Getting 'Visions' on education page 28 VUTT17 Dr. Neil Murkar dies, at age 64 page -3 Redmen can't overthrow the Chiefs p age 24 MPP wants ban on underage strippers page3 KYVTI B arme w WHTB'SBOB MASTERSON Bob Masterson sees plenty of the unusual 'as head of Ripley's By John Daay As president of Ripiey's E ntertainment (of Believe It or Not faine), Bob Mastersïon of Whitby sees many curious things in bis daily business. One of the most interesting things he ever saw was a simple wooden board. On top of the board was- 5,400 coats of different coloured paint. Its beautiful, it's just like a jewïel," ho says over coffee at -a Whitby dinier. "What arnazes me the most is somebody's passion te do an absolutely absurd item every day, sud get great pleasure out of it," be saysexplaining that the board was given te Ripley's by the family- of the man who went to, bis garage every morning and added suother coat of paint. Masterson started his Ripley's career in 1973, as a museum manager in Ssan Francisco, after be left tbe U.S. milit.ary. Hie worked bis way up te, president -- moving te Whitby in 1981 -- te be dloser te the firm's Toronto bead office. However, hast year the head office was relocated te Orando. Needless to say, ho spends a lot of bis tino commuting. "Itfs teugh," ho says, sipping an espresso. "I spend too mucb time on the road." Ripley's Entertaininent was begun by Robert Ripley as a cartoon ini 1918. HE familier style showcased "the odd sud the unusual, the weird and the wacky," sys Masterson., Today, it is the longest running' daily syndicated cartoon, running ini 190 newspapers. Ripleyis bas branched out to beccxne involved ini books, television, interactive compact discs sud movies. They have 21 museums in seven countries (including one in Niagara Falls, Ont. and Cavendish, P.E.I.) with another two ini development ini Branson, Missouri sud Pataya Beach, Thailand. Recently, Masterson returned from a month-long tour of southeast Asia. He spent time in Thsiland, Indonesia, Australia, Singapore snd Malaysia, either checking on museums or negotiating new deals for more museums. He says that Asia is the "place we should be" as it is the world's fastest-growing regioni in economic terms. Ripiey's also owns and operates two Louis Tussaud's Waxworks in Niagara Falls, Ont. sud Copenhagen, Denmark, snd holda a 50 per cent equity unterest in the Guiness Museum at World Records in San Francisco. Ripley's Believe It or Not! is owned by the Jim Pattison Croup, a $2.9-billion compauy. Canada's fourth-largest pri- vately owned company, the Group aiso encompasses international finauced services, the world's largest group of electrical sign companies, North Amernca's thrdlargest magazine and book cistributor, Canada's mgar auto retailer, radio-television stations, and others. Ini addition to being an executive, Masterson says, "veryboy at Rîpley's bas a ecnryjob searcl'ing eut theý odd and the unusual." On bis iast trip, he says be heard of a man who bas collected more than one million matchbooks. Unfortunately, be SEE PAGE 35 Malj Rempel of Whitby was recently eiected as national pro- sident of the Kînette Club of Canada. Rempel, a computer program- ininstructer at the Toronto Schooliof Business, was elected at the Kinsmen sud Kinette national convention ini Regina. The almost 900 Kinsmen and Kunette clubs donated more than $21 million in service funds te, their communities in* the past year. The association is entering it;3 75th anniversary year. Privcyrudes go toofar," say counciliors By Mike Kowalski Proposed legis1ation which will make it 1tougiher for municipal councils to conduct business in private is cause for concern, two Whitby councillors contend. Councillors Ross Batten and Marcel Brunelle have reserva- tions about aspects of Bill 163 -- a package of measures aimed at revising various laws that now regulate or apply to local govera- mient in Ontario. They are concerned that Queen's Park may be going "too far" with proposais which impose limits on what items municipal councils, committees and boards can- discuss in private. Even though they insist that most business deait with by Town council is conducted in a public forum, the two councillors want to reserve the right to meet behind closed doors when the need arises. Placing restrictions on when, and how often, this occurs could possibly hinder a council's effec- tiveness, Batten dlaims. Whiie Brunelie worries that something as "harmless" as three councillors having lunch could be perceived as being a violation of the proposed law. The bill's author, Ontario Municipal Affairs Minister Ed Philip, emphaticaliy rejects those arguments. Sensitive issues such as per- sonne] and legal matters will continue to be dealt with in private, Philip notes. But forcing out discussion of other subjects from behind closed areas is vital to ensuring accoun- tability and "open" goernment at the local level hlip says. That's a concept that occa- sio nally appears 'foreign' to some Ontario municipal politicians, jUdging by his explanation for introducing the legislati.on last Ma asically, the press and more particular, the public, have been askin* for it,» Philhp told The FreePress last week. "I get between 300 and 500 letters a year asking for inquiries because some municipalities, not all are not holding meetings in public," he said. "The hrase I get most often is the Cold boys club' met in pri- vate,"i to decide ah issue which complainants felt should have been discussed publicly, Philip* said. Bill 163 received second-read- ing in June and is currently before the legislature's justice committee (see'ýeparate story). Although it dé als with a num- ber of matters, primarily land use planning, parts, of tL ebill have raised the hackles of muni- cipal politicians across the pro- vince. At last month's meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, many delegates blasted proposais that will require most municipal business to b e conduc- ted in public. Critice dlaim the changes will «tie the hands.7 of local politi- cians by making it tougher for them to discuss 'controversial issues behind closed doors., In rejecting this argument Philip noted that the bill couic1 have gone much further.. "We've not gone to the extreme of some jurisdictions in the United States,"' he said, «which say that if two councillors go to the washroom, they need the clerk to accompany themn because they riiight discuss the issue." Many .subjects will still be dealt with in private, Phiiip stressed. "Personnel matters, sale of SER PAGE 10 MARJ REMPEL Rempel is Canada' s: Knette president :j -moi