HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-02-03, Page 5n Partnership making screen
the doors just like good old days
Street
By Jim Beckett
NMI
B.I.A. chairman Karen Pfaff will be stepping down from this posi-
tion at the annual meeting tonight (Wed.) at the Old Town Hall.
Pfaff cited new personal and business commitments making a demand
on her time. Although the term office for the chairman is intended to be
three years, she said she had originally agree to as u_me chis role -for -a
-one,--yearrerte year somehow turned into two," she added.
Having been invqlved with the B.I.A. for a number of terms, I have
had the opportunity to see what can be accomplished when business
pedple work. together.
In the past couple of years the B.I.A. started to focus on including as
members, businesses who were actually located outside the original
boundaries which included Main St. between Simcoe and Gidley.
Present board members arc: Gary MacLean, Jim Russell, Ben
Hoogenboom, Susan Moore, Don Thompson and myself.
*************************************
Representing fellow businesses on the board is not a demanding task,
usually occupying a ouple of hours per month in attending the regular
meetings, howev , there is a negative aspect to being a board member.
Despite the f t Exeter has developed into unquestionably the shop-
ping centre r the region, lack of interest in most B.I.A. activities is
discount g.
Notices of regular board meetings arc faithfully distributed by block
captains informing all businesses of the date and time of the next meet-
ing, but very few will take the time to attend and get involved.
The B.I.A. is not a clique of the same people wanting to run things
year after year. Everyone who is in business in town is welcome to at-
tend and play a part in decisions that affect us all. At the moment the
board of management is the smallest it has been for several years, and if
any other members choose not to serve for the next term the need for
new representatives will be greater than ever.
If you have a business, service or professional investment in Exeter, it
would be a good idea to attend tonight's annual general meeting.
***********************************
For all you wives out there who have had doubts about husbands go-
ing on bus trips to sporting events, most of you have nothing to worry
about.
I went to a hockey game in Detroit recently on a trip organized by the
Exeter Mohawks to sec the Detroit Red Wings play against the Calgary
Flames. The game started at 1:00 p.m. and immediately afterwards we
climbed back on the comfortable coach and headed for Sarnia where I as-
sumed there might bc a little partying before getting back to Exeter.
What a surprise! The bus pulled into MacDonalds where most people
had a quick snack. In fact, nearly all of us were home by 9:00 p.m. ex-
cept for a couple of the boys who missed the bus and were forced to find
alternate transportation home.
**********************************
If you've been thinking about joining an exercise class in town I can
recommend the one going on at the Rec Centre on Tuesday and Thurs-
day mornings.
The girls are no different than over 90 percent of the people who un-
derstand the value of getting plenty of exercise. They drive to the audi-
torium.
When the class is over a good number of them climb back in their cars
and drive to a local donut shop. I'm told it's just for coffee, but I have
my doubts.
***************************************
Tess Romaniuk, daughter of Anna and Walter Romaniuk of
Exeter, is one half of a partnership rapidly making a big name for them-
selves in the world of high fashion.
Tess, 32, a graduate of SHDHS, had years of experience in design with
such names as Parachute and Dales before teaming with partner Derek
Price in producing their latest creations under the Price -Roman label.
They are featured in the March issue of TO Fashion Magazine as being
one of the "88 fashionable people" in Toronto. As well, their designs
are being promoted in England and will be featured in the Liberty Stores
in that country.
Anna Romaniuk says British people are currently "Very high" on Ca-
nadian designers and she expects Tess and Derek will be participating in
fashion shows there in the future.
Their designs are also available in Barney's, one of New York City's
leading outlets. Anna says their creations have been selling so well there
they have moved up to the more exclusive second floor of the store.
If all this isn't enough to keep anyone busy, .Tess and Derek also supply
a couple of other stores in Canada and are busy getting ready to open
one of their own in Toronto soon.
Anna and Walter Romaniuk are well known locally for their design
and sewing talents. Anna says, "I'm very proud of my daughter".
It sounds like she has every right to bc.
A local partnership plans to use
the spring home improvement sea-
son to promote and increase the
market awareness for their line of
old-fashioned screen doors.
Michael Burke and Dean Boyle
operate Beyond the Screen Door
Nostalgic Woodcrafts from their
newly -rented workshop and show-
room ahwoomain
product in _is_Dsaseriesf-d.Theirwooden
screen doors fashioned after popular
designs of the Victorian and Ed-
wardian eras. The company also
crafts decorative gingerbread trim
for houses.
