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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1989-10-04, Page 5n the Street By Jim Beckett Excter Minor Hockey`convcncr Frank Kints was merely re - fleeting the opinions of many hockey parents when he ex- pressed frustration at not havingice at the local arena in time for the beginning of the hockey season. Similar frustrations must be occurring with the Hawks, Mohawks and figure skating organizations. And the problem hasn't been solved yet. according to facilities manager Cam Stewardson. Stcwardson told me 'Friday "It's looking worse rather than better. The earliest ice can possibly be in is Mon- day, October 9." _ - NO ICE is the worst thinglthat can happen to an arena but in fair- , ness to the Rec Board and staff they seem to be victimized by cir- cumstances beyond their control. Everybody has known for months the building needed major work on the exterior to keep the block walls from disintegrating. The solution seemed to be simple'and straightforward. Cover the outside with- siding to hide the ugly blemishes and stop it from gettingworse; but somewhere between planning and doing, the problem of getting a suitable vapor barrier on the inside walls of the arena portion of the building was rapidly becoming an insurmountable barrier of its own. Along the .way the town engineering company, Burns Ross, bowed out and new,cxperts were hired to tackle the problem. Mayor Bruce Shaw disagreed with Kints' allegations theRee Board and the Town would be blaming each other. "The Rec Boafd acted quickly and council approved their recommendations the same day," Shaw said. "The town has a good record of supporting Minor Hock- ey." - One hockey parent compared the timing for the arcna repairs to the Works Dept. waiting until January to paint their snow ploughing equipment. Stewardson told me no league games will be missed because of the late starting. date. "Games that- were cancelled will be worked into the schedule throughout the season," he said. Accusations and finger -pointing :from some and reasonable- . sounding explanations from others doesn't change one .very basic fact. NO ICE.- - Fortunately. our young- hockey players haven't suffered much thanks to the convenience of nearby Huron Park Arena. It's old and decrepit...but it does the job. In fact, if it wasn't for -the Huron Park arena Exeter Minor I-lockcy.would be in serious trouble every year without having ice of thcir own due to the lateness of the Fall Fair. * *. * * * * * * * * - Don't :look for the Fair dates to move earlier in the season. Fall Fair schedules arc not really a matter of choice for the local organi- zation.. Back in time 10 years ago •An architects' drawing of a new police station for Exeter was sent back to the drawing . board after the Exeter and District Heritage Foundation expressed concern at the cost of the S100,000 project. What they suggested instead was that the Old Town Hall be renovated to house the police headquarters, as had been suggested in years past. 20 years ago ' •"A delegation from Boise Cascade of Canada Limited presented a proposal to Hcnsall Council Monday night to build a $500,000 mobile homes plant in the south-west portion of the village." •"Clerk Treasurer Murray A. DesJardins' resignation was accepted by Grand Bend council meeting in regular session, Monday night. "When asked if he would reconsider, DesJard ins said, "No, but I'm not going out feel ing animosity towards anyone, but things have been getting unbearable." 'Bell Canada bought the Thames Road Telephone System that had been operated for 25 years by Lloyd and Harry Frayne. The 150 - subscriber system was being integrated into the Bell system. •Kirkton celebrated its 100th Fall Fair. So years ago . •The effects of World War II were just beginning to be felt over here. A public meeting in Exctcr was held to organize a branch of the Red Cross for'war-time work. •Reverend Donald Gladman of Crediton accepted a position of Lieutenant with thc Perth machine gun battalion. •Boys and girls games of softball were being played indoors at the Exctcr arena, attracting competition from Crediton and Renmiller teams. •Lcavitt's theatre was showing The Three Musketeers, starring Don Amcchc and the Ritz Brothers. Times -Advocate, October 4, 1989 Page 5 Exotics - Terri McRoberts of Lucan's Creative Affairs likes to keep a a touch of colour and special interest to the brand-new flower shop. stock of unusual tropical flowers in her store. The rare blooms add - Creative Affairs opens in Lucan By Adrian Harte LUCAN - While many people would rather be on the sunny side of the street, Terri McRoberts finds that her new business is better off in the shade. McRoberts has just opened her own flower