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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-08-31, Page 1.. A V ' ’-J"-Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Welton and surrounding townships. VOL. 4 NO. 35 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1988.45 CENTS Legion repairs underway The reconstruction of the Brus­ sels Legion has begun, and the renovatedbuildingwill be open again “in time for the Christmas party,’' according to Barry Currie of Brussels, a spokesman for Berken Construction Inc. of Lon­ don which was awarded the $169,000 contract on August 22. However, Murray Lowe of Brus­ sels, chairman of the ad hoc building committee appointed fol­ lowing a fire which gutted the 23-year-old building in the early morning hours of July 6, is not as optimistic. He says that no celebra­ tion has been planned to mark the re-opening of the facility, adding that “things will have to be much further along” before any date for the occasion can be set. Under the supervision of Mr. Currie, Berken Construction has completed the clean-out of all irreparably damaged material and furnishings from the Legion, and has subcontracted the sealing of all smoke-damaged surfaces within the building to eliminate odor. Contractors were expected to begin installing insulation and drywall by early this week, w'hile the erection of interior walls and the fortifying of floor joists damag- ed by flames will follow by the second week in September. Cleaners, hired underaseparate contract, have also begun cleaning walls and other surfaces in the building, and all electrical wiring in the building is being replaced, Mr. Currie said. Once the reconstruction is com­ pleted, Mr. Lowe says that the building will look very similar to what it did before the fire, with the possible addition of air-condition­ ing and ‘‘Maybe a few other amenities, cost permitting.” Mr. Lowe heads a committee consist- ingof Bob Harkness, Ross Bennett and Barb Graber, which meets regularly to oversee the recon­ struction work, as well as meeting with Legion and Ladies’ Auxiliary membership to report on its progress. Two former Brussels residents have been charged with arson in connection with the fire, which brokeoutjustafter2a.m., keeping the Brussels Volunteer Fire De­ partment at the scene for the next four hours. A break-in was suspec­ ted right from the first and the Ontario Provincial Police were called in when Legion members on the scene noted that a downstairs window had been broken, and firemen were able to determine that the locked door to the basement bar had also been forced. People sit up and take notice when two-year-old Megan Lee of Blyth takes her new pets for a stroll, because Mikey [left] and Sally are not your normal, everyday lap dogs. The well-trained piglets were left over when a family friend went out of the pig business recently, convincing parents Dave and Rosemarie Lee of Drummond Street that the porcine pets were just what every well-equipped back yard should have. Festival grant deadline extended The September 7 deadline for the Blyth Festival to have private, federal and provincial funding in place for its $1.8 million expansion plans has been extended to September 9. The Festival has received word, Lynda Lentz. Capital Project co­ ordinator said Tuesday, that the federal grant proposal is on the desk of Flora McDonald, Minister of Communications. Her response is expected to be delayed beyond the original deadline set by the provincial government which had threatened to make the Festival reapply under a different grant program that would have provided only one-third instead of one-half funding if local and federal funding wasn’t in place by September 7. The provincial officials have agreed to extend their deadline until September 9 to await the federal reply. Local fundraising has been growing strongly and the demand that the Festival cover one-half of its total required from private sources by the deadline is not a major stumbling block at this point, Ms. Lentz indicated. NDP readies for federal election The New Democratic Party for Huron-Bruce readies itself for an anticipated federal election call Saturday when it opened its first party headquarters in Dungannon. The office is in the former telephonebuildingin the village on the border between West Wawa- nosh and Ashfield. Cutting the ribbon, along with former NDP candidates in other elections over the years was Bob Rae, NDP leader and leader of the official opposition in Ontario. Mr. Rae said there was real significance in opening a party headquarters in a riding where the NDP had not only never won an election but had never even been close. He said this federal election wasthefirstonewheretheNDP could talk with real credibility about not just finishing well but in actually winning and becoming the government. The two delcared candidates for the NDP nominations also spoke to the assembled audience. Norma Peterson, the Kincardine council­ lor who has run provincially in the past, saidFreeTradewill affect the lives of people in agriculture. She said the government is deceiptful in pushing the legislation through when it was not an issue in the last election. She also attacked tax reform saying it has not helped working people but corporations and said that tax reform must be directed to help ordinary people. And, she said, the NDP supports the need for more federal money to be funnelled into helping munici­ palities with needed improve­ ments like sewers and roads. The election, she said, will be fought on the strength and inte­ grity of Ed Broadbent and the local NDP candidates. Tony McQuail the West Wawa- nosh farm leader who is the other declared candidate also hjt out at Free Trade. He had gotten involv­ ed in politics to help battle absentee land ownership and high interest rates that were hurting farmers and sensible energy poli­ cies, he said. Free Trade would create new difficulties in dealing with absentee landlords, would make setting an independent interest rate impossible and has given away control of Canadian energy resources, Mr. McQuail said. Having an independent Canada run by bankers and insurance companies isn’tenough, he said. A greed-driven, market-dri ven econ­ omy only uses up more and more resources: takes more and more from third world countries to keep our economy going, uses more and more trees so we have less fresh air tobreath. Using more and more means we all have less and less, he said. The market economy is a slave-market economy, he said. The NDP model is based on the family where each member cares foreachotherand shares with each other. Speaking earlier Mr. McQuail said there is still time for other candidates to seek the nomination in the riding. The party will wait until an election is called before holding a nomination meeting.