HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1985-6-26, Page 1I'
Above, Artistic Director Katherine Kaszas welcomes Blyth Festival patrons to the
theatre's second decade. A ribbon cutting with Helen Gowing, left, representing the first
decade and Gayle Gundy, far right, representing the second decade. Ben Gundy was
chosen by lot to be ribbon cutter. At left is John Neville, the evening's guest speaker and
Artistic Director Designate of the Stratford Festival. ( James Friel photos)
Well prepared for
their second decade
By James Friel
BLYTH - With new Artistic Director
Katherine Kaszas at the helm, the Blyth
Festival has embarked on its second decade
and celebrations held at the June 21 open-
ing, featuring the play Polderland by Bryan
Wade emphasized the festival's maturity.
On hand for the evening were John
Neville, Artistic Director Designate of the
Stratford Festival; Dr.Hans Heeneman,
Vice -Consul of the Netherlands: • Donald.
MacSween, Director General of the Na-
tional Arts Centre in Ottawa; Murray Car-
diff, MP for Huron -Bruce; Murray-Elstrin,
MPP for Huron -Bruce; and Jack 'Riddell,
MPP for Huron-M'iddlesex.•
The evening began at 5 p.m. with Murray
Elston awarding prizes for the Blyth
Festival •Art G.allery's juried show which
was followed by dinner.
John Neville was guest speaker and
shared his views on theatre in the communi-
ty. "As a better
actor in England, 1
thought it better if I was in an • easily iden-•
tifiable community and I've had that in Ed-
monton, Alberta, in Nottingham, England
and in Halifax." .And now, he said, he and
his wife Carolyn have been accepted in
Stratford "in a significant way."
The Artistic Director Designate next
welcomed Katherine Kaszas to the "frater-
nity" of artistic directors. "During my time
in Stratford, I hope we can be good
neighbors. If there's anything we can do.
please let us know - I do mean that."
Mr% Neville next tackled the issue govern-
ment funding of the arts, stating 'These are
tough times for the arts" as a preface.
"There are a lot of reasons artists give for
wanting more money but really only two
should be supported -.enc, the artist'and two,
the public. No others are worth talking
about."
He spoke of the need for people to see
theatre, "The man working in the fields, the
truck driver - all need that nourishment the
theatre provides."
Mr. Neville also noted that the new pro-
incial government has a streamlined
cabinet as one of its goals. "I can't believe
they would cut out culture," he said, then
suggested that Liberal leader David Peter-
son's wife Shelley, a part-time actress,
should be made Minister of Culture. "At
least she knows something about•the arts."
'Theatre at its best provokes us, prompts
us to ask why. Why war instead of love, why
do we behave so badly, why do we create a
situation like the famine in Ethiopia, why'do
we create the situation where people hijack
planes?
"I believe theatre can prompt us to ask
these questions, and that's why, Katherine,
I believe you and I.do it," he concluded.
After Mr. Neville's speech, various board
and .staff members presented framed
posters for the festival's llth season to the
major patrons including John Labatt's
Limited which provided funding for the
festival to commission its first two plays.
Between the meal and the beginning of the
play at 8:30, the Central Huron Secondary
School Brass Quintet from Clinton played a
variety of 'classical pieces, the Klompettes,
a dance troupe of eight youngsters perform-
ed Dutch folk dances and the Out -of -Town
Four, a barbershop quartet from the
Seaforth area, sangsOngs froth the wartime
era.
lie Central nw ou :lecuuuary ;moor rtrass quintet entertained Uraper, Hon Parr and Jackie Norman started off the evening show,
Blyth Festival theatre -goers during the Blyth Festival opening followed by the Klompettes and the Out -of -Town Four barbershop
.Tune 21. From left to right, Steve Hearn, Stephen Duizer, .Jacquie quartet. (James Friel photo)
4
i''r;CO9WORATI�lC-''tjE B1LYT9-11 ST iNDARD-THE
NO.26
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1985
50 cents
Paily is 'pretty buoyant"
BLYTH - The provincial Liberals are busy
readying themselves for the rigors of
governing Ontario, but Huron -Bruce MPP
Murray Elston took time from his Queen's
Park workload to attend the Blyth Festival
opening June 21. Mr. Elston handed out
prizes to those winners present at the Blyth
Festival Art Gallery juried exhibition.
Huron -Middlesex MPP Jack Riddell also
attended the opening.
After performing his duties at the gallery,
Mr. Elston commented his party is "pretty
bouyant as we've gotten down to being
sworn in.
"After the election was over we were up
and reaching consensus with the NDP there
was an increase in bouyancy.
"After the vote (the noh-confidence vote
which ousted the Progressive
Conservatives) and the meeting with Mr.
Aird, everybody could see it (a Liberal
government) was here. We were waiting
and anticipating but until it happened we
didn't believe it," said Mr. Elston of the
elated Liberal caucus.
It has alternatively been suggested by the
Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail and the
London Free Press, that the lawyer -turned -
MPP could be given portfolios ranging from
Minister of the Environment to Attorney -
General, to Minister of Consumer and
Commercial Relations if he doesn't,become
Attorney General. Political insiders state
that whatever the post, it will be an
important one.
"Possibilities have been variously
reported but David (Peterson) hasn't made
up his mind. We'll know .sometime Tuesday
evening before we're sworn in (on June
26)."
