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Castor Review (Russell, ON), 10 Mar 1978, page 1

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CASTO "REVIE Vol. 1, No. b> One Canada Friday, March 10, 1978 (Mary Rowsell Photo) Osgoode Township Hall, Metcalfe Taxpayers pay to renovate Renovation of the historic Osgoode Township Hall at Met- calfe this summer will carry a price tag of $75,000. Work will include expansion of council chambers and provision of more office space, clerk Fred Wison explained. Township ratepayers will have to bear the entire cost as no provincial subsidies apply, Mr. Wilson said. The brick building was con- structed in 1891 and has remained in excellent shape. It served as a community hall until partitioned into offices several years ago. Mr. Wilson said the building's "old character" will be preserv- ed. During the few months the job is carried out, the clerk and other staff will operate out of the nearby fire hall. Mr. Wilson said this would not cause a problem for firemen. Chambers will be extended across the front of the building with the ceiling removed to open the room right to the roof. The new imposing appearance may be enhanced by hanging chande- liers, the clerk said. The rear section will contain seven offices and a small dining room on two storeys. The township is also undertak- ing a major project at Osgoode Village where Centennial Com- munity Centre is to be refaced, with fire safety features and washroom facilities updated. The project, which will include several other improvements, will cost about $200,000 with half covered by provincial grants. Fire prevention and_ public health authorities have criticized condition of the centre. May go to court -- Twenty-five cents Council in row with Jeweller Embrun's new jeweller is considering legal action to pry a permit out of Russell Township council which has rejected an application to extend his premises. Varoujan Kavoukian, who opened a jewellery store on Notre Dame Street last September , wants to spruce the place up with $50,000 worth of renovations. But council doesn't like his plans and doesn't want the shop extended to the sidewalk. Mr. Kavoukian insists the renovations will make his shop an asset to the community. He says 35 Embrun merchants have supported his proposal. Deputy Reeve Albert Bourdeau complains the extension will block the view of the jeweller's neighbour, a senior citizen who has lived their for several years. "The old man was there first," Mr. Bourdeau points out. "Why should he be disturbed by the new guy." Councillor Baird McNeill faults the design, claiming it'll make the shop look like a "'pizza parlor". The store should conform with other buildings on the street, he insists. Mr. Kavoukian is insulted by the pizza parlour reference and complains council's reaction to his plans has been all negative. Mr. McNeill accuses the jeweller of being 'heavy' with council and of having a closed mind to suggestions of compromise. Council claims Mr. Kavoukian's plans contravene municipal bylaws regulating distance of buildings from sidewalks. The jeweller feels the law is on his side. Baird wants new cores Russell council should investigate purchasing core properties in Russell Village and Embrun for commercial revitalization purposes, Councilor Baird McNeill has suggested. There are dilapitated buildings in the hearts of both villages which could be bought by council, demolished, and the land sold for commercial development, Mr. McNeill says. Mr. McNeill pointed out to other councillors recently that a number of central properties in Russell Village have been on the market lately which could have been acquired for future development. Responding to the suggestion, council decided to organize a meeting with Ministry of Housing personnel to explore grant and loan programs available for core revitalization. Reeve Gaston Patenaude and Deputy Albert Bourdeau cautioned it would be financially prohibitive for the township to invest in real estate without ample provincial assistance. Embrun to host Wintario The Wintario show with all its hoopla is coming to Embrun. The televised big-bucks draw will be staged at the Embrun Community Centre March 30, Russell Township Deputy-Reeve Albert Bourdeau has announced. Mr. Bourdeau, who was largely responsible for bringing in the event, said the community centre will be able to seat 800 spectators comfortably and more if neces- sary. There'll be a $2 admission fee which will be partly reimbursed as each guest will receive a Wintario ticket. Hopefully, some of the handouts will carry lucky numbers. The fee is necessary because an expenditure of $1,000 was needed to equip the community centre for the show, Mr. Bour- deau explained. Featured during the evening will be performances by local OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA -- This was 17th century Jamaica, birthplace of the buccaneers, those desperadoes who plied the Caribbean, pillaging and plund- ering in their search for pieces- of-eight. Ocho Rios - place of many streams - an early Spanish watering stop, saw many fam- our swashbucklers come and go. Today, Ocho Rios is a booming tourist resort two-thirds of the way down the north coast of the oblong West Indian island. Although the colorful village's visual ties with its privateering past are threadbare at best, it's easy for the vacationer to look across the turquoise waves and picture a Spanish galleon locked in mortal combat with a bearer of the Jolly Roger. The Spaniards, as conquerors and exploiters following Colum- ee idewalk Talk bus, were in fact directly respon- sible for the emergence of the buccaneers. A motley assortment of run- away slaves, castaways, escap- ed criminals, political and religious refugees, the buccan- eers were originally the first settlers of Hispaniola (Tahiti) and Tortuga. They were from every nation, their names stem- med from the French word "boucan", referring to their method of curing meat. They banded together in the "Confederacy of the Brethren of the Coast" and took to the sea when the Spaniards chased them from the islands. The undesirables came back to haunt the Spaniards for almost a full century, hijacking ships and finally helping to drive the conquerors from the Carib- bean in league with the English. Perhaps the most famous of the freebooters was the Welsh- man Henry Morgan, who was first employed by the English as holders of Jamaica to take Spanish prisoners for intellig- ence purposes. On the buccaneer principle "no prey, no pay,' Morgan terrorized the Spaniards with the sacking of the stronghold of Porto Bello and the Venezuela seaport of Maraicaibo. His courage in these raids and his crafty strategy such as fire ships to disperse enemy fleets was already becoming legend- ary. The raids netted Morgan and his men vast booty which was divided up at drunken parties at their Port Royal base on the southern Jamaican coast. Morgan's style - his torture and mutilation of prisoners - and his free-handed raids earned Shades of booty and buccaneers By Mark Van Dusen The two ships crashed with a deafening crunch, swarthy figures sprang, cutlasses flashed, muskets barked and blood- curdling cries filled the air. him the disfavor of the English however and he was forced to retire temporarily. But his help was eagerly commissioned a- gain after the Spaniards answer- ed Morgan's earlier raids with ones of English ships and on the Jamaican coast. He returned as commander-in- chief of the English fleet at Jamaica and to his most stunning and daring exploit - the burning of Panama which netted close to one million pieces-of- eight (the equivalent of $1 million U. S. dollars). Morgan was again in disfavor since the Panama attack follow- ed a quickly-struck peace treaty between England and Spain. The English ire proved only skin deep. The aging pirate was called to London to face discip- linary action but was welcomed like a hero, later knighted and entertainers. made lieutenant-governor of Jamaica. Morgan, who in his heyday forced others to drink with him at musket point, died in 1688 at the age of 53, probably from tuber- culosis. Four years later, in an ironic end to an age, an earthquake plunged Morgan's grave along with half of Port Royal into the sea.

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