5 with three goals while linemate Adam Perry chipped in with a pair. Jan Mursak, Cory Tanaka, Shawn Lalonde, Keaton Turkiewicz, Andy Self and Steve Blunden had solo markers. Bryan Cameron was top playmaker with three assists while Geoff Killing, Nigel Williams, Mursak, Perry and Subban all had two helpers.

“It’s a great feeling and means a lot but the hat trick is pretty low on my list right now,” said Beleskey. “Winning this title and the chance to compete for an OHL title and Memorial Cup is great.”

Killing said Bulls would not look beyond the OHL Final.

“I think we all know we want to go in the front door and not the back,” he said. “We’re going for an OHL championship.”

Bulls led 3-0 after the first period Wednesday night and 8-0 after 40 minutes. The Belleville power play was 6-for-13 as the Generals ran into severe penalty problems. Oshawa ended the night 0-for-3 with the extra man.

“We respected the offence Belleville can bring but were hoping our’s would erupt too,” said Oshawa coach Chris DePiero. “Tonight, they took advantage of the power play. They deserve credit.”

The Oshawa power play struggled throughout the series and regular season scoring leaders Brett MacLean and John Tavares combined for just one goal in the conference final.

“A lot of that has to do with how Belleville took away shots and passing lanes,” said DePiero. “We needed to be hungrier around the net. We practiced our power play a lot on Tuesday but didn’t get to use it much tonight.

“I give Belleville credit for their discipline.”

Oshawa captain Eric Regan said it was a sombre Generals dressing room during the second intermission.

“It was pretty hard being down 8-0,” he said. “We just gathered together and talked about everything that happened this season for one last time.”

Bulls owner Gord Simmonds said he was nervous before Game 5 and would never have predicted an 11-0 blowout.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” said Simmonds. “I’m proud of our entire organization, our fans, our business team. What can you say about this team that George and Barclay Branch (director of player personnel) have put together?

“The quality and class of our kids continues to amaze us.”

Subban won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2008 World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic and said a shot at two more major titles is something he has dreamed about.

“Beleskey said to me before the game how neat it would be for me to win a world junior ring and a Memorial Cup ring in the same year,” said Subban. “This is the most excited I’ve ever been playing hockey.”

Beleskey praised Perry, who was a rookie with the 2005 Memorial Cup champion London Knights, for coming up with a surprise piece of motivation prior to Game 5.

“We had a little huddle before the game and he pulled out his Memorial Cup ring,” said Beleskey. “That provided a lot of inspiration.”

Murphy said his mind was racing as the final minute ticked off the Yardmen Arena clock.

“I wasn’t really thinking too much about the shutout,” said Murphy. “I was thinking about our unbelievable season, how great our fans have been and how they deserve this as much as the team.”

Bulls return to the OHL Final for the first time since 1999 when they beat London in seven games. It will be Belleville’s third appearance in franchise history.

Burnett said he would contact Rangers officials today to discuss potential dates for the OHL Final. Kitchener will get home-ice advantage with the best overall record in the OHL this season.

BULL BITS … Three stars were: 1. BELESKEY; 2. PERRY: 3. MURPHY … Burnett guided the GUELPH STORM to an OHL title in 1998. When asked if he could win another one 10 years later, he replied: “I hope so.”…Matt Halischuk scored twice and the Kitchener Rangers advanced to the Ontario Hockey League final with a 5-0 win over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on Wednesday.