Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-12-19, Page 1Special Christmas issue Friday Showtime Area schools prepare for Christmas concerts See page 5 New Warden County’s 123rd Warden named See page 8 Festival faces $75,000 deficit Blyth Festival’s most successful season ever at the box office turned into its biggest deficit ever when the financial report for the season was presented at the annual meet­ ing of the blyth Centre for the Arts Thursday night. The Festival attracted 47,000 people during the summer season, averaging 72.67 per cent paid attendance for every performance. It brought an increase in box office revenues of nearly $93,000 but reduced government grants and unexpected expenses left the or­ ganization with an accumulated deficit of $74,892 at the year end on Oct. 31. The deficit on the summer operations was $64,227 after trans­ fers of funds from other funds including the “production stabiliz­ ation fund'' which includes money put away for emergency situations from past years when there wrere surpluses. The season featured the largest productions ever mounted at the Festival, productions that generally brought favourable reviews from both local and national critics. Advisory Board Member Ross Procter pointed out that the in­ crease in the production costs of plays totalled $186,000 (up to $872,142 from $686,094 in 1988). Don Mc-Caffery, treasurer of the Centre for the Arts said these large productions had been budgeted for, but he said reductions in government grants from both the Continued on page 23 Blyth Council wants more info before zoning change Blyth village council Wednesday night decided to take no action on a request for a zoning change to return north-end property to an agricultural designation pending more information from the landow­ ners. Council was responding to a request from Stephen and David Webster that the eight acres of their farm that is within the village limits be redesignated from resi­ dential to agricultural. The Web- sters had presented a letter from their lawyer John Schenk which said the future of the farm is endangered by the inability of the family to get a building permit to expand its dairy barn because the farm cannot meet the requirements of the “Code of Practice" which regulates how close farm buildings can be built to residential areas. Under the code of practice, a dairy barn of the Websters’ size, cannot be built or expanded if it is 1033 feet off the nearest land zoned for residential use. Stephen Webster said that if the eight acres of the Webster farm that is currently zoned residential (but has always been used for farming) w ere desig­ nated as agricultural land, the family w'ould be able to comply with the distance requirements. But Reeve Albert Wasson said he wasn’t sure that it was the zoning problem that had been Continued on page 22 VOL. 5 NO 51 serving Brussels, oiyin, Auourn, aeigrave, ttnei, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1989.50 CENTS Christmas magic This year's early descent of winter may not please many people with heating bills but it has added a touch of Christmas magic to the landscape. Although construction at Bly th's Memorial Hall has left an ugly scar, snow and the Christmas decoration lend a fairland quality. Ethel baby dies in fall An 11-month-old Ethel boy is dead as the result of a head injury sustained after a fall that occurred at his home on December 11. According to spokesperson from the Wingham OPP, Christopher Bateman of Mill St. Ethel was home with his father, Rob Nose­ worthy when he apparently fell from a couch and struck his head. Mr. Noseworthy called for an ambulance and the boy was rushed to Listowel Memorial Hospital at 7 pm. He was transferred to Victoria Hospital in London where he remained on life support system, until the following day when they were disconnected. He died the same day. The official cause of death, according to a police report, is cerebral edema caused by severe head trauma. The infant’s mother Glenda Bateman was working at the time of the accident. Following a police investigation the death has been concluded to be accidental. Auburn fire almost got out of hand The Blyth and District Fire Department was called to an Auburn-area house Wednesday night to extinguish a chimney fire that had spread into the attic of the home. Firemen were called about 9:30 p.m. to the home of Ross Daer, on County Rd. 25, two miles east of Auburn. Flames were shooting from the chimney as firemen arrived and, more ominously, smoke was pouring from the attic. Fire Chief Paul Josling said that about $1,000 damage was done to the house (mostly to one room) as firemen had to rip out part of a ceiling and walls to get at the fire in the attic. Christmas issue Friday There will be one more issue of The Citizen in the decade. A special Christmas issue of The Citizen will go out Friday morning to area homes. There will be no issue between Christmas and New Year’s as our staff takes holidays. The Brussels office is closed until December 28. The Blyth office will be open Tuesday and Wednesday, Decem­ ber 19 and 20, then closed until December 28.