DECEMBER 2008

FILM AWARD WINNERS Congratulations to Rhiw-Syr-Dafydd Primary School who were winners of the Best Overall Film at the Media4Schools Awards 2008 held at Cineworld, Cardiff on 4th December.

WIND TURBINES FOR OAKDALE? Caerphilly County Borough Council is looking into generating renewable energy for firms at Pen y Fan Industrial Estate and Oakdale Business Park The result could be two or three wind turbines capable of generating 2MW of power. A report to the regeneration scrutiny committee said the availability of cheaper, greener energy could be a major attraction for businesses to Oakdale. It states "There is already a substantial demand for energy from employers at Pen y Fan", adding that surplus energy at the site not used by businesses could be sold on to the National Grid. A recommendation will be decided on by the council's cabinet in the new year.

OCTOBER 2008

KINGSLEY MONK Oakdale village is in a state of shock after the news that one of its residents has been murdered in an armed robbery at his place of work. Father-of-two Kingsley Monk, 45, of Maesygarn Road, was killed at the Driverline 247 recruitment agency in New Inn on Monday. Police have not yet revealed the cause of death, but a man has been arrested and charged with his murder. The thoughts and sympathies of everyone in the village go out to his family and friends.

SEPTEMBER 2008

New honour for Dame Pat AN OAKDALE born educationalist has been awarded an honorary fellowship from the University of Wales. Pioneering educationalist Dame Patricia Morgan-Webb said she was "honoured and inspired" when she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at the annual Graduation ceremonies of the University of Wales, Newport. "It's very inspiring to be here today with all the students who are graduating," said Dame Patricia, whose long and distinguished career has been notable for her passionate belief in the power and importance of education in transforming people's lives. "As a graduate of the University of Wales, I am very honoured to come back to receive this Honorary Fellowship. At heart, I'm a girl from the Valleys and everything I've achieved has been because of the values instilled in me growing up in Oakdale," added Dame Patricia a former pupil and Head Girl at Pontllanfraith Grammar School. Many older residents of the village will remember Pat Morgan living in Kincoed Road.

AUGUST 2008

Eight-year-old opens new Primary School PROUD ETHAN WHITE was given the honour of cutting the ribbon to mark the official opening of his local school. Ethan, eight, of Penrhiw Avenue, joined Cllr. Allan Pritchard, chair of governors, and Head Teacher Steve Rees on stage at the £2.5m Rhiw-Syr-Dafydd Primary School. After cutting the ribbon, Ethan White , who was randomly selected from the 520 pupils, said: "I now officially declare our school open", which drew great applause from fellow pupils, staff and VIP guests. Councillor Pritchard said that he had decided a last minute idea to randomly choose one of the 520 pupils present to cut the ribbon, instead of passing that honour to a VIP or celebrity, which Ethan has now become in Oakdale.

Mr Rees added: "I was flabbergasted, as this was not part of the plan for the opening ceremony but it turned out to be an extremely memorable occasion that will live long in the history of our school." Overwhelmed by his celebrity status, Ethan could not wait to get home to tell his family what had happened. When he got home Ethan told dad, Simon: 'You'll never guess what I did in school. I was called up in front of the whole school to cut the ribbon to officially open our new school'. Simon added: "We know Ethan enjoys swimming, football, and judo in the school but I never thought that he would ever make a speech in front of the whole school. We are absolutely delighted that he was chosen for this once-in-a-lifetime honour."

JULY 2008

New call centre opens A NEW CALL CENTRE, operated by Pulse Contact Services, has opened at Oakdale Business Park. After Jeff Cuthbert AM officially opened the premises at a reception for clients, staff, suppliers and other invited guests, the new call centre opened with 20 staff working for its first client. They are Clear Communications Group, an Australian company undergoing a rapid roll-out of its telecom services across Europe. Pulse will be doubling its workforce in the next two months after signing a contract to start work for another blue-chip client, and further expansion to around 100 staff is anticipated within the first year with a possible further 100 new jobs within 18 months.

Rugby club raises £1000 A FUND-RAISING dinner at Oakdale Rugby Club in memory of former rugby league star Paul Woods has raised £1,000 for the battle against cancer. His wife, Angela, and daughter Dominique, who live in Georgetown, Tredegar, nominated Velindre Hospital as their chosen charity and placed on record their thanks to staff at the Cardiff hospital. Paul, whose funeral took place in his home village of Pontllanfraith last November, received treatment at Velindre during his brave battle against cancer last year. Angela and Dominque said they were also grateful to Oakdale RFC for organising the charity dinner at which Paul's former team-mate Tommy David, was the guest speaker. Paul was a former player with Oakdale, Tredegar and Pontypool, from where he joined rugby league giants Widnes and also played league for Hull, Cardiff Dragons and Wales. In his obituary, the Independent newspaper described Paul as "the hardest man in rugby league". Pictured, left to right, are Andrew Rees, steward Oakdale RFC; Angela Woods and Dominique Woods, wife and daughter of Paul Woods and Councillor Allan Pritchard.