Burke developed the idea for
building the intricately carved
doors after making one to replace
an aging screen door on his own
house. Once his own father want-
ed one for his cottage, Burke began
to consider that a genuine demand
might exist for such products.
Beyond the Screen Door has been
in business for eight months,
which means that this coming sea-
son will be their first crack at the
spring home renovation market.
"I think there's a pretty good
market out there," explained Burke,
while admitting "We could be all
wrong too."
The doors are made in three stan-
dard sizes or can be made to order
to fit older doorways. Burke and
Boyle believe their screen door,
which is convertible to a storm
door for winter use, is actually of
better quality than the originals
were 80 years ago. At 1 5116"
thick the doors should be less
prone to warping and damage than
those which still grace older homes
and cottages in the arca.
Burke has developed the designs
for the doors not only from his
own original door, but also from
photographs he has taken of other self.
antique screen doors across South-
western Ontario.
The partners find that owners of
both new and old homes are buy-
ing their doors.
"It adds character to newer
homes," Boyle notes, noting that
many owners of older homes do
not feet comfortable --about using
an alu ri'iinum screen door in front
of an original wooden main front
door.
"It seems like people are spend-
ing more on their houses now,"
said Boyle, contrasting this with
previous years•when more money
was invested in the real estate it -
Beyond the Screen Door intends
to take advantage of this market
trend and advertise its wares in sev-
eral magazines aimed at the home
improvement market. They have
already had displays at the last
Western Fair and Exeter Fall Fair.
This _spring ..will- -be-the - test --of-
-Whether or not this promotion has
paid off.
The pine screen doors are not in-
expensive, but the partners are con-
fident there will be many buyers in
the upper end' of the market seeking
something special for their entrance-
ways.
"It has of to be someone who is
Page 5
looking at spending some money
on their house," said Burke.
A London renovator is already
selling the doors to his clients,
which leads the partners to believe
their product is a winner. However,
until Beyond the Screen Door gains
stea_r t,_$urke and--lleyle-wiif-keep
the full-time jobs they already hold
elsewhere.
Burke hopes that the screen door
and gingerbread trim business may
spur the development of a new line
of wooden' garden furniture in the
future. A traditional porch swing
has already been built, both as a gift
and prototype.
"We can onl go up," said Burke.
FINISHED PRODUCT - Dean Boyle (left) and Michael Burke show
this door in their Dashwood showroom as an example of the quality of
their work. The showroom will not officially open until May.
GINGERBREAD TRIM - Elaborately carved decorative trim for houses
is making a comeback. Beyond the Screen Door want to keep on top of
the market with pieces such as this.
It's
Your
Business
SCROLL SAW Dean Boyle demonstrates his technique on the
scroll saw while cutting a part of the decorative trim on one of his
company's screen doors.
gipnal manager of Ford of Canada, presented a 25 -year
plaque to Earl and Alvin Campbell, partners in Hensall Motors. Cunningham said the company's market share and
customer satisfaction quotient were "exceptional".
Trades face retirement boom
Chairman John Jcwitt in his inau-
gural address to the Huron County
Board of Education trustees, alerted
his audience to the needs of the On-
tario building industry for workers.
Jewitt was referring to a letter re-
ceived by the board from the Mini-
stry of Housingstating that 50 per-
cent of the skilled trades people in
the building industry arc expected to
retire in the next l0 years.
Jewitt also talked briefly about
the development of an Aids educa-
tion program in Huron County
schools which he said should deal in
a "humane, compassionate and ef-
fective way" with this dreadful dis-
ease.
Other areas of concern for the
board in the coming year, according
to Jewitt, will be the benefits and
the cost of French instruction in the
schools, the adult education pro-
gram and an race and ethnocultural
equity policy for the county.
a
CHICKEN FIXIN'S -- Lauretta Siegner, Helen Webber and Peg Seller work in high go.ar to gc " the barbeque
chicken dinners packaged in time to fill the demand during the Exeter Lioness annus .hicken L..rbeq' The la-
dies sold 737 dinners Friday afternoon.
�I rel �11►V �l �/1►1►1►�/�/1►1►1►1►1►1►�/1►1►1►1►r1�I1►�I �I �I �C"!1►�l �l �l
COO
GoLD411 FI.owercr• -"t'' • MA11J • 1.1z6�1-• AL-rtetz • 2V1• 23'0 • Ltrr• • Itl4 ' 2 • VoU•••
0