Wednesday, September 27, 2006 · Page 3 Arena project party hosts supporters BY DANIEL SCHWAB It looked as if the new ssex arena project would e built in Honolulu. With Hawaiian leis around their necks and Tiki torches by their dinner tables, more than 100 supporters of the project celebrated its progress at the Essex Cook House Sept. 23. But the tropical theme was secondary to the main objective of the night having an opportunity to bring supporters together to recognize their efforts, said Mark Nikita, fundraising chairman of the Kinsmen Club of Essex. In 2004, the club was asked by the Essex Arena Revitalization and Expansion Committee to spearhead fundraising efforts for the project. Since then, $600,000 in both cash and pledges, including a $100,000 anonymous, five-year pledge announced last week, has been raised. The goal is to raise $1.5 million for the project, and Essex town council has mandated that $750,000 be brought forward in cash before the groundbreaking. So far, supporters of the project have been donating with a "leap of faith," said Kinsmen fundraising coordinator Tiina Lehtola. "They don't know what it's going to look like yet," Lehtola said. "The only thing they know is that we need an arena." For All Your Financial & Insurance Needs... See Us Today! CUSTOMER SERVICE GUARANTEE We, at DPM Insurance are proud of our Customer Service. Call or drop by today. We are pleased to help you! "There's nothing better than good old-fashioned service!" DPM INSURANCE GROUP Phone: (519) 776-6457 TRAVEL WITH CONFIDENCE WWW,FORSYTHTRAVEL.COM 29 Talbot Street North, Essex, Ontario HAWAIIAN DINNER PARTY Kinsmen Club of Essex Fundraising Chairman Mark Nikita, left, stands with fundraising co-ordinator Tiina Lehtola during a gathering of supporters for the Essex Arena Project at the Essex Cook House Saturday. The event, organized by the Kinsmen Club of Essex and the Essex Cook House, also served as the restaurant's grand opening. Last week, two design drafts were submitted to council by Toronto-based architects Rounthwaite, Dick and Hadley. But the concepts were too pricey and the arena steering committee rejected the plans, said Doug Sweet, director of parks and recreation. The committee is asking the private consultants for a couple more concept designs. Sweet said specifics on what the facility will feature are still undecided, only noting that it will include two ice surfaces. "We're looking for something the town can be proud of," he said. "But we don't want to raise taxes, so we want something affordable." Nikita agreed that a twinpad facility is essential to the design. "Over the past few years, it's become obvious that there hasn't been enough ice time available," he said. "But it's a real challenge because two complete ice surfaces is a lot of money ... but we have to go with what's important first and Established in 1948 · OT 0046911 76 TALBOT ST. N. 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Nikita said the town has acquired property just off of Winter Sun Books now available, Apple Vacations, Sunquest, Nolitours, the Arner Townline to be Conquest, Air Canada, Sunwing, Signature & more. used for the arena. Some of the major contributors to the project so far Publication Date: 06/04/03 Client: Maidstone Tree F have been DPM Insurance, Woodslee Credit Union, Kim Typesetter: Account Rep: Rusty "From the Usual to the Unusual" Essex Minor Hockey, the 1000's of Trees, Shrubs & Perennials in Stock! Essex 73's Hockey Club, Essex Source for Sports, UP TO George Weir, Nick Spidalieri Jr. and Ken Knapp Ford,s WHITE SPRUCE among others. ADVERTISING PROOF Health Unit talks about boil water advisory mix up BY SARAH FISHER The director of health protection for the WindsorEssex County Health Unit said Sept. 21 the health unit must err on the side of caution when it comes to issuing boil water advisories. Deb Bennett was referring to a mix up in the labeling of water samples taken Sept. 11 in Harrow that resulted in a boil water advisory for around 9,000 residents in Harrow and Colchester South. On Sept. 11, six samples were taken from the town's distribution system in Colchester Village and two samples were taken from the town's water plant. The two samples included a raw water sample and a treated water sample that were sent for testing to a lab in Peterborough, Ont. The mix up occurred when the labels applied to the treated water and raw water samples were reversed. The results in Peterborough indicated high levels of Ecoli and were forwarded to the Ministry of the Environment in Toronto. The results were then transferred to the health unit, which issued a boil water advisory Sept. 13. The advisory was lifted Sept. 16. During a health unit meeting in Windsor Sept. 21, Bennett said although employees might have known very soon after the mistake that the labels were accidentally reversed, it would still take 24 hours to receive new testing results. In the meantime, she said, the health unit has to be cautious. "If the distribution centre calls and says, `We know we have mixed up a sample,' I say, `That's fine, you put it in writing that this was your responsibility,' and 99.9 percent of the time they say, `I don't want to do that,'" Bennett said to the board. Essex's representative on the board, Deputy Mayor Percy Dufour, reported he thought employees at the plant in Harrow offered to take responsibility. "It's my understanding in our situation at the Harrow Water System that they were prepared to do that and were told it was not acceptable," Dufour said. "Is that correct?" "That's not correct," Bennett answered. "It was me that they dealt with and I have no problem meeting with the mayor and the individual that I spoke with." Dufour has requested that Dr. G. Allen Heimann, the person with the final decision on boil water advisories, speak with Essex MAIDSTONE0% OFARMRGE 5 TREE FF LA FALL SALE 50% OFF 7' - 12' TALL MAIDSTONE TREE FARM Stop in to see our huge selection! 7010 Hwy #3, Maidstone town council about the situLD ation. The deputy Rmayor EME ARS DA Phil has also requested E C that % Berthiaume, the county's OFF emergency management A HIS /03D H WITes T co-ordinator, speakJune 14to Expir council about the state of the reverse 911 program. Dufour said Essex administrators did not attempt to use reverse 911 to notify residents about the boil water advisory because of the problems with the system. Bennett said town administrators have to understand that even in situations where a labeling mix up has occurred, it will take time to take and test new samples. "We cannot speed up what happens at the lab level," Bennett said. "In order to get everything cultured and plated it takes 24 hours. Our labs do know this is very, very important to the municipalities." Come out to the farm & save! 15 519-737-2999 DON'T WORRY Our experienced mechanics and bodywork experts will get your car back into shape and excellent running condition. HOURS: Mon-Fri 8:30-5:30 Sat 8:30-4:00 We'll handle the entire claims process for you. Rental cars available - billed to your insurance company Towing services available Detailed color-matching done in-house Customer satisfaction guaranteed 245 Talbot St. S., Essex 776-6644