JUNE 2008

Serious incident in Central Avenue AROUND 8:30 on Saturday (28th) night a young man was the victim of an horrific incident when a car mounted the pavement opposite the Oakdale Hotel and crushed him against the wall. It is believed that both his legs were broken. The collision, which was witnessed by many people, was described by one as "the most shocking thing I have ever seen." The driver of the car was later arrested at his home and serious charges are expected to follow. Oakdale man is volunteer of the year A FORMER Oakdale miner who was diagnosed with manic depression ten years ago has won an award for his voluntary work. Wayne Tudball, 52, works with Gwent Police officers helping improve their understanding of people who suffer from mental health problems. Last week, he won Caerphilly council's volunteer of the year award. Mr Tudball, who also volunteers with Age Concern, said winning the award was a concrete marker along the long road towards managing his condition.

Job losses at Brace's JUST A MONTH after they announced five new managerial appointments bosses at Brace's bakery say they will have to make redundancies over the next few weeks. The company, which employs 220 at its Oakdale base, say up to ten members of their local staff could be affected. A Brace's spokeswoman said the company is feeling the impact of a "slowing economy" and increasing manufacturing costs. Like other businesses, the spiralling fuel and wheat prices have had a "huge impact" on them and they are having to review their costs. The redundancies are part of the company's restructuring programme. "At this time we cannot confirm exact numbers or positions as we are considering all vacancies so that we may redeploy the people affected during the full consultation period and avoid a redundancy situation," she said. The consultation period started on June 3 and is due to last 30 days.

Award for Oakdale teacher ON 26th JUNE Cardiff City Hall was host to the Welsh Annual Teaching Award Final. A total of 8400 nominations were received in a number of categories, from best Headteacher to best School Governor. Chris Rogers, Mathematics teacher at Oakdale Comprehensive School, was a finalist in the category of Best Secondary School Teacher. He was awarded the runner-up award , only being pipped at the post by a Deputy Head from a large city school. As such, Mr Rogers was the highest placed class teacher in Wales.

Chair of Governors at Oakdale Comprehensive said "This was a superb achievement by a talented and enthusiastic individual and we are delighted that Chris has been awarded this prestigious award." Mr Rogers, who is now also Head of Year 10 at Oakdale, although disappointed not to win, was keen to express his appreciation for the support of his colleagues and pupils at Oakdale, without whom he would not have been able to achieve all that he has.

CBE Honour for Joe CONGRATULATIONS to former Oakdale schoolboy and World Champion boxer Joe Calzaghe CBE

Statue unveiled AFTER approximately five years of planning, a statue commemorating the Chartist movement has been unveiled on the roundabout at the Oakdale end of the Chartist Bridge. Picture The eight-metre-high statue, which is constructed from metal washers, was paid for by the contractors who built the bridge. Another statue is to be installed on the roundabout on the other side of the bridge in due course. It is thought to be a type of Celtic symbol.

MAY 2008

Oakdale firm wins big contract OAKDALE-BASED General Dynamics has been awarded a £6bn contract for a new generation of rapid response military vehicles by the Ministry of Defence. The company has been named as the preferred bidder for its Piranha V vehicle, which will replace the Army's Saxon and FV430 rapid response battlefield transportation fighting vehicles. Piranha V is the first to be selected for the MoD's future rapid effect system (FRES) utility vehicles. General Dynamics are also in the running for two more FRES contracts, both worth around £6bn which have yet to be awarded.

Watkins signs for Gloucester GLOUCESTER HAVE announced the signing of Llanelli Scarlets and Wales centre Matthew J Watkins on a two-year deal. Watkins, 29, a former Oakdale Comprehensive schoolboy, will join Gloucester at the end of the season, leaving Llanelli midway though a three-year deal. The former Newbridge and Newport player, who has 18 Wales caps, has scored 33 tries in 123 appearances since joining the Scarlets in 2002. "When you talk of massive clubs in England and Europe, Gloucester are right up there and I am very fortunate that I now have the opportunity to test myself with them," said Watkins.

Election - no change

 THERE WAS NO change in the Penmaen Ward in the local 
 council elections with the two incumbent Plaid Cymru 
 councillors retaining their seats.

FULL RESULTS

Allan Pritchard

Plaid Cymru

963

Elected

John Evans

Plaid Cymru

858

Elected

Patricia Cook

Labour

393

Jean Summers

Labour

369

Linda Taylor

Independent

236

Denise Goff

Independent

211

Granville Hale

Conservative

184

Gareth Thomas

Liberal Democrats

134

APRIL 2008

Local man honoured A LOCAL MAN, JEFF JONES, has been honoured by Caerphilly County Borough Council. In a ceremony at the Council Offices on the 10th April 2008 Mr Jones received a civic award from Cllr. Alan Williams, Mayor of Caerphilly county borough. The award, for which Mr Jones was nominated by Cllr Allan Pritchard, was in recognition of his outstanding work and commitment to improving the environment in the communities of Penmaen and Oakdale and for his contribution to the Oakdale and Penmaen Partnership.