shop, Creative Affaijs, on the west side of Lucan's Main Street, meaning that the lack of di- rect sunlight is a definite advantage for keeping her flowers and plants green. She ..has been involved in - the flower trade for the past 10 years, starting off working part-time after high school, attending • Humber College for a program in floracul- ture, and employed in other flower stores in Toronto and London. Her college courses not only taught car ing- for and arranging flowers, but also covered all aspects of running a business, including marketing, advertising and accounting. The opening of her own store was something McRoberts had been planning on for years. When the building her parents owned be- came ecame available this summer, she found herself in a position to make her dream come true. With the help of family and friends, she was able to transform what was a sport- ing goods store into a bright, spot- less flower shop. A photo album McRoberts keeps on the counter documents the renovation process' step by step. "There's a lot more expense than you think," said McRoberts of the costs involved in opening what might appear to be a relatively sim- ple business. The cooler to keep the flowers and arrangements fresh was de- signed by McRoberts and was made to her specifications using Get a head start on your books for tax - time. P.V.G. Consulting will prepare your books on a computerized ACCPAC EASY SYSTEM. We are also accepting new clients for the new year. Small bainessess only please. Y•, 227-4179 the talents of her family and friends who built it. The building . itself is what was originally the Lucan Fire Hall from 1928 to the late 1960s. McRoberts' grandfather, Sandy Young, .used to be the fire chief in the post-war era until his 1967 retirement. McRoberts likes to keep a selec- tion of the more exotic varieties of flowers in the store. Imported from around the -world, the large blooms add a touch of colour and interest to the store's diplays: - "It lets people sec these sort of things," said McRoberts, adding that while many of them might not be sold, she won't stop ordering them. As for the spoilage of more famil- iar flowers and plants; McRoberts suggests that as much as 25 percent of a flower shop's stock has to be written off.. It's just a cost of doing business. Another intriguing fact is that while roses are sold by thc dozen, flower shops can only order !hem in bunches of 20. It doesn't .make sense, says McRoberts, but that is how it is done. Autumn is the season for watch- ing the summers flowers fade away, and Creative Affairs is al- ready doing a big business selling house plants for those wanting a lit- tle greenery indoors. McRoberts says she was caught off guard by the demand, but is pleasantly sur- prised. She also speculates Lucan's water shortages have something to do with it. A complete ban on wa- tering in past summers has made outdoor flower beds an endangered species. "In town here, with the water problem, I think people are cutting back on outdoor flowers," said McRoberts. A selection of refinished antiques by Ron Crozier also - grace the store's decor and bring, a few cus- tomers through the doors just to see the furniture. For those wanting to exercise their own creative urges, McRo- berts sells all the supplies available to her for floral arranging. McRoberts is confident her Crea- tive Affairs will succeed as a new business on a Main Street where empty store fronts arc becoming in- - crcasingly common. Flowers and plants continue to be the best last-minute gift idea, she • says, and roses are still the favorite and best symbol of affection. ThisOff&Will not, repeatnot, be repeated. Before Canada's tax laws change on January 1st, 1990, take advantage of tax deferrals on interest income with our Compound Interest 'Term Deposits. Come into any Royal Bank branch soon and find gut more. 100 years ago •A letter from Toronto printed in the Advocate spoke of how the State of New York might have had some "real forestry" left in the state had it been "intelligently managed". A hundred years later,and how far are we? .•Predictions for the coming winter of 1889 was that it was going to be harsh. The indicators of tough skins onpples and other fruit were offered as an indicator from the area's "oldest inhabitant" (it didn't say who). - "The-Q!obe•-(-Globe and- M today)-e4ai r1 -s •that -l- = crude Toronto the Metropolitan City of Ontario. Had George Brown settled in Hamilton instead 'of Toronto the two cities would be reversed in places of importune to -day. Sonic months ago the Globe made a caricature of the neighboring town of Mitchell. In justice to Mitchell it should settle there for a few years without bonus. 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