e Audience a access vasily s improved Martin Mitlerchip Assistant Newsroam Editor murillerchip@nsnews.com LIGHTS up; curtain up! Wednesday evening politi- cians, staff, volunteers and “media gota dose-up look at the newly renovated Centennial Theatre. While nota for has changed on stage, the §2.2- million pro- ject will vastly improve the audience experience -at_ the 709-seat civic theatre. Upgrades to the theatre “lobby have been discussed for 20 vears but it is only in the last five that serious planning has taken place. Nort Vancouver. City Councillor Darrell Mussatto got a laugh. from. the guests Wednesday night as he recalled the North Vancouver Recreation Commission coming to council almost six years ago to pitch the project. “I thought, ‘Another project that wants ‘more money. How ong can we delay it?"” said Mussatto, who ended up a booster of the pro- ject. : Qo ‘ . . - City council was sympathetic towards the cis- : abled who had limited access to the the theatre MARGOT Gram (left to right), theatre coordinator, and North Vancouver City mayor Barbara a@ large crowd of supporters to the preview of the newly renovated Centennial Theatre Wednesday. and generally had to sit at the end of the front row with a perfeer view of performers’ feet and only a partial view of the stage), and no access at all to the washrooms. An advisory committee was struck, and with plenty of input from the disabled community, Centennial Theatre now boasts: ” - oo @ diszbled-accessible seating in both the front @ washrooms on the lobby and rehearsal levels; B access to the orchestra pit; : @ a ramp from the parking lot to the entrance and a ramy between lobby levels. Theatre patrons will no longer feel like roverbial sardines at intermission with the new lobby expansion on the west side of the theatre designed to accommodate a full house, with a bex office that is much closer to the NEWS phote Julie tveraon Sharp we:comed Centennial’s parking lot. One other significant charge that will be more evident next summer is the new air condi- tioning, system that serves the whole building. Theatre users will pay $500,000 of the cost through a renovation seat surcharge over a_ ten-year period. The City of North Vancouver: has committed the remaiuing funds. es ; Summed up Mayor Barbsra Sharp, “It’s beautiful and will expand the offerings that alt residents will enjoy.” Three artists have contributed pieces to the. theatre: Janis Blyth (an oi! vastel entitled Music Is Well Said To Be the Speech of Angels), Peter Trotter {a bronze medallion Uneisted that bridges the original Icbby with the new addition); and Richard Wojciechowski (an imposing concrete, sculpture entided North Shore Rhapsody) Celebrate the official reopen- "ing of the Centennial Theatre as well as its 35th birthday Oct. 13 at.6:30 p.m. when a ; ja fundraiser will also see the 2006 FANS awards presented to Michael Conway Baker and Daniel Izzard. - : Meanwhile, pianist Michael Kseshammer. performs Saturday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. while the theatre hosts a free Family Day Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. followe by a concert at 2:30 p.m.. with Clyde Mitchell and the North Shore’s new. orchestra, Sinfonia. Box office: (they could only enter through a loading dock oe , eee . photo Sean Addie -NORTH Vancouver District firefighters work io free a driver on Sept. 29 after a bus and car collision. . Gove car comes off second bes? tc bus A 21-year-old Nerth Vancouver man was not .. Seriously injured after his small car collided with -a bus on Sept. 29 in Deep Cove. ; ** According to the North Vancouver RCMP, the man was driving a Volkswagen Golf that allegedly ran a red light and “T- boned” a” transit bus at -Dollarton Highway and Mount = Seymour Parkway at around 8 a.m. . North Vancouver District firefighters had to pry the roof off the car-2o free the’ man. ~ : aa +: ™He was taken to Lions Gate Hospiial with a broker rib and ‘minor injuries, according to police. : « The: bus was occupied by the » minor injuries, “ : “°° Wade Hibberd has been charged with disobeving a red “light. a | driver only. He sustained a ~—Auna Marie D'Angelo ‘Take a hike earlier on Grouse . THE Grouse Grind has new hours. "|. Starting on Saturday, the trail will be open at “minutes later than before. _ “