NEWS |
THE OBSERVER | Saturday, November 28, 2009
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Drama students take a trip through the Wardrobe.....................................»22 Kings tested by the best
»15 VOLUME 14, ISSUE 47
SATURDAY, November 28, 2009
www.ObserverXtra.com www.ObserverXtra
Kings shut down licensed area at home games Team waiting for the township to streamline process before it can look at reinstating the Blue Line Club STEVE KANNON Saddled by what it calls an unwieldy process, the Elmira Junior B hockey team has shut down its Blue Line Club, the licensed area at Sugar King home games. Longstanding practices at the old Elmira Arena have been curtailed by township staff at the new Woolwich Me-
morial Centre. Cumbersome rules surrounding the storage and handling of liquor and beer – the team acquires a special occasion permit for each game – prompted the Kings to wrap up the Blue Line Club last Sunday. Where the team had previously locked away beer and liquor in a storage area at the old arena, organizers have been forced to haul the sup-
plies in and out of the building for each game. Under the terms of the liquor permit, the team is also required to bring in only new bottles of liquor each time. Those rules, now being enforced by the township, make offering the licensed area too much work and even threaten profitability, said Dave Romminger, a team director who organizes the Blue Line Club.
“They’re dotting their Is and crossing their Ts, following the letter of the law,” he said of the township. “We’ve been operating this way since the ’70s, but they don’t want us doing that anymore.” The club will remain on hold until a solution is reached with the township, perhaps through the implementation of a permanent liquor licence for the facility.
For its part, the township said it’s not trying to hinder the Kings, but is simply enforcing the rules. “We became aware of the practice, so we notified them of our concerns,” said Larry Devitt, Woolwich’s director of recreation and facilities, noting the move to the new facility brought the issue to light. He is open to the idea of liSee KINGS page »06
Wellesley gets ready to light it up
PHOTO | jOni milTenburg
JONI MILTENBURG
A SiGn OF THE SEASOn Organizer marilyn bisch is hoping for a good turnout at the 19th annual tree lighting ceremony and Christmas parade in Wellesley Village Dec.11. The ceremony is a fundraiser for local agencies.
The decorations may be up and stores full of gift ideas, but Christmas in Wellesley officially starts with the Christmas parade and tree lighting Dec. 11. This is the 19th year for the annual tradition enjoyed by young and old alike. This year’s event includes story time with Santa for preschoolers, the parade, a live nativity and carol singing. The tree lighting is a fundraiser for Meals on Wheels and the Community Action Program for Children. Bulbs can be purchased for $5 each at a dozen businesses in the village, and donations can be made up to Dec. 31. “Those have always been the two programs that we’ve donated to,” said organizer Marilyn Bisch. “It helps all the families and seniors in the community, so it’s pretty well covering everybody.” The day’s events kick off with preschool story time with Santa at the See LIGHTS page »06