Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - November 17, 1996, Winnipeg, Manitoba Sunday tee press a4 Section editor. John Douglas / 697-7292 associate editor Gerald flood email in / it pc it Witas muddle hurting arts by Peter Sherman for the free press bureaucratic confusion Over who gets exemptions from the City a amusement tax is costing City arts groups too much Revenue members of Winnipeg a arts Community say. Bramwell Tovey Maestro of the Winnipeg symphony orchestra said yesterday the so has sold out performances in the past Only to find out civic finance committee has decided the performance is not exempt so Maestro decries exemptions confusion which Means potential profit from a show gets turned Over to the City. A at that Point you can to go a Tovey told a cultural policy review panel at City Hall yesterday. The panel is looking at How the City a amusement tax is administered. Applications for exemptions from the amusement tax Are sent to the Winnipeg arts Council which then makes recommendations to finance commit tee. According to arts groups the confusion stems from recommendations from the arts Council being overturned by finance committee sometimes after tickets have gone on Sale. A we end up paying for it the tax out of our revenues a said Annemarie Petrov acting co director of the so. Arts Council administrator Billie Stewart said the Council and finance committee disagree Over what qualifies for an exemption. A if the symphony brings in a High profile performer they pay the tax but some groups get away with not paying it because the performer Isnit famous Quot Stewart said. A suggestion that the amusement tax exemptions be eliminated had some groups concerned for their future. A attendance definitely drops if i have to add the tax a said banja Dakshinamurt coordinator of Manohar performing arts of Canada. A i think it would Hurt ethnic shows and eventually Fol Lorama because there is a Ripple coun. Al Golden St. Vital said eliminating the exemption would Benefit All arts groups. A if we had no exemptions we could give the arts Community twice what they re getting now a Golden said. A if there a no exemptions then no one can cheat. It creates a level playing Winnipeg Snow Clearing delayed Snow-c1.ear-ing operations were postponed yesterday because of an expected heavy snowfall Over the City last night. Bruce Mcphail manager of streets and maintenance said yesterday forecasters were calling for 15 pm of Snow last night and this morning. He said depending on How quickly Crews Clear main streets today blowing of residential streets could begin tonight. Because of that the overnight parking ban comes into effect men Rob station three Young men armed with a sawed off Shotgun and a handgun held up the attendant of a Petro Canada service station at 1050 Keewatin Street shortly after 5 . Yesterday and made off with a Quantity of cigarettes. No shots were fired and there were no prevention Winnipeg firefighters have handed out almost 9,000 smoke alarms and fire prevention education kits As part of their two year education program fire chief Barrie Lough said. Lough said a donation of $50,000, presented to the fire department by the Winnipeg foundation during a ceremony at City Hall Friday completes the fund raising Campaign for the project. Dubbed . Baby for smoke alarm for every baby the program Aims to distribute As Many alarms and information kits per year As there Are babies born in the City a about 13,000.coast guard to Cut stall dwindling resources have forced the Canadian coast guard to reduce its presence on Lake Winnipeg the fleets regional director said yesterday. Jim Quinn regional director of the coast guards Central and Arctic Region said because of Federal budget cuts and More modern maritime practices the coast guard is planning to replace the two vessels it has in Manitoba with one and Cut staff from about 35 to six. The coast guard will be based in Gimli. Its work maintaining navigational aids on the Lake will be reduced but it will still act As a backup for ramp in search and Rescue missions. Manitoba nip my Bill Blaikie Transcona said yesterday the governments plan is ludicrous because it decreases Public safety on a Large and unpredictable Lake. Joe Bryksa Winnipeg free press remembering Manitoba a father Manitoba . Yvon Dumont left places a Wreath yesterday at Louis riels grave in St. Boniface Cathedral cemetery. Riel who was hanged As a traitor 111 years ago led uprisings against the Crown in the late 1800s to protect the Tough worthwhile forum told by Corinne Cryan for the free press Maria Knaus says Shell attempt a challenging task in february a she plans to breastfeed her Newborn twins. And in doing so Shell join the growing list of mothers turning Down the bottle and opting for the breast. But keeping up with it Isnit easy participants were told at the annual maternal child health conference yesterday at St. Boniface general hospitals research foundation. A one nurse basically came up to me and said 50 per cent of women can to breastfeed. You re probably one of them so Why Are you bothering a Knaus said remembering what she was told after the birth of her son David. Portage la Prairie Sod turned for new school Dakota tipi chief Dennis Pashe and or Jon Gerrard a the Federal Secretary of state for science research and development a turned the Sod Friday for a new school at Dakota tipi first nation. The 15,000-Square-foot school expected to Cost $2.4 million replaces the Portage la Prairie area reserves temporary existing school. Oak Bluff to school in Oak Bluff the tiny Community of Oak Bluff has entered the computer education age with the official opening of its new school. Around Manitoba operational since earlier this fall the new $2.2 million eight room Oak Bluff Community school replaces a tiny Prairie schoolhouse that closed last Spring. The Brick schoolhouse served the Community for 66 years. Brandon hotel staff plan strike vote workers at Brandon a Victoria inn plan to schedule a strike vote after talks with management broke Down Friday. Local 832 of the United food and commercial workers