Asbestos found in Centennial Building JOY AND FRED BROOKS are "ori- of subjects. Eventually they want to ginals" who sing their own music to produce their own work in a studio at reveal their own feelings on a variety their Whitby home. Fre Press photo ~ Amessageinon By Trudie Zavadovics The environment, apartheid, life and death are issues that, individually and collectively, we try to address. In some cases, we effect change; in others, we pon- der age-old questions with no definitive answers. Fred and Joy Brooks give voice to their concerns, their questions and their revelations -- through song. They perform message songs, written with "soul" and followed through. with pure, wholesome, vocal clarity. Separately and together, they are originals, and that's how they want to stay. Both Joy and Fred grew ue in Whitby, just blocks away om one another. It wasn't until Fred was performing, and Joy was vacationing in Newfoundland that they actually met. Even at that, it was some time before they actually got together per- sonally or professionally. That was 15 years ago. Of the two Fred is the veteran musician. Ie also writes the music and lyrics. He received is first guitar in his early teens. "At the age of 14, dad brought me a guitar to keep me off the streets." . Joy took up singing and play- ing the flute after the birth of their first child. They have three children, ages 9, 7 and 3. Their goal is to remain ori- ginals, and have fun in what admittedly is a very hard and frustrating business. Eventually they want to produce their own work in their studio at home. "We've evolved musically," says Fred. "The last few years we haven't been playing very much. Ive been teaching. We're starting to play again - on our own tenias. "We>re totally original and we don't cater to radio. We sing our own music which is blues, folk, jazz - a blend of everything." Fred writes about ana from life. Themes are political, environmental, some are about love and death, and some are carefree. Although they've kept live per- forming to a minimum recently, they like to perform in listening clubs and galleries. They like to lay to an audience that they now is there to hear more than background music. Fred has been influenced by such artists as Cat Stevens, Michael Franks, Bruce Cock- burn, Flora Prune, Paul Simon and James Taylor. Admittedly, he doesn't hero worship anymore and he gets the bulk of his inspiration from Joy and his three children. He raws from life. And life today is not perfect. Native Canadians, apartheid and the environment are some of the issues reflected in his writing. In the near future they're look- SEE PAGE 20 By Mike Kowalski Discovery of asbestos in Whitby's Centennial Building has prompted a demand that all Town-owned facilities be inspec- ted. - Councillor Tom Edwards called. for such action Monday after Town council approved spending $17,500 for repairs and removal of asbestos found in the Centen- nial Building. Although it has not been dee- med a health hazard, council authorizedthe expenditurecto comply witb regulations -con- tained in the Ontario Occupa- tional Health and Safety Act. Edwards, however, argued that by its action, council had also approved establishing an 'Asbestos Management Program' (AMP) as provided for in the Act.. A committee to inspect other municipal buildings for asbestos is part of the program, claimed Edwards but other members of council did not believe the Act goes that far. The asbestos in the Centennial Building was uncovered during a routine inspection recently. (Once commonly used for in- sulation, asbestos was banned in the early 1970s after testing determined it to be the cause of potentially fatal diseases.) The Ontario Ministry of Government Services had expressed interest in renting space in the Centre St. S. build- ing for use as court facilities. As part of the leasing process, the building was inspected and the asbestos discovered. Councillor JoeBugelli,rope- rations committee chairman, stressed that although the asbes- tos is not a health hazard "in any way,» council is bound by the Act to remove it. "It's a small amount but it has to be removed in the best inter- ests of the community,» ,said Bugelli. According to a staff report, the asbesto's is located in. an area that will not be disturbed by the building's air circulation system. The report states that both repairs and removal must be undertaken in accordance with the AMP. The repairs involve hot water pipes where the previous material enclosing the asbestos bas deteriorated. The majorityof repair work is- located in the basemeht and a consulting firm hired by the municipality will~ identify the proper method of correcting the problem. Loose asbestos located in a. crawlspace off the basement areà must be removed. This'work will be done when the building is not in use. While Edwards supported the decision to clean up the Centen- nial Building, he wanted similar work done on all municipal buildings if required. "In my view the asbestos management committee should have the responsibility for al, buildings we own in Whitby," said Edwards. He warned council that asbes- tos could possibly be found in SEE PAGE 13 Region retaîns blue boxes By Mike Kowalski wilI close throwing 100 people prove the most cost-effective» the existing service will be stu- Although the Durham Recy- Out'Of work.wa died for inclusion at a future cling Centre may be closing, its Failure to obtain a long-term gram. date. successful «blue box" collection committment ôf work from the ember of Durham Region's (The blue box program now program will live on. Region was cited by the board as waste management committee, serves over 100,000 households Durham Region counil vo the reason for closing the five- Brunelle said, "it as always in Durham -- 17,700 in Whitby. last week to have its works year-old centre. bn our plan to get into recy- Items currently collected are department take over blue box The non-profit centre is con-c in a much stronger way.» newspapers, metal and tin cans, processing operations Dec. 1. tracted by the Region to do recy- He said plastics and other As well, local municipalities ding, specifically, the blue box recyclable items not picked up in SER PAGE 20 will be responsible for collecting pram. blue boxes in their area, 1-owever, the centre was given although Durham will continue notice by the Region in Apnl funding the program through 1989, that its contract woul 1991. emntd Additionally,-provisions will be Whitby* dbeIIIN . V O G U I made to employ as many recy- Brunelle views last weeks deci cling centre employees as po- sion as an «interim step, res- sible after the centre ceases ope- ponding to an emergency situa- A Monthly Fashion and Beauty Review rations Nov. 30. tion." The centre's board of directors But he dos not know if the announced earlier this montb shared arrangement between the that the Garrard Rd. N. facility Region and municipalities will thereso fo closin th fie I G G 4 GG G* I G G GG year-old G centre.~~*~ $~Gf$ Gf 4$G No approval for tire dump Page 5 Commuters upset Page 25 4 1.