HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-10-04, Page 28PAGE 28. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012.
Slithering science
The Maitland Valley Conservation Authority held its annual fall colour tour afternoon on
Sunday at the Wawanosh Nature Centre. The afternoon featured tractor tours through the
grounds and some slithering friends from Sciensational Sss nakes out of Guelph, who brought
some snakes to North Huron for the residents to see, touch and interact with. Taking that
opportunity are Doug Mitchell and his four-year-old granddaughter Abby. (Vicky Bremner photo)
Continued from page 27
take it for granted,” Coates said.
Coates says the Festival is funded
in part by $300,000 in grants per
year and if it isn’t supported locally
in the future, the funding could be
sent elsewhere.
The economic impact of the
funding, Coates says it four to seven
times the original $300,000
throughout the community.
As for his new position, Coates
says he’s looking forward to the
challenge, but is thankful that he has
some time to see how things work
before he has to begin producing
plays. Coates says the time will be
crucial in getting to know his
audience at the Great Canadian
Theatre Company.
Coates says that after a decade as
the Festival’s artistic director, he got
to know his audience pretty well, a
process he will have to start all over
again in Ottawa.
“In Ottawa you’ve got people of
all different colours and ages,”
Coates said. “How do I program for
this diverse audience?”
Coates says it will take time to
find out who comes to the theatre,
whether it’s middle-aged white
families, or new Canadians, he
needs to find out who he’s
programming a theatre’s season for.
“You just don’t know,” Coates
said. “I don’t want to risk alienating
half of my audience by catering to
the other half.
“Diversity is great, but it’s also
kind of a trap, because you can’t
please everybody.”
Going back to his first year in
Blyth, Coates says he is a little
nervous about his first season in
Ottawa, but this time around he has
to remember that he has been there
before.
“This time I have the luxury of
experience,” Coates said. “I’m not
going to go in like the new sheriff in
town. I’m going to get there and
assess the situation.”
Members of the Festival’s board
of directors and the staff spent the
last two weeks wishing Coates well
and bidding him farewell. He began
his tenure as artistic director of
Ottawa’s Great Canadian Theatre
Company on Monday.
OPP find 1 in 4 car doors open in Brussels and BlythHuron OPP were busy inSeptember reminding Huron Countyresidents to lock their vehicles in aneffort to prevent thefts from vehicles
and vehicle theft.
During the afternoon on Sept. 25
Huron OPP checked 100 vehicles in
total in Blyth and Brussels. Nearly
one out of every four vehicles was
found to be unlocked, (24 in total).
The majority of the checks were
completed on or near Turnberry
Street in Brussels and Queen Street
in Blyth. The officer spotted two
unattended pickup trucks parked in
Blyth with the keys in the ignition
and doors unlocked. Another
valuable that was frequently left
behind in plain view by owners was
GPS systems. Please remember to
pocket your key, lock your vehicle
doors and remove valuables from
plain view.
Results from two lunchtimechecks in Goderich and Clintonrevealed some people are still notgetting the message - “Lock it or
Lose it”.
On Tuesday, Sept. 11 a Huron
OPP officer checked 100 vehicles
parked on the Square and the
surrounding downtown area; 17 per
cent of vehicles were left unlocked.
On Thursday, Sept. 12, 100 vehicles
were checked in downtown Clinton -
15 per cent were left unlocked. The
officer on foot patrol located three
vehicles in Clinton parked with the
windows down, doors unlocked, and
keys in the ignition. Another two
vehicles had keys left
inside the vehicle with the doors
unlocked.
Some of the valuables left in plain
view inside these unlocked vehicles
were: purses, iPods, satellite radios,
cell phones, GPS systems,medication and accessible parkingpermits. One car owner returned to her
unlocked Toyota, keys in the ignition
and windows down, “I was gone
only two seconds” was her
explanation to the officer.Remember, a thief needs only a fewseconds to take your car or yourvaluables from your car. Please do
your part and help Huron OPP
prevent this crime of opportunity?
Lock your vehicle, remove your
keys and don’t leave valuables inplain view.Now is the time to start takingsome very simple steps to help
prevent a crime. Please do your part.
Crime prevention is everyone’s
business.
Coates starts in Ottawa