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Page s,.Whitby Fee PMUresWdnesdayà SepteMber 2,'1992 After many eas f service _ BEA HENDERSON gazes at some of the with the -Town; of Wbitby. Henderson retired mayors she served under in ber 29 years recently. Ptiota hv MN"Reoso, WNthy FuS PMoU Whitby'sgreatest asset: its, people, says Verna Roberts' By Marlo Boucher Despite changes and popula- tion rowth, Whitby's poople are stili the best the tawn bas ta offer, says Verna Roberts. After mioro than 3,0 years of service with the Town, Roberts bas retired -and saLys she ýwill miss tho staff at, the-municipal building. Roberts says worling for the Town meaut meeting manpy people and esitablishiniggreat «You really got ta, know the staff well working for the Town and everyhody was groat, very friendly and wllling ta help each other," she says., Town employeslile a Hon- derson ýwill remembor Roberts for ho1 gthero when, needed ,most, whether for personal or professional reasons; "She was - ike a s"ister -tame for 29 years 'and hAs heen a dear frieud » says Henderson. Ï"Wev been through thick and thin tagether in good and had Urmes,» she says. Roberts was borni in New Brunswick iu 1937 and xnoved ta, Whitby iu 1961. She joined Town staff a year later. She has served in a secretarial position under six mayors, aud says, each one was different lu their goals and objectives. «You had taadjust ta each of their own styles,» she says. Roberts says she bas seen a lot of dhauges over the, years, parti- cularly when it cornes ta tecbno- logical advauces. That- includes hav!ng ta read correspondenco letters at council meetings het- ween .1962 and 1968 beocause agendas were not printed out as they are todaLy. "The whole structure at the Town hbas changdicudn having six committees as opposed ta two committees now," s ho say s. It was under former Mayor Bob Attersley that she participa- ted in an economic development program.i the mid-1980s which saw Robertsansd othor Town staff visiting ieveral embassies in Ottawa tapromote Wlitby. Roberts says Whitby was the first municpalityin Canada ta visit the embassies and hand out SEE"PAGE 16 Noorou fr opening will1 miSTow staff By MarloBoucher Bea Heudor=son love d -<'opeuting things" so much, she eventually' worked ber way ta the purch'as- V indepartment for the Town of Henderson is. retiring -afer more than 29 years of service, with the Town sud she says she will miss the staff. .She says «boing with people la what lifieis ah about" go it cornes as no surprise that the camaraderie at work will romain- as on. of her biggest momorios, ecially when it-bas todowith "Whou a parcol'cornes iu the office, Fm usually the firet one ta open it. So you see I amr- in the right departmoent aud people are always toaamng me here,» she says. oendorson rocalîs many in- stances of the staff tryin-g ta surprise or frustrate her When it came toais for hfrthdays : or hoIdaIas lçed ta sees what my Christmas gifts were snd thon 1i would wrap them ail up' again hefore lanyone wouldnotice-." 1About four years. ago, Heudor- son walked, hita thon ;mrayor Bob Attorsiley's office 'complainn thee were no gifts under a Christmnas tre. hi theTown hall lobby. Attersley thon asked each department ta put a .gift under the tree. It' turned, out each 'box. had Henderson'- nameono, it- and nohody would aàloW her ta openi them, and that. tortured me tiil Christmas,"she says., Henderson says shewa notorioua for opemn any type of giftsno staff were always trying ta find ways ,ta keep her luù u::really good at finding thingsand' I jt have ta know whatia luthatbox," she says. Whoever -ha her name âu n e"chugof, at at Christmaa would avre t Me the gif taway from- hor, shokïsays, and- thon %trturod me by Ivnit te mo ony on Dec. 251th.in One year'Hondersoni got a SUE PAGE 16> THERE were onty 13,000 people Iliving ,in Whitb y wbeén Vema Roberts began working at the- Town office..more tban 30 years ago - tbat numnber bas grown to' more tban 60,0100. Roberts retired recently, after serving, in a s ecretarial position under six mayors.Photo by Mlark Rleeor, Wrdtby Fme Pross Don Breen helped maintain Whitby rads'for 32 years< DON BREEN.saidbis goodlbyes rocently after working at the VVhiby works departrnent for 32 ears.t one tirne, Breen was Sonl>ad foreman for Rmkiiaplu-Ràoe Aà ByMaurio Boucher Don gren has helped repair roads in Whitby for more than three decades. .Breen has retired after operat- ing vehicles for the. Town of Whtyfr théoIsat 32 years. "At one time, I was the only road forernan the Town had," ho says. Bsreen, 58, moved to Whitby wheu ho -was hired by the. Town in 1960 fiolowing alinoat. 10 years of working for Mifer Pav- AItho hoe r «0ed travelling pay% it wn < hn g calfled hInlate at night or early in sitayin oine place. the mrigog out. Ihad been ail over Onatarlo In 'Tv. done my sý 9hare of that,» the asat two years for Miller and ho recals.' I was getting married, so I was, Breen says .ý'the -two bigges do orhe a place 'to -settle changes duringé'. yarof ser- don h ays. vice with the own are .be for- Wbitbiy was the destination for mation -of Durham Region i Breon »mi 1960 to wvork,:for the 1975 and the increaso hm popula- Town as a vpiile operator,^ and- tion in WhithY in the rast 12 ho .hocame .road frmnonly. years. twoyears lator. ,Nyth theypopulation 1rowth, in Breen says -Town,staff haveé the 1980, Breen saya thing got aiways hoon <'reat" anîd adds ho a' bit busier with- many new had a -lot of, fuiin'bis 2as commercial aud housing>projecta with the Town. conumitoWhit]by. Benrernembers bhgon oel -«Welre inu-the omn i c and 'thoe1ma ytirnos' ho'waa 1k.a aaltowni-elh. sa 7-7717 7,7---7-ý