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Vol. 7 Edition 34
YOUR Independent Community Newspaper THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2019
Alive with PRIDE
FREE!
MADD over benches Benches moved away from Capitol Theatre By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com
Mary Beth Corcoran/The Chatham Voice
Chatham Kent Gay Pride Association’s second annual PRIDE event kicked off Saturday with a parade from the Chatham-Kent Civic Centre to festivities in Tecumseh Park. Several community groups, including police, EMS and fire personnel, churches, banks, non-profit organizations and some area politicians all took part in the parade with colourful floats, rainbow flags and gear. The PRIDE event encourages inclusivity and support for members of the LGBTTQ community.
Chatham Capitol Theatre staff worked with the local business improvement area to move a couple of benches in Chatham’s downtown, a move that has some people, including the folks who paid for the benches, unhappy. Janine Carr of MADD C-K said the organization placed the benches there in the fall of 2017. The effort was part of their 30th anniversary celebrations, and cost about $5,000. “Through fundraising efforts of our own, we are proud to have benches where people could reflect on lost loved ones,” Carr said back in 2017. “The Capitol Theatre seemed like the perfect place.” Lesley Grand, manager of the theatre at the time, agreed.
“So many people who come here for the various events will use them,” she said. “And the benches are used by people just walking up and down King Street. It’s a good reminder about the message from MADD, and it helps get the Capitol Theatre a little more noticed.” But current theatre manager Heather Slater said the benches were causing problems, and the plan to move them had been in the works for some time. “They have become a gathering place. Some days, two or three people, some days, six,” she said. “And the benches happen to be in front of our marquee windows where we place our advertisements,” she said. Furthermore, Slater said “a lot” of the theatre’s patrons were commenting on people gathering at the benches and that some said they did not feel safe.
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