News $350,000 store could market fruit beer Plans are finalized for the con- Struction of a “‘period-style”’ $350,000 cold beer and wine store just west of the Prairie Inn on Mt. Newton Crossroad in Saanichton. Following a 62 per cent majority vote in a neighborhood referen- dum, Prairie Inn president Ted Anderson is going forward with construction plan on a “‘very expensive, very attractive building that won’t be like any beer store anywhere else.” Fashioned after building design in the late 1800s and early 1900s the 65-X-150-foot building will feature oak floors and extensive decorative lighting, he said. As well, three beers produced at the cottage brewery — Dark Bit- ters, English Gold and English Ale — will be bottled and sold in the retail store. The Prairie Inn is also currently investigating the possibility of pro- ducing fruit beers, using surplus in-season fruit from local growers. “We're looking for a lot of fun and excitement in this,’ Anderson said. “If anyone can offer help regarding this, we’d love to hear from them.” Tentative plans are to brew 300- gallon batches of fruit beer using surplus cherries, apples, pears, strawberries or other fruit. Anderson said the practice is common in the southern United States and information on process- es is forthcoming. The results of the referendum were announced Jan. 13, showing 1,282 valid ballots with 794 in favor and 488 against. Regulators found it necessary to spoil 77 ballots because of no signatures, unclear preferences or inadequate personal information, Liquor branch spokesman Bob Lougheed said. Anderson said the amount of voles against the proposal are sim- ilar to a previous referendum that was disallowed after appeal because of a failure to poll some residents at the Saanich Peninsula Hospital extended care unit. That poll failed to get a 60 per cent majority. “What was missed helped push it over, I presume,”” Anderson said. Police warn motorists to take valuables out of their cars Removing anything of value from your vehicle is the best safeguard against vehicle break- ins, police are warning after three nights of the incidents in Central Saanich. Ovemight Sunday-Monday, nine vehicles were entered in the Coo- peridge Park area of west Keating Ridge. “Cars are being ransacked and in some cases the culprits are clearing frost and looking in win- dows,’ deputy police Chief George Lawson said. In other cases, windows are simply smashed and on one occa- sion a nearly-new Ford Thunder- bird was severely damaged with a crowbar, he said. “We've got a simple message for people — keep valuables out of the car,” Lawson said. “They'll go in regardless if the vehicle is locked or not.” Several areas of Central Saanich have been targeted by thieves recently. Overnight Wednesday-Thursday a total of eight vehicles in the Verdier Avenue area east of West Saanich Road were broken into and numerous items stolen. And two nights before that, over- night, Jan. 26-27, several vehicles in the east Keating Ridge area of Buena Vista and Wilcox Terrace were broken into and items includ- ing an in-car CD player were taken. “What we really need is some assistance from the public,” Law- son said. “We've got cars all over the municipality and someone has got to see these people at work.” He suggests that people leave an outside light on and investigate from inside if they hear noises. If suspicious activity is noted, call 9-1-1. “They can be in and out of a car in a moment or two,’ Lawson said. Beacon woes will continue until study done by Girard Hengen The Review Sidney’s traffic problem solvers will keep spinning their wheels until a comprehensive downtown traffic study is done, says the chairman of the downtown revitali- zation committee. Frank Malerby said Sidney needs a comprehensive study of traffic flows in and around Beacon Avenue. He said there isn’t one now, ‘and that’s where the whole thing is falling down.” The “whole thing” he refers to is deciding whether to change Beacon to three lanes of traffic, and getting on with downtown revitalization along Sidney’s main street. The revitalization committee was asked by council to comment on a three-lane design concept for Beacon east of Fifth Street. This would entail two drive lanes and a centre turn lane in addition to two parking lanes along both curbs. Graeme and Murray Consulting was hired by the Town to examine the feasibility of the concept, and the company reported it was adequate until the year 2010. The committee recommended the concept “provided it forms a part of a total traffic/transportation network which would provide for a smoother circulation of traffic in’ and around Beacon.” Committee members felt the concept would lead to confusion and bottlenecks elsewhere, and that changes on other downtown streets would be required. Rather than vote on the issue, council last month decided to wait for more information to be = gathered. Specifically, aldermen indicated the recently circulated question- naire on the Official Community Plan shows most respondents did not want three lanes for Beacon. “Tt would appear that what the committee is recommending is contrary to what a large percentage (of respondents) wish,” said Ald. Ted Daly. Other aldermen cautioned coun- cil not to implement the design concept without having more pub- lic participation in the decision. The issue was referred to a “committee meeting after the OCP questionnaire results have been made public. Malerby said in an interview that the revitalization committee at first “did not think the (Graeme and Murray) report was worth anything at all.” He said the study should have addressed other traffic issues but did not. At a November meeting, com- mittee members received assur- ances from Derek Wild, Sidney’s transportation consultant, that changes on other downtown streets could complement a change to a three-lane Beacon. In light of this, the committee recommended the three-lane concept with the stipu- lation it be part of a wider network in and around Beacon. However, Malerby said the con- cept was now being considered in isolation, and was placed on the OCP questionnaire without "DAMP WET BASEMENT? ASEME WS MADE: Dak WITHOUT DIGGING = : * Emergency Service * Free Estimates * No Obligation cS | VICTORIA - 655-1639 iawniek for FREE Brochure Postal Code aoe BASEMENT WATERPROOFING OF B.C. 1380 Laurel Road Victoria, B.C. V8L SSD oe accompanying background infor- mation. It should come as no surprise that people might be against it, he said. “What we’Te saying is that there is resistance to just three lanes without being able to understand what you're going to do with traffic on and around Beacon.” Ald. Don Amos, council’s liai- son on the revitalization commit- tee, said now that the committee has recommended three lanes (with stipulations), council wants “a reading of the whole commun- ity.” There would be no point pro- ceeding on the three-lane idea had the committee not endorsed it, he said. Amos added the Town will go to the public for input on both a four-lane concept, basically pre- serving the status quo, and a three-lane one. 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