Hit musical 'West Side Story' comes to Naas

NAAS & KILCULLEN, 24 January 2001: by Trish Whelan. New York comes to Naas next month with the spectacular staging of this year's Naas CBS musical 'West Side Story' involving a cast of over 70 pupils from five local schools.

A modern interpretation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the hit musical promises to be a complete sell out. School principal Noel Merrick said three times as many tickets could have been sold for last year's production of Jesus Christ Superstar, and advises patrons to 'book early'.

The story revolves around two teenage gangs. Eoin Kavanagh, who shares the role of Bernardo with David Prendergast, explains: "The Jets are a group of American teenagers determined not only to check but to destroy the growth of the Puerto Rican population and influence on their block. The Sharks are the rival Puerto Rican gang led by Bernardo."

The show opens on a downtown street in New York where the Jets are out of sorts. The Sharks are on their patch. Riff, the leader of the Jets, decides to challenge Bernardo to a gang fight at the school dance. He tries to persuade his friend Tony, a former Jet, to help him. It's there that Tony meets Maria ... and the rest is history!

Some of the leading roles will be swopped among members of the cast for the four-night production. These include Eoin Kavanagh and David Prendergast as Tony and Bernardo, and Orla Conleth and Suri Grennell (pictured above with Noel Merrick and both from Cross and Passion College, Kilcullen) sharing the part of Maria.

Besides the huge cast, credit must also go to the production team with Mona Conroy as director, ably assisted by Brighid Cannon and Kathryna Phibbs; Brian Brady is musical director assisted by Mary Slattery; choreography is by Deirdre Browne.

The show takes place in Naas CBS from February 7-10. Tickets are available from Mattimoes and Naas CBS school, tel 045 - 866402.


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Minister 'slaps councillors in the face' over funding

KILDARE GENERAL, 23 January 2001: by Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan. What is effectively a slap in the collective face of Kildare's councillors by the minister for the environment has been greeted with 'amazement' by Labour councillor Catherine Murphy today.

This follows the refusal of the minister to meet with a deputation from Kildare County Council in relation to the continued under-funding of the County.

The deputation was proposed by FF members of the council following figures produced by Cllr Murphy at a recent Council meeting showing the continued pattern of under-funding under the new Needs and Resources Model. The figures showed that while the average per capita funding throughout the county councils was £106.60, Kildare only received £74.22 per head of population and the minister's home county of Meath got just £100.06. This compared to a high pc figure of £228.76 for Leitrim. The only county lower than Kildare was South Dublin at £54.75 per head, but highly urban areas traditionally get lower per capita funding on the basis that infrastructural services are in more compact areas and therefore less expensive.

Minister Dempsey told Cllr Murphy earlier last year following a complaint by her about how counties like Kildare and his own County Meath are treated under this new funding model that ‘Kildare will have to prove it is underfunded’. His refusal to meet with this deputation shows a complete unwillingness to allow Kildare to do just that argues Cllr Murphy.

The Minister in his reply accepts the model 'requires further refinement and improvement' and goes on to add 'a process will be established to review the model and it is intended that local authorities will be directly involved in the process'. In that context he argues 'a meeting at this stage would be premature'.

In a statement today, Cllr Murphy concludes that she has no option but to bring the matter up yet again at the next Council meeting. Telling residents associations or individuals who contact the council on issues within its remit, that it is premature to seek what other Counties take for granted should not be an option for Kildare County Council and is a disgraceful rebuttal from the Minister for the Environment.

At the most recent raising of the issue at Kildare County Council, Cllr Paul Kelly said the council must 'examine our own consciences as to what extent was the case put by the County Council?' "Was it done in the most effective way? Why weren't we able to convince them Kildare deserves extra treatment? There is a certain amount of politics involved there and perhaps the Council can send a deputation to the Government to make the case."

Deputy Emmet Stagg TD retorted: "You're in Government now. It's your own Minister that won't give us the money."

Cllr Kelly then suggested the council send a deputation as it was 'a serious issue'. It was agreed that the deputation would consist of two Fianna Fail members and Cllr Catherine Murphy, as well as the chairman.

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Councillor calls for public's ideas on litter, waste management

MAYNOOTH, 23 January 2001: by Bill Trapman. An appeal to the people of County Kildare for suggestions and proposals on litter prevention control, ideas on recycling, and re-use and water quality control has been made by Cllr Senan Griffin, following his recent appointment as chairman of the Strategic Environmental Committee for the county.

Speaking at a meeting of Maynooth Fine Gael, Cllr Griffin said the important environmental issues for the people of the county are prevention of waste, re-use, re-cycling, protection/conservation of resources such as water and energy.

Speaking generally on the environment, he advised members that 68% of people think that the environment is an urgent problem but only 18% are prepared to pay higher charges to solve the problem, 67% never pay attention to packaging , while 75% have access to glass recycling only 25% are actually availing of recycling glass, and 49% admit to littering.

“The challenge for the people of Co Kildare is for clear leadership at local & regional level,” he said, “along with a willingness to take hard decisions on behalf of the county and an acceptance that segregation and separate collection of recyclables/organics are part of an improved waste management infrastructure for Co Kildare.”

