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re Summer tourists worth millions Tourists spent over $4.5 million cold, hard cash in Midland so far this year, according to Chamber of Commerce figures. In the October edition of its Chamber Chat newslet- ter, an article estimates 85,000 people "made Midland their vacation wonderland in the 1987 tourist season." Chamber general manager Carol Baker and tourism co-ordinator Marisa Dezotti were unavailable for comment last week, as they were at Ushering anew age Midland Public Library Chief Librarian Mike Saddy, shown here speaking at the CONTACT luncheon last Tuesday. Sad- dy told the crowd libraries are at the cen- We'll keep edge on technology, says librarian Midland's library was the first in Canada to have a "telecaption adaptor," which allows deaf people to watch TV as dialogue runs across the bottom of the screen. That was one of the highlights of an extremely successful year for the Midland Public Library, as Chief Librarian Mike Sad- dy outlined in a speech last Tuesday. Saddy spoke to about 30 people at the CONTACT Centre monthly luncheon held in Penetanguishene's Georgian Manor last week. He said it wasn't until after the adaptor was in the library and all ready to be loaned that he found out it was the first in any library in the country. There is a $5 a week charge for its use. Saddy says keeping up to date in technology is one of the main roles all libraries must face. And _ he predicted the Midland library would, under his ' leadership, try to keep on the cutting edge of this technology. Along those lines, he Simcoe North will expand into Elmvale The boundary of the federal ridings of Simcoe North and Simcoe South is going to move, likely some time next year. The Township of Flos and the Village of Elmvale will move from Simcoe South into Simcoe North, Conservatives attending the Simcoe North annual meeting were told. Jim McCready was re- elected president of the Simcoe North Progressive Conservative Association. Other office holders ~are Jelle Hesselius, past presi- dent; Bruce Wilcox, secretary; Marianne Morano, treasurer; Gail White, Jack Stewart, and Barb Sinton, vice- chairmen. tre of the information age. He also unveil- ed plans for a ramp in front of the library to allow wheelchaired patrons access. . database, as larger libraries a trade show in New York State drumming up more even more tourist business. But the newsletter says the summer of '87 was »one of the most memorable'? ever. Over 25,000 signed the guest books at one of the two estimated within five years } all the card catalogues would be on a computer in cities now are. "Libraries can be a major | force in the new age upon us," said Saddy, referring to the evolution of society from an industrial era to an information era. "Libraries are at the dead center of this transition," he said. The past year has been fantastic for the Midland Library, Saddy noted. Since renovations on the King Street heritage building were completed early this year, business has gone up by about 20 per cent. Plans are now in the works to make the building handicapped-accessible. An elevator will be con- | structed on the inside and a ramp - which will cost ap- proximately $70,000 - is planned to replace stairs on the south side of the building. Also, a major two-storey expansion is on of the library's long-term goals. Saddy said the library is now "'very tight for space"' and needs the expansion badly. About 240 books are signed out every day the library is open. tourist centres operated by the Chamber. (That figure is considered to represent 30 per cent of the total number of tourists, accor- ding to the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation, which is how the total figure of 85,000 was arriv- ed at.) 'Municipalities, retail and commercial businesses and the travel industry itself all benefit from the tourism dollars that are generated in this com- munity,' the newsletter states. "The Chamber of Com- merce realizes how much our local economy depends on these tourist dollars and we will con- tinue to promote Midland as a first-class destination." Approximately 70 per cent of the visitors were from other parts of On- vinces; nine per cent were from the U.S.; and 12 per cent were from other countries. The newsletter states an article in a U.S. fishing magazine brought several calls from also tario; nine per cent were , Americans about Georgian from other Canadian pro- Bay. Ga WL FURNITURE-APPLIANCES-FLOORCOVERING Highway 93 at Balm Beach Road-Midland-526-7833 { " Mon.-Thur Fri. Sat. _ [SUNBUY. Canada's Largest Buying Group REVOLVING CREDIT TERMS AVAILABLE S. 9:00-5:30 9:00-9:00 9:00-5:00 Wednesday, November 4, 1987, Page 5