has 118 members at the hotel Union president Bernard Christophe said. Parasite worries called misguided announcement fails to Stop fears that drinking water could Lead to disease by Aldo Santin City Hall reporter that attitude deters Many women from trying to breastfeed said Jack Newman a paediatrician at Toronto a Hospital for sick children. Newman who has written books and articles on the subject said breastfeeding is difficult for any woman but especially hard for single and native women Many of whom live in poverty and done to have support at Home. City officials say they Are concerned that some residents Are under the mistaken belief the drinking water is unsafe. Kelly Kjartanson a research Engineer in the City a water and waste department said its highly unlikely that an outbreak of a water borne disease caused by Parum will occur Here As it did last summer in Kelowna b.c., and Milwaukee. Kjartanson said Shoal Lake and the Deacon Reservoir which distributes the City a water have been tested since 1994 for the microscopic parasite. Since August Only two of 16 samples from Shoal Lake have tested positive for the parasite Kjartanson said adding however the Levels three organisms per 1,000 litres of water Are considered Low. There have been no positive samples from tests conducted at the Deacon Reservoir. Announcement despite a Public announcement three weeks ago Kjartanson said the City continues to receive nervous enquiries about the water. A most of the Calls come in on a monday or tuesday which leads us to believe they heard it from talking to friends and relatives on the weekend Quot he said. Kjartanson said it is remotely possible that the parasites which Are common throughout water systems in North America could make their Way into the drinking Supply. Flu like Kjartanson said in most cases the parasite causes stomach flu like conditions that last for two to to Days. However Kjartanson said health officials have Learned that the parasite can cause serious illness and even death in people with suppressed immune systems including those with the his virus aids some cancers leukaemia and even to recent transplant patients. Kjartanson said those individuals should Contact their doctors for precautionary measures adding that water utilities and health officials across North America Are now advising that these people boil their water for one minute. A for All other customers the water is Safe and they can continue with their regular lifestyle a Kjartanson said. Boy defies doctors gloomy predictions by Nick Martin staff reporter Paul Hazelton knew his son was when his eyes could focus on cartoon gargoyles flickering on the television set. Nine Days after Robert had been struck by a Van while crossing Corydon Avenue doctors found no evidence of awareness. They told Paul wife Val and daughter Melissa the eight year old was unlikely to live. But at 4 45 . On june 27, Paul Hazelton knew they a be getting Robert when gargoyles showed up on his children a Hospital television. A you saw his eyes hit the to and just stay there. When the program ended his eyes closed. I knew a Paul Hazelton said As Young Robert napped on the Couch in their River Heights Home. Roberts been Home for three weeks now and in his Grade 3 class at Brock Corydon school. Its nothing Short of a Miracle friends say. A the doctors told us to expect the worst but we just said it be a Val said. A the original predictions were very very bad a her husband agreed. A although they did no to say it in so Many words he Wasny to expected to Robert returns to children a Hospital every morning for physiotherapy then takes afternoon classes at Brock Corydon. He has a teachers aide an occupational therapist and will soon have a speech therapist helping him learn to speak All Over again. A they made a Beautiful poster for him the Day he came a said Val. Roberts left works just Fine a he recently gave a visitor a thumbs up greeting a and his left leg is coming along. Three weeks ago he began making voluntary sounds. A a there a still not enough support on the right Side a Paul explained. A a it a like a severe stroke Only he a eight not 80.&Quot they be held off installing a wheelchair ramp and lift because Roberts regaining strength slowly on his right Side and does walking exercises at the Hospital each Day. His parents expect Robert to walk again. Just recently he munched on a Burger for lunch at Brock Corydon Val said with a big smile. A we have rediscovered food but we re mostly feeding by a tube a straight into the Abdomen. This too shall pass a said Paul. The doctors wont make any predictions just How far Robert will Progress. So far the Pace of improvement is increasing his parents say the Hope radiating off their faces. A with no evidence of plateau ing they wont make any predictions of where he a going to go a said Paul but he sat his liveliest when Melissa is around. A this sister has always been Able to get the most out of Paul Hazelton was effusive in his Praise of the level of care at children a Hospital singling out or. Murray Kesselman and or. Brian Postl. A we have one of the Best paediatric programs in Western Canada if not in the whole country. Our paediatric program Here will match any in the states a said Paul Hazelton a native of St. Louis. A a Postles comment was every kid that comes in is one of theirs. That a the sense they bring to the Val Hazelton who grew up in Gladstone said they be been overwhelmed by support a visitors cards letters toys prayer circles. A sometimes we forget How wonderful Winnipeg is a said Paul. Paul a finally returned to work As a virologist and pad candidate at the Paul Hazelton holds Roberts hand As sister Melissa reads a Story. University of Manitoba but Val a taking time off from her sales Job to drive Robert through his daily rounds of physio and school. Parents at Brock Corydon school Are fund raising to help with the costs of Roberts recovery though Paul and Val emphasized that essentials were covered by medicare the school and Manitoba Public insurance corporation. Information about helping out is available from Robbi at 489-6584. V ;