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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-08-12, Page 1Business ■ News ■ Sports ■ Entertainment Blyth Mini-Mart changes hands after 10 years See page 3 Major changes shift MNR structure See page 6 Brussels Mite team tales ‘B’ title at playoff tournee See page 9 Huron Country Playhouse gets ‘Jitters’ onstage See page 23 CitizenThe North Huron Family, victims of unusual break-in Vol. 8 No. 32 Wednesday, August 12,1992 60 cents Hastings talks personnel-ly The Keith Richmond family of Blyth had a rude awakening on Wednesday night as an out-of-con- trol car came crashing through their front window. A spokesperson for the Wingham OPP detachment said a 16 year-old young offender was southbound on Mill St. at an unknown speed when he failed to stop at the corner of Mill and McConnell due to an alleged mechanical failure in the car. The car went across the Rich­ monds' lawn and struck the front At the time, the Richmonds’ daughter, Charla, was sleeping in the living room two feet from where the car entered the room. She was shocked but not injured. The car sustained severe damage and the front of the Richmonds' house requires new bricks, a new window frame and glass, as well as new drywall. The young offender is charged with failing to remain at the scene of the accident and having liquor A tough line on personnel mat­ ters was signalled by at least one Brussels councillor at Brussels vil­ lage council's August 4 meeting. Councillor Dave Hastings expressed a firm stand on two per­ sonnel matters. He objected to one employee taking holidays one day a week instead of in a lump, feeling it meant a four day work week in a busy time of the year. He also objected to the fact the matter of holidays had never come before council. Clerk-Treasurer Donna White said she hadn't known an employer could dictate how holidays were taken and that the same arrange­ ment had been used last year so she thought council was aware of the situation. Councillor Bruce Hahn suggested a meeting be held with employees to smooth out such problems and to bring to the employee's attention complaints the councillors had received on various matters. Council also decided, led by Councillor Hastings' objections, to defer a salary increase to an employee who had completed a skills upgrading course. The Public Utilities Commission had agreed to a 50 cent per hour increase for its portion of the employee's salary if council would also agree. But Councillor Hastings noted the employee had already had a raise last fall and this would make two raises in one year at a time when many people aren't getting any raise at all. The discussion sparked some crustiness when Reeve Gordon Workman suggested employees are having to do extra work because they're attending daytime meetings that councillors should be attending but aren't. "Our jobs come first," Councillor Hastings said. If people want coun­ cillors to attend more daytime meetings "next election they better get all retired people (on council)." Councillor Greg Wilson said it isn't a matter of the money council­ lors get paid for attending such meetings, its a matter of asking their employers for too much time off work. "The $100 is nothing. You don't want to get fired for tak­ ing too much time off." Council told to settle fire hall plans soon readily available in the vehicle.wall and window. Brussels village councillors were asked at their August 4 meeting to take a serious look at future plans for a fire hall for the village. Council has been dreaming of a new fire hall, but with no grants available, there is concern that the money can ever be raised, particu­ larly in these difficult financial times. Meanwhile there is concern that the gravel floor in the old fire hall should be replaced if a new hall isn't to be built. "The way it sits right now, five years from now we still won't have London man attempts suicide in Grey The Canine Unit was called out to Cone. 6 of Grey Twp. on Aug. 4 to track down a London man in a bush who had attempted suicide. According to the Wingham OPP, Horst Mader had been charged in London for aggravated assault, fol­ lowing which he drove up to Grey. He was taken to Wingham and Dis­ trict Hospital after the Canine Unit found him. He was then trans­ ferred to a London hospital since that was where he was facing charges. the money (for a new building)," Councillor Dave Hastings said. Councillor Bruce Hahn pointed to deficiencies in many town build­ ings and said there is no way the town could afford to put up indi­ vidual buildings for the fire depart­ ment, Public Utilities Commission and village administration office, though one building to house all three might be a possibility some day in the future. It was Clerk-Treasurer Donna White who asked councillors to give some "real hard thought" to the situation between now and the end of the year. She pointed out $14,000 was in a reserve fund for the fire department and could be spent in improving the old building if it was decided a new hall was an impossibility. Councillor Hastings said that the present building could be made much more presentable for not a lot of money. Putting steel siding on the building would make a big dif­ ference, he said. "I personally can't see spending any amount of money on the old building", Councillor Greg Wilson said, though he felt the amount that would be needed to cement the floor wouldn't be out of hand. Councillors also felt if a new hall was built, it would be better in the industrial park than on the present site. Ozone on down The Blyth Young Company is preparing for its performances of Ozone on Down this week. Here they are in a rehearsal session. Director Jennifer Brewin is seen in the background. Blyth Festival woes not over Two weeks after a news release announcing its financial crisis, the Blyth Festival still finds itself roughly in the same boat. However, thanks to a few friends, things are looking up. The Festival, currently in its 18th season, finds itself with a major decline in ticket sales this year. Drastic cuts in expenditures wher­ ever possible had to be made, and staff hours reduced. After these cuts were made the Festival started to make appeals to audiences, after performances, to aid the ailing theatre. Ms Lynda Lentz, the Festival fundraising co­ ordinator, says these curtain speeches were the hardest thing the Festival decided to do but help was needed. She says the response from the people has been absolutely incredi­ ble, adding that it was more than just financial response. People have written in from everywhere expressing their concerns for the Festival's current situation and often generously giving donations as well. The letters, says Ms Lentz, show that the people have a clear under­ standing of the importance of the theatre. They understand that the Festival promotes and develops Canadian plays and there is a risk in doing this. Since Blyth is one of the only theatres in Canada to put on all Canadian plays, continues Ms Lentz, it is important that the Festival carries on. Ms Lentz is also heartwarmed by the Blyth inhabitants who walk in off the street with their cheques to support the Festival in this time of difficulty. "The support is coming back very clearly," she says. However, she is quick to add that the Festival is still very much in need of the support. After a two-for-one ticket sale done an in effort to gain badly needed spectators, general manager Ray Salverda says ticket sales have gone about as they projected. He adds though, that sales haven't picked up a lot. Ticket sales account for about half the Festival's total operating budget. A further 27 per cent of the capital required to keep "the show on the road" comes in the form of membership sales, private donations and corporate sponsor­ ships, according to the general manager. The remainder of the operating costs are realized through various levels of government fund­ ing. The Blyth Festival is a non­ profit organization whose mandate is to foster and support Canadian playwrights, actors and designers and to present original Canadian works on stage. The Festival's summer season runs from June through September and includes a touring show which takes one of the season's plays to audiences in other parts of Ontario.