Police crackdown welcomed VILLAGERS HAVE welcomed a police crackdown on anti-social behaviour at the week-end. Patrols of the area by Blackwood Neighbourhood Policing Team have been increased on Friday nights, when residents have reported an increase in problems. Councillor Allan Pritchard said: "It's great that police are honouring their commitment on anti-social behaviour. We met with police a while ago in a PACT (Partnership and Communities Together) meeting and the community expressed its number one priority which is to address anti-social behaviour." In the last two weeks five people have been arrested for various offences including public order offences, and three Asbo referrals have been made. Seven stop and searches were also conducted and police and PCSOs are set to step up patrols in the coming weeks.

Calzaghe triumphs FORMER OAKDALE Comprehensive schoolboy JOE CALZAGHE triumphed in his bid to become World Light Heavyweight Champion in Las Vegas at the week-end. In a closely fought contest Joe took the fight on a split decision from the three American judges. In what was probably the hardest fight of his career the frequent visitor to, and friend of many people in the village survived a first-round knock-down to win against the legendary American boxer Bernard Hopkins. In a step-up in weight Joe adds the Light Heavyweight title to his current WBO, WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine world super middleweight championships. The contest was attended by over seven thousand travelling Welsh fans and Welsh superstars Tom Jones and Catherine Zeta Jones. Congratulations to Joe from everyone in the village.

MARCH 2008

Oakdale Woman killed in bowling club car park AN 87-YEAR-OLD Oakdale woman died and another pensioner was arrested after a crash in a bowling club park. The woman, Mrs Lottie Moore, formerly of 41, Llwynon Road, was hit by a car outside Islwyn Indoor Bowling Club at 3.30pm on Saturday. She received serious injuries and died later at the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport. The driver of the car, an 81-year-old woman from the Blackwood area, was arrested and has been released on police bail while further inquiries are carried out. No one from the bowling club, in Pontllanfraith, Blackwood, wished to comment on the death today. Chartist Statue For Bridge AN EIGHT-METRE-HIGH statue is to be placed on the Oakdale side of the Chartist bridge to mark the role that local people played in the 19th century Chartist Movement. Artist Sebastien Boyesen has been commissioned to create the sculpture, which depicts a Chartist defiantly marching across the landscape. It will be made of stainless steel rings, creating a mesh-like form. The artist will also be designing a bilingual sign for the Blackwood side of the bridge.

The Chartist bridge from the Blackwood end

FEBRUARY 2008

Vandals Strike Again VANDALS HAVE struck again in the village, this time at the new Primary school. The newly erected 'Welcome' sign at the entrance to the school had been daubed with paint. Describing the attack as "disturbing" Chairman of the Board of Governors, Cllr. Allan Pritchard, went on to say "It was even more disturbing to witness that some of the foreign words for Welcome had been painted out with black paint and it was only the Arabic or similar versions of Welcome that had been painted out. The European versions of the word were untouched. "I would ask that anyone who has any knowledge of this act of Xenophobia, to contact the police or myself, as there is no place in our community for this sort of action." You can also contact this site anonymously and we will pass the information on. Concerns Over Bid GWENT Healthcare NHS Trust is seeking outline planning consent to build houses on land at the rear of Bryn Howard Terrace. Caerphilly council has received a 23-name petition and six letters objecting to the plan, raising concerns that more houses will lead to more traffic and on-street parking. But planning officers said the proposal could include a percentage of affordable housing as well as providing a recreation area.

Bon Bon Buddies Move To Oakdale FAST-GROWING confectionery and biscuits company Bon Bon Buddies has announced a £1m expansion to a new base in Oakdale. Bon Bon Buddies is Europe's leading supplier of licensed confectionery and novelty biscuits, including seasonal and year-round product lines. Bon Bon Buddies will move from its existing headquarters in Crumlin into its new £1m base at Oakdale Business Park next month. Bon Bon Buddies' design, development and licensing team creates chocolate, confectionery and biscuit products, based on popular teen and children's characters licensed from the copyright holders. The company sells confectionery and biscuits, featuring characters such as Dr Who, Disney Princess and Scooby Doo, to an array of high street shops and supermarket chains, including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Tesco and Waitrose in Britain as well as several of their leading counterparts in France. The company recently revealed that it had won a contract to become the sole distributor of Pez Candy and dispensers in the UK. Pez is the brand name of the popular Austrian candy, which is packaged in a pocket-sized dispenser. The two-year deal, which commences this month, will involve the promotion, sales and distribution of licensed Pez products. The company secured the contract after successfully pitching against three rival bidders.