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Huron Expositor, 2014-01-29, Page 1414 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, January 29, 2014 An architect's dreams turned Dreamz Inn into reality 1:141Trl's"altodernewest area hotel The architect in Himansu Shah had the idea for the new design tucked away in the back of his mind, ready to burst out when the time came to begin work on his family's new hotel about five kil- ometres south of Goderich. A fire at their former Harmony Inn at the Bluffs in March 2011 devastated Himansu and Devin Shah, his brother and business partner, and meant that patience would be required before any rebuild could start. More than two years later, every splash of colour - bright yellows, pur- ples and oranges amongst them- can be seen inside and out at the post-mod- ern hotel. "It has been quite a journey," Himansu said of the time period between the fire and the end of this month, when the hotel finally opens to the public. The brothers spared no expense. It starts and ends with eye- OPP supports new App aims help parents to quickly distribute info on lost children When a child goes missing, every sec- ond counts. A current photo is sometimes the most important tool to help quickly and safely locate a child. Too often, valuable time is lost when parents are gathering informa- tion and photos of their child to provide to police. A new free app called Find Me ID, allows parents to quickly disseminate their child's pertinent information in the event of an emergency to their local law Best Wishes MARION HUNT on your milestone birthday, January 29th. From all those who love you! catching colour - on the floors, walls, and ceilings. There is no standard run- ning brown. Small patches of colour brighten the carpets and portions of each room. Hard wood floors, memory foam Queen and King beds, televisions and reading lights are standard, along with granite countertops and leather couches. Seven years ago, the Shahs started to encourage recycling at the Harmony Inn, another business venture in Goderich, by placing small blue bins in bathrooms. Cleaning staff dismissed the idea but it caught on. "It makes a big difference The environmentally friendly busi- ness plan has grown: the bathrooms in the new hotel contain organic soaps and body lotions in dispensers, an idea that eliminates the need for small plas- tic bottles that often are not fully used or tossed into the garbage. Rooms are energy efficient: a sensor light detects entry, and heat adjusts shortly after entering and leaving the room. "We invested heavily in things you Find Me ID app enforcement agency or other emergency contacts. The app was developed by the Cana- dian Centre for Child Protection. It will allow parents to store current photo- graphs and information about their child, and will automatically prompt parents to update that information from data that is readily available on their smartphone. The information from Find Me ID can be transferred quickly through electronic means such as cell phones or computers, to those who need it most when a child goes missing or is lost. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is supporting this important initiative to enhance safety and help reduce the time it takes to get information about missing children to police. flQY Happy St Birthday LIAM VAN DEN ELZEN Feb.2 C) h.• Love, Mommy, Daddy, Isabella, Grandma & Grandpa, Oma & Opa c. see and don't see." The hotel is equipped with a fitness room and a saltwater pool. The deck of the pool is a special- ized rubber with its own drainage system and it provides an outdoor feel. Chairs around the pool are one-piece cast aluminum, designed in Europe. There is a sun deck outside ready for the weather to warm up. Also outside is a sports area featuring a full ten- nis court with adjustable basketball nets. At the grand opening in May, guests will get to see one of Himansu's other colourful ideas: thousands of tulips planted last fall line the property. "I wanted a burst of colour. I would have them all year round but Mother Nature won't allow it" Mother Nature and careful planning allow for one of the hotel's finest features. A premier room features a Jacuzzi tub with blinds that open, allow- ing for a view of the county's famous sunsets. Himansu said he wanted to bring a unique property to the county, and the fact that they are a short drive outside of Goderich didn't deter the plans. Location, location, location is the lesson from real estate and the brothers have used that guid- ance in successful business ventures in India and elsewhere. Himansu said visitors typically want to see many parts of the county, so they are ideally located. They wanted a typical Huron County landscape in its own space, and used local contractors to get it. After a stressful situation and waiting period to re -build, the Shahs are excited to get back to offer- ing a quality residence to visitors to the area. "People will come here for relaxation. It is tranquil." The hotel opens Jan. 31. 711. rir rir TT, V, r F I 'Ft TT TT I. , TT V* VT To * 404 TIP T. ri ,.1. 77 ,FT -, IT IT • , • •• •• 'm .4 e .' fl •P ;,' ' ,LIO if n ii r, Fer eir "" f.T -TR7 mr—•Et • flat -11 ALL1.0116.111A171* - Local curling team headed to provincials Whitney South Huron Expositor The Seaforth team is set to make their way to the provincial championships after winning the "B" side of Bantam zones in Paris. The squad, led by Skip Matt Southgate, beat Chatham 6-5 in an extra end and will play in the OCA provincials February 5 to 8 in Coldwater. L -R: Matt Southgate, Ian MacGregor, Bennett Taylor and Brayden Pryce. A night of blues to take the chills away W Event scheduled at the Livery Theatre on Sat., Feb. 8 • • • • • Brodhagen Chamber of Commerce Valentine Dinner & Dance featuring Cracker Jack Palace (Dr. Mark Diotallevi) Saturday, February 15, 2014 Prime Rib Beef Dinner $30/person Social 6 p.m. Dinner 7 p.m. For tickets call 519-349-8626 519-345-2654 or 519-345-0143 Check out www.brodhagencommunitycentre.com • • 1 • • 1 Attendees of Wmterfest can take a break from the cold by taking in night of blues at the Livery Theatre. West Coast Blues presents Anti -Freeze as part of this year's Winterfest celebrations on Sat., Feb. 8 at the theatre, 35 South St S. in Goderich. The show will feature the MacKenzie Blues Band with Chuckee Zehr to open. "A wild and rockin' night of blues to chase the chill away," organizers said in a press release. The MacKenzie Blues Band is from Owen Sound. They previously played in town at during Walkabout Blues last September. They recently are competed in Memphis, Tennessee at the International Blues Competition (IBC) from Jan. 21 to Jan. 25. Last year, they finished second at the ICB's. The band also recently won a 2014 Maple Blues Award for Best New Group or Artist of the Year at a gala show at Koerner Hall in Toronto on Jan. 20. Tickets for the show are $20 in advance, and $25 at the door. They are available at the Livery (524-6262), Ernie King Music, 37 West St. (524-4689) or online at thelivery.ca. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. This is a general seating, licensed event with proceeds going towards 2014 Bluesfest scheduled for Aug. 29 and Aug. 30.