HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-02-20, Page 1Winter ... fun?
Looking a little overburdened these two Cadets were among a large group from Brussels and
Stratford participating in winter camping and activities in the area this past weekend. (Vicky
Bremner photo)
Trustee asks for needs-based budget
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27
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e Citizen
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 18 No. 7
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2002 75 Cents (70c + 5c GST)
Festival
seeks
volunteers
for play
The Blyth Festival is set -to
remount its spectacularly successful
2001 production - The Outdoor
Donne. llys.
Set in and around the Village of
Myth, this multi-venue production
relies on a large contingent of
volarneers to work alongside the
core company of the festival.
Comprised of, seven short
vignettes -and one grandstand show,
the play explores the life and times
of the Donnellys and their neighbors
in the village of Lucan circa 1880.
On Feb. 4, 1880, five members of the
Donnelly family were murdered by a
mob of neighbors and business.
rivals. Despite eyewitness accounts
of the massacre, no one was ever
convicted for the crime.
Last year's success was due
largely to the commitment of the
volunteers who performed in the
vignettes prior to the grandstand
show. Under the direction of former
Blyth Festival Artistic Director Janet
Amos, the community players
displayed an inspiring passion for
the arts.
The community players will be
directed this year by Festival
Associate Artistic Director, Eric
Coates who also appears as William
Donnelly in the grandstand show.
"This story has fascinated Canada
for over 100 years and it shows no
sign of slowing down," said Coates
"The fact that so many diverse parts
of our community joined to tell it
again speaks volumes. This year we
hoping to add even more local
talent."
Anyone who is interested in
participating as a member of the
community volunteer cast is
encouraged to contact Eric Coates at
the Blyth Festival at 519-523-4345.
Rehearsals wil; be held in Blyth
beginning in March and continuing
on various weeknights and weekends
until the show opens on June 7. The
production runs until June 30.
Blyth
on list
for
liquor
store
By David Blaney
Citizen staff
A Jan. 15 press release from the
Ontario Ministry of Consumer and
Business Services announced that
Blyth is finally on -the list for a
liquor store. The release was one of
four, since December announcing
_ 82 possible locations for `LCBO
agency' stores.
A total of 35 locations were
announced for southwestern
Ontario. The 'agency' store program
allows existing retailers to sell
LCBO products from their current
locations. •
Norm Sterling, the minister of
Consumer and Business Services
was quoted in the release saying,
"With our go-ahead to offer
agencies through existing retailers
in smaller markets, we'll improve
service in rural downtowns for
residents and visitors alike, ..."
Blyth• is one of five locations in
which the stores will not open prior
to Dec. 3-, 2003. LCBO spokesman
Chris Layton said, "As part of the
last collective agreement with our
employees we agreed not to open
agency stores in these*: five
locations."
The exact location of the agency
store is selected through a
competitive process among
interested retailers. The LCBO
awards points for such items as
parking, location, store space and a
retailer's business background
according to Layton.
After a location is selected, the
`agency' store will have its
operation overseen by the LCBO
district manager. The store will
purchase .its supplies from a
designated outlet at a discount.
The discount on the first $80,000
of purchases in a year, of wine,
liquor and imported heer, is 13 per
cent of the basic price. This is
defined as the store price minus PST
and GST. The discount on additional
purchases falls to six per cent.
The discount on domestic beer is a
constant 10.7 per cent regardless of
the quantity sold during the course
of any one year.
Layton 'emphasized that the
LCBO always contacts the local
municipality. This is done to ensure
that there are no municipal
objections to the establishment of
the operation.
Anyone interested in establishing
an agency store is asked to contact
Maris-a Kraus in LCBO retail
planning for complete information
concerning the "agency" store
program.
Since the program was established
in 1962 the LCBO has established
107 'agency' stores around the
province
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen
There was a narrow defeat
Tuesday, Feb. 12 for a motion which
could have seen the Avon Maitland
District School Board join
counterparts in Ottawa and Toronto
in developing what's called a
"needs-based budget," aimed at
pressuring Ontario's Conservative
government into overhauling its
educational funding formula.-- '
In promoting a first step towards a
needs-based budget, trustee Meg
Westley secured the support of
fellow Stratford representative Rod
Brown — who has spoken in favour
of the idea previously — as well as
West/South Perth's Carol Bennewies
-and East/Central Huron's Charles
Smith.
The other five Avon Maitland
trustees rejected the motion, which
would have directed board staff "to
prepare a questionnaire for School
councils to provide information for a
needs-based budget."
Brown wondered if Westley
envisioned the document as a
stepping stone towards the release of
a deficit budget, something which is
prohibited by the government but
also something that has been
suggested by various members of the
public during the board's current
consultations about potential school
closures. She-responded that Brown
was "putting the cart in front 'of the
horse," but added she could
definitely see herself supporting a
deficit budget if the needs-based
document suggests that's necessary.
According to Westley, the needs-
based questionnaire would ask what
would be necessary at each school,
in the absence of funding
constraints. Her motion also
recommended that "this information,
as well as input from standing
committees of the board and
administration, be used to create a
needs-based budget for 2002-03."
She admitted timing would be
crucial in order to submit the
document by the province's budget
deadline of this coming May, but
offered a schedule under which the
process could be completed. The
needs-based document would be
submitted along with the board's
official budget. Westley said both
the Ottawa-Carleton and Toronto
District school boards have
completed similar projects.
The 'Stratford trustee also noted
that the needs-based budget
wouldn't include every single
request from each school council.
Instead, she suggested a "more
realistic" approazh, with hoard staff
Continued on page 23