NEWS | 1
The Observer | Saturday, June 07, 2008
Songwriters’ Circle offers insight into crafting a song............................... »24 expansion prompts open house
»15 VOLUME 13, ISSUE 23
SATURDAY, JUNE 07, 2008
Wrecking ball likely for Park Ave. home
www.ObserverXtra.com
PRICELESS
Sparks from tools eventually engulf structure
Neighbours hope new owners maintain Victorian character There they were, on the outside looking in. Literally, in this case. Members of the Park Avenue West Neighbourhood Association showed up Tuesday night to address Woolwich councillors, only to find the doors locked and the lights off: The brief committee-of-the whole meeting had wrapped up before the group arrived. Thirty minutes earlier, however, councillors found themselves with few options in trying to preserve a century home at 10 Park Ave. W. Essentially unable to prevent the demolition of the house and redevelopment of the large property, they called on planning staff to arrange a meeting between concerned neighbours and the new owners of the home, Woolwich Holdings Ltd. The Elmira company has applied for a demolition permit, but has not announced plans for the site. Residents are worried that if the house is torn down, it will be replaced with something not in keeping with the Victorian feel of the street. “Everybody’s concerned that if it can stay up, then let’s keep it up. If not, then let’s try to keep the character of the neighbourhood,” Park Avenue resident Ken Galipeau said WednesSee PARK AVE page »06
photo s| Joe meRLIhan
STEVE KANNON
DowN SHE GoES Firefighters douse the flames at a shop on Lobsinger Line near st. Clements tuesday afternoon. the blaze caused about $50,000 in damage and was likely caused by a spark from a planer or saw workers were using at the time.
Two major blazes keep firefighters busy
Lobsinger Line woodshop leveled; livestock perish as Elmira-area barn burns VANESSA MOSS AND MARC MIQUEL HELSEN It was a busy week for Woolwich and Wellesley firefighters as a barn fire May 31 and shop blaze Tuesday saw more than 100 firefighters called out to help. No one was injured, but hundreds of animals died in the first incident. At around 2 p.m. Tuesday, the St. Clements, Linwood and Wellesley stations responded to a call at 3921 Lobsinger Line, where a shop was engulfed in flames. Two men were working in the 1,500 square-foot structure when either the planer or saws they were using sparked, said Dave Geil, Wellesley Township fire chief.
The spark travelled through the exhaust fan and into the sawdust bin, which subsequently caught fire. Flames then crawled along the dustcovered pipes, eventually spreading throughout the whole structure. “This building was only about 100 feet away from the barn, so when St. Clements arrived here it was fully involved. It was kind of, ‘OK that building’s gone, let’s protect the rest of them.’ We contained it to that building and saved the rest of them, so that was a good job done,” Geil said. Damage to the property was estimated at $50,000, which might have been avoided had the owner kept the shop cleaner. “A little bit of housekeeping might
have helped him here. Blowing off these pipes and making sure there isn’t dust sitting on top of them.” The fire three days earlier north of Elmira resulted in more than just structure damage. Five hundred chickens, one colt and one hog were lost in a blaze believed to have been sparked by an electrical short in a generator room. Firefighters from five stations took roughly six hours to contain the fire that caused more than $200,000 in damage. At approximately 11:15 a.m. on on Saturday morning, firefighters received a call of a barn fire on Abner Knorr’s Arthur Street farm.
NOW ACCEPTING
THE ALL NATURAL
SUMMER SLIM-DOWN
See FIRE page »02
RÉSUMÉS
* $ FOR ONLY 199
*Limited time offer. Based on Full Program. Products extra. Call for details.
For a
Weightloss Counsellor
We are looking for an outgoing, motivated individual seeking part time employment.
112 Oriole Pkwy., Elmira (In the Birdland Plaza) | Phone: 519.669.4110 *Limited time. Products extra. Call for details.