He said the Liberal Party doesn't "owe
favors to anybody in the bureaucracy" and
this will partially account for the new
government's "different way of looking at
things."
Wirth Jack Riddell as a leading candidate
for the job as Ontario Minister of
Agriculture and Food, Huron County could
have two cabinet ministers, a definite boon
to the area. The two MPPs could affect
policy decisions with their interpretations of
county events.
Mr. Elston believes the people of the
province will give the party a chance to
establish crediblility as a government.
"We'll work as hard as we can to come up
with the programs and the administration to
carry those programs out," he said.
He also noted the fledgling government
should be "very busy. There's a lot of
pressure on us because of the recent
inactivity. There's been over two years of
activity stifled by events occurring in other
than the Ontario scene.
"The Tories have been housekeeping
since Bill Davis decided he wouldn't run
federally."
"People have said we're afraid of the
question, can we govern? I like to turn it
around. I think the Conservatives are afraid
to think we'll prove we can govern. They
pray for us to fumble the ball."
Teachers get 3 °,�o increase
fl
By Stephanie Levesque
The 138 teachers in the 19 Catholic schools
in Huron and Perth Counties will receive a
3.7 per cent salary increase effective Sept. 1
of this year.
The Huron -Perth Roman Catholic
separate school board and its elementary
school teachers jointly announced on Mon-
day night, June 24, that a settlement had
been negotiated for the 1985-86 school .year.
Trustees ratifed the one-year agreement at
its regular board meeting on Monday, while
the teachers approved the contract at a
special meeting on June 13.
"It's a good settlement," said salary
negotiating' committee chairman Ernie
Vanderschott.
The chief negotiator for the teachers,
Terry Craig, was unavailable for comment
at press time.
The new contract gives teachers a 3.7 per
cent increase in salary with new rates rang-
ing from $17,635 in category D with no ex-
perience to $45,005 in category A-4 with 12
years experience. Under the new contract,
the average annual 'salary increases from
$33,134' to $34,360. Employee benefits in •
-
crease this amount to $35,326.
Minor improvements have also been
made to allowances for responsiblity posi-
tions. The special education co-ordinator
and the religion consultant each receive an
additional -$85 above their 'regular salary.
The teacher librarian receives an additional
$500 per year above salary.
The maximum principal's salary will in-
crease to $52,475, up from $49,130.
Last year, the teachers gave up three per
cent of a five per cent increase to help cover
the cost of building additionsat three
Catholic schools, namely Precious Blood in
Exeter, St. Joseph's in Clinton and Sacred
Heart in Wingham.
The total cost of the new agreement is $4.7
million and superintendent of business and
finance Jack Lane said this is within the
board's budget.
Tentative agreement
reached by board and teachers
By Stephanie Levesque sides" in describing the tentative agree -
The Huron County board'of Education and ment.
its secondary school teachers reached a ten- The school board will have votedton Tues-
tative agreement after two days of media- day, June 25 while Weary said the tentative
tion at the Park Lane Hotel in London. agreement was put to the teachers Wednes-
"Wrung out" is how teacher negotiator day, June 26.
Shirley Weary of Goderich described her The details of the agreement won't be
feelings on Friday after the June 19 and 20 released until after both parties . have
mediation session. ratified.
Prof. David Whitehead of the University Secondary education in Huron took on a
of Western Ontario, appointed by the Educa- gloomy aspect when the teachers voted in
tion Relations Commission, conducted the favor of strike action on May 28, turning
mediation sessions which started about 3 down the board's latest offer.
p.m. on the Wednesday and ended up on "Both parties desired a reasonable com-
Thursday evening. •promise, said Prof. Whitehead in summing
' "The agreement is extremely' fair to.both up the two days of talks.
sides," said the professor. "Both parties worked hard and they are to
Weary also used the words "fair fdr both be congratulated."
a Y d•�L.a.�:.^v. Tia, , i": o:,a+. _.,1;., ..
The Clinton Horticultural Society held their annual Rose.Show on June 21 at St. Paul's
Anglican Church. One of the many participants, Gwen Holland of Clinton, took time out
to smell one of the entries in the Hybrid Tea category. ( Anne Narejko photo)
Gwen Holland wins show honors
CLINTON - One of the youngest members
of the Clinton Horticultural Society, Gwen
Holland, won top honors at this year's Rose
Show. Gwen earned the highest number of
points in the show and received -a silver rose
bowl, donated by the Royal Bank. Gwen also
won the Reserve Champion Rose prize,
donated by Kay Campbell and the Hor-
ticultural Society prize for the most points in
the arrangement classes.
Elizabeth Fingland had the second
highest number of points to win the Clinton
Community Credit Union prize. Third
highest points went to -another annual win-
ner, Kay Campbell. She received a gift cer-
tificate from K.C. Cooke Florists.
Mrs. Lampoeu also naa the nest arrange-
ment in the show and won the Stewart and
Grace. Middleton Memorial Award for this
accomplishment.
Other outstanding rose displays were
shown by Pat Holland, Gwen Holland's
mother. Mrs. Holland showed the Champion
Rose of the day and received an award
donated by J and J Pharmacy. She also
showed the best peace rose and won a prize
donated by Marg Counter.
Percy Livermore won the Red Rose Tea
Trophy for the best red rose in the show. He
also earned the highest number of points in
the specimen class and received the Clinton
Turn topage 2•