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Merchants want return of parking by David Krayden Citizen Editor Penetanguishene town council was delug- ed with the anger, frustration and pleas of local merchants on Monday night. They were there to protest the recent designation of the right side of Main Street as a no parking zone. Business people said it has significantly reduced their sales dur- ing the summer months. Doug Wallace, a part owner of a local taxi company, read from a prepared text but often departed from his written material to elaborate on his feelings. ---- Veneranaguisneni He says people have started parking in his private driveway because of the changes on Main Street. "I'm fed up with people using my private parking; it's not what I bought it for." Wallace predicted that the winter months would intensify the problems along the street because "people will be splashed with snow and salt. Are these people expected to run away from it all?" He said Penetanguishene merchants and consumers don't deserve "'to be put through this kind of abuse." Councillor Lionel Dion told the taxi owner that "there is much truth in what you are say- " ing. Arr ny 5 a Wallace informed Dion: "I know there is." Then becoming flushed and his voice cracking with emotion, Wallace picked up his pile of notes and said, "I'm just fed up. And I at least expect the police department to show up when I register a (parking) com- plaint, not three days later. It's pure garbage." When he was told '"'experts" had suggested the changes on Main Street, Wallace yelled: "Experts don't live in this town, experts don't get slush in their face." He continued by saying people "are afraid to cross the street to go to my taxi stand'"' because of the increased flow of traffic along the street. "Anyway, why do you want to hurry a tourists through the town? You want them to shop here, don't you?" he asked. Reeve Art Stewart told Wallace that the taxi company owner had "'plenty-of warning" and should have expected the changes. Dion was more reassuring, saying, "You might get your way yet." Ken Gauthier, another downtown mer- chant, came to the meeting with figures in hand. He said his sales volume was down over 12 per cent this July from last July and his customer count down 31 per. cent. Gauthier said this was especially shocking when 'considering that, in general, Penetanguishene merchants were enjoying better sales this summer than last summer. B/ A C4 8 > Ge Ff | Vol. 21 No. 34, Folio 68 Wednesday, August 24, 1988 Second City began great careers The Second City touring company will be coming to the area next month. The date is Sept. 13, the time is 7:30 p.m. and the place is Midland Secondary School. Patty Mueller, the manager of the North Simcoe Arts Council, is urging people to buy their tickets early at one of the many outlets in Penetanguishene and Midland. "We at the arts council hope this will be the start of many more touring events com- ing to our area," Mueller said. Brunelle's handles the empties Ever since Lafontaine's liquor and beer store opened up last month, people have been wondering why they can't bring their empty beer bottles back to the same loca- tion but instead have to go across the street to Brunelle's Variety. At the last meeting of Tiny Township council, Councillor Montcalm Maurice wondered why he had to "walk all the way across the street" when he made a trip to the beer store the previous weekend. The reason lies in government jurisdic- supposed to sell wine and spirits. Beer is managed by the Brewers' Retail. "The liquor store has to buy the beer separately. If it were a beer store it would be obliged to take back the bottles," said Vic Brunelle, owner of the variety store. He says an agreement was forged bet- ween his store and the Brewers' Retail whereby he would handles empties for the corporation. The liquor and beer store is a small trailer that is stocked wall-to-wall with beer, wine and liquor. There is little space reserved for empties anyway. Francine Desroches, the head cashier at Brunelle's, says the agreement was made Second City is the same group that laun- ched the careers of comics like John Belushi, Dan Akroyd, John Candy and Eugene Levy as well as the television show which is still watched in syndication. The'company sent a detailed list of its stage requirements when it was invited to the area. Mueller says the group's needs "'are very lit- tle when compared to some other com- panies." Linda Bennett, who is on the NSAC's board of governors, is the chairperson of the Second City Committee, which was designed to pro- mote the event. Also sponsoring the event are the Moun- tainview Mall, Jory's IDA, Huronia Office Services, the Boatworks, Maclean-Hunter Cable and Mick B's restaurant. In Midland, tickets are available at the NSAC's Midland Avenue office, HOS, the Boatworks, the Mountainview Mall's lottery booth; in Penetanguishene, at La Maison and Gignac's Children's Wear. The cost is $12 per ticket. tion. Technically, a liquor store is only § oe a "ae + i ecu - + {2S me oth: ' 2 as Mee ye re, : SO Pn. = ie ge ae WM oe Ser ee En rt okt Tele "more than a year ago." According to Desroches, there have been "a lot of complaints but we are do- ing the best we can." While there's still time Tiny's beaches were still busy last weekend despite the cooler weather. Though the water tempertures were below the August norm, residents and tourists alike were swimming and wind-surfing. _ busiest in years. Beach activity has been described as the French education in spotlight again... see pg. 9 x