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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1987-08-19, Page 15THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1987. PAGE 15. Blyth budget savings allow construction go-ahead After reviewing spending so far this year against its budget, Blyth council decided August 11 to go ahead with both drain work and sidewalk work it had felt was needed. The only problem now is finding the time to carry out the The Winthrop Squirt Boys were the winners of the “B” Event Championships at the Walton Sports Club’s Ball Tournament last weekend, narrowly defeating the Belgrave team by a score of 7-6. The champion team includes [back row, from left] Matt McNichol, Jamie McNichol, Mike Campbell, John McKercher, Jamie Dalton and Tom Wheatley; [front] Mike Stoll, Scott Leonhardt, Matt Vack, Brent Whitmore and Kevin Diegel, With the boys are their coaches Neil McNichol [left] and Dave Leonhardt. Resignation brings thoughts about Blyth's recreation future What direction should recrea­ tion in Blyth take now that the Blyth and District Arena Committee needs to hire a new arena manager? That was a question bandied about when Frank Szusz chairman of the committee told council that Murray Black, the manager at the Blyth and District Community Centre, had resigned last week. Councillor Bev Elliott asked Mr. Szusz if perhaps the group should be looking athiring a recreation director, someone who could or­ ganize events such as dances during the summer months and make extra money to make the facility pay for itself. . Mr. Szusz said he has been wondering much the same thing. The events held at the arena make more money for the sponsoring groups than the arena makes itself, he said. Often the groups then come to the committee and ask for a break on the rent. The money these groups make helps the community but doesn’t help pay the bills at the arena, he said. A recreation director would be working for the best interests of the arena. Councillor Elliott suggested per­ haps some form of incentive such as a percentage of the amount taken in in bookings should be considered as a salary option. That way anybody who was ambitious could earn more for himself and more for the arena both, she said. Councillor Bill Manning said he felt salary costs were too high at the arena. Presently twopeople are hired during the winter to look after the arena but he felt that the right person, making use of “rink rats”, could do the job at much less cost. But Councillor Lloyd Sippel said the attitude of young people has changed and there aren’t as many youngsters willing to be “rink rats” anymore. work. Clerk-treasurer Helen Grubb reviewed the spending to the end of June and with projections to the endofthe year was able toshow that there appeared to be some extra money in some part of the budget that could be transferred to Councillor Elliott felt the two people on staff was not a problem if someone was getting extra book­ ings into the arena to help pay the costs. Mr. Szusz was at the meeting to discuss the problem of littering at the arena and ball park area and who was responsible to clean up. Mr. Szusz said that while most of the litter at the ball park originated with the food sold from the booth at the arena, the arena didn’t make muchmoneyfromthebooth and really only kept it open during the summer as a service to the ball teams. He didn’t feel his commit­ tee could taken on the job of cleaning up all the garbage. Reeve Bill Howson said it was his feelig that whoever is responsible for cutting the lawn around the arena shouldpick up garbage there but it shouldn’t be up to that person to have to pick up all the garbage on the parking lots or the bleacher area. The trash may have originat­ ed at the arena booth but it was the ball fans who create the problem, Think about what “Oh, stop complaining.” “Did you not listen when I told you to turn on the oven?” “You should cut the other field first.” Do you saythings that makes the other person feel put down, inferior or unimportant? Hundreds of times every day we communicate with someone. Each of us is an individual and sees a situation in a unique way based on our different experiences. Family members may not appre­ ciate being told what to do. “You should spend less time at the coffee shop’’, or “Make sure you have those parts back by 9 o’clock” may actually hinder that person’s moti­ vation to contribute. help pay for the projects. The budget review showed the village in a strong position finan­ cially at the end of the first half of the year with expenses in most areas running below the budget. This allowed council to go ahead with drain and sidewalk work that he said. Council agreed that the curb blocks around the arena would be used as a boundary between the arena and the rest of the park with the arena board responsible for littler inside the blocks and the village responsible for the rest of the grounds. Councillor Sippel said that the cost of clean-up didn’t have to be large. In other years a student had been hired to clean up for an hour or so a day. This had been discontinued after problems last year and the town crews began to do the work after there were some problems with the particular young people involved. Council agreed to try to find a responsible student to do the job for the rest of the summer. Reeve Wasson said that it wasn’t so much a matter of the money involved: “We cannot have it looking unkempt. We get many compliments that the village is well kept,’’ he said, but the ball park often is a problem this summer. you say “Don’t you know better’’ or “weren’tyou listening” messages communicate blame, criticism and judgement. When we feel embar­ rassed, unloved or inadequate our self-esteem is lowered and our work and family relationships suffer. Mostly we give messages of criticism only to our family mem­ bers. We refrain from odering, preaching, or putting down our friends and neighbours when we talk with them. Family members deserve respect and consideration too. That same respect and consideration for each other can make living and working together as a family easier and more enjoyable. wasn’t originally included in the budget. Council has been discussing for several months drain work needed on Mill Street to solve flooding problems in basements in that area and on Gypsy Lane and had agreed the work was necessary but held up action until it found out if themoney was available. Council has also taken a tour of the village earlier in the summer and had decided some sidewalk rebuilding was needed but again had worried where the money would come from. Cost of the Mill Street drain will be reduced from an estimate earlier because council decided to notreplace a catchbasin in the area which would have cost an extra $2,000. Instead the existing catch­ basin, which is in good condition but was difficult for men to work in because it was small, will be adapted for the new drain. Council agreed to see if the laying of a new drain would solve the problem before going to all the expense of a larger catchbasin. The problem with the sidewalks is how to get the work done. The summer is quickly fading away and there was worry on the part of councillors that the village crews wouldn’t be able to get enough time with the drains and all their regular work, to get the project done. Reeve Albert Wasson wondered if the village should consider hiring outside contractors to get the work SPECIALS FALL JACKETS GWG-DENIM JACKETS 1 BOYS’ & GIRLS’BOYS’ MEN’S $15.$30. $45. ACID A GREEN patch W\) washed{(y JEANS WORK BOOTS 8 - 16 ALSO INSULATED r $20. N......... $45. - $70. WORK PANTS $15.JOGGING SUITS $15. LADIES’ & GIRLS’ SOX S SOCKETS $1.-$2. STOREWIDE CLEARANCE SUMMER WEAR FANCY SWEAT SHIRTS $18. $15. $12. LADIES’ & TEENS’ JOGGERS $20. Rice’s Store PHONE: 523-4426 done or if the work should be held back until the crews had time. Cou ncil’or Bill manning said he felt the work should be done by the town crews if possible since the village had hired a second man to help with just this kind of work. Councillor Bill Howson wondered if it might be possible to get an extra man for a month or so until the heavy workload was complet­ ed. In the end council had no solution for the problem of timing except to ask village foreman Merv Ritchie to go ahead and schedule in the work and see if it was going to be possible to fit all the work in in the time allowed. Council also agreed to purchase anew radio to be mounted in the village truckaswellasasmaller pager to be carried by the town workmen when they aren’t in the truck. Cost of the new radio for the truck is $800 installed and the pager is $450. The village has had a walky-talky system but it was always awkward for the men when they were working, a point proved when the unit was knocked off the beltofoneof the workmen while he was driving the tractor cutting grass and the radio went through the rotary mower. Cost to replace that unit (which was covered by insurance but the village had to pick up the cost anyway because it was less than the deductible amount) would have been $600 if the council had decided not to go for the newer radio system. WRANGLER JEANS $25^ JOGGERS MEN’S BOYS’ $10. * UP R.R.1,BLYTH Cone. 12, Hullett 2mileseastofHwy.4