Cllr Griffin spoke of the need to protect the water quality in the county and noted that the national position on water quality is that it is good, but is rapidly deteriorating. “Some 33% of rivers were deemed polluted in 1997 and there has been a 50% increase in pollution over the past ten years,” he said. “Ten Years ago 77% of our rivers were unpolluted. This increase in pollution of our rivers is causing serious concern at both national and local level.”

Each individual, said Cllr Griffin, has a role to play in improving the
environment of his or her own locality. This, he said can best be achieved in partnership with the community and Kildare County Council. “I am prepared to put in place, through the Environmental Committee, suggestions from the public and to meet with local groups to ascertain their views and concerns on the environment."

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Narrow escape for crane operator

NAAS, 23 January 2001: by Brian Byrne. The driver of a mobile crane had a narrow escape from injury at the weekend when his vehicle collapsed as he was trying to lift a canal dredger at Jigginstown, Naas.

The canal bank under one of the crane struts gave way during the operation, and the crane overturned onto the dredger. The operator was unhurt, but the incident caused traffic difficulties at the time and the following day when two other mobile cranes had to be brought in to lift the machine upright.


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No planning permission applied for school yet

NAAS, 23 January 2001: by Trish Whelan. No planning permission has yet been lodged for the proposed new 16-teacher primary school in Oldtown estate, according to UDC chairman Cllr Pat O’Reilly.

He was speaking during last week’s debate on a motion by Cllr Timmy Conway ‘that the UDC set a time to consider the educational needs of the town’.

Parish Priest Fr Moling Lennon had told the Council that the new 500-pupil school was expected to be ready to take in pupils in September 2002. Fr Lennon had said that planning permissions ‘need to be in place’ by April 2001 for the school to open by September 2002.

Cllr Evelyn Bracken said Fr Lennon should ‘come out in the open’ and say what is happening about the new school. Cllr Willie Callaghan believed ‘a lot of the problems eminate from the Dept of Education’ but added that parents trying to get their children into Naas schools say it IS the business of the council.

Cllr Mary Glennon told of 50 children already enrolled in Naas Convent school for the Year 2008! One mother drops her children off at three different schools which all adds to traffic congestion; other pupils have to travel to Dublin schools. Cllr Anthony Egan said future numbers could be determined by checking the register of births.

It was agreed to check with local and outlying schools - both primary and secondary - to determine future enrollment numbers (as well as the numbers of Naas pupils in outlying schools) and to meet school managers and the Dept of Education, to help determine the future education needs of the town.

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Residents want development bond called in

NAAS, 22 January 2001: by Trish Whelan. Residents of Arconagh estate in Naas want Naas UDC to call in the £90,000 development bond provided by John Connolly of Conan Homes Ltd if the estate is not completed by June 2001. The money would be used to finance the cost of the outstanding works.

Fears of health safety over sewerage seepage and the state of the green area (above) were expressed by a deputation of Paul Murphy, Noreen Hyde and Brendan Kenny, representing Arconagh Residents Association.

They said: “The UDC and the developer seem to think the ball is in the other’s court, with us caught in the middle.”

The deputation asked the Council to show leadership in the matter saying: “The question arises whether the Council will be sufficiently assertive to ensure its planning permissions are complied with.”

In 1996, the UDC had threatened to enforce the bond unless the estate was completed without delay. Residents fear that without the Council’s intervention, matters are likely to remain in limbo.

The first houses in the estate are now more than ten years old; the most recently-built, over six. According to the residents, since 1993 numerous approaches have been made by residents to the developer to complete the estate, but these were met with vague promises. Some progress was made in repairing and replacing damaged footpaths and drainage covers.

Of major concern are the green area and the sewage system which residents claim is ‘inadequate and not properly maintained’ resulting in raw sewage seeping onto footpaths and an unpleasant smell in some houses. “This is a public health hazard and we had to call in the Health Board,” Noreen Hyde told councillors.

It was stated that the green area was never properly rolled by the developer and has been effectively ‘unusable’ for more than a decade. And while a minimal amount of drainage work was undertaken in January 2000, it was ‘inadequate and ineffective’ and the green remains a marsh for at least ten months of the year. Even in the summer when it does dry out, it remains unusable as the surface is uneven. “It requires more than token attempts at drainage; it needs to be rolled and re-seeded.”

However when the area does become usable, a football pitch is planned together with a modern children’s playground, for which residents are willing to contribute in partnership with the UDC. Arconagh estate has more than 140 children under the age of 15 years, the vast majority of whom are under ten.

Arconagh developer John Connolly of Conan Homes Ltd has been presented with a snag list of outstanding works that must be completed, including the green area, according to Naas UDC chairman Pat O’Reilly (right). However he could not give a guarantee that the list would be completed by the June 29 deadline, sought by residents.

Town clerk Declan Kirrane warned that once a bond is called in, ‘you automatically take on legal responsibility for the estate’. He said the Council would investigate the costs.

Arconagh residents want the completion issue to remain on the UDC’s agenda, with councillors seeking regular progress reports.

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Town Commission holds meeting in Japanese school

NEWBRIDGE, 22 January 2001: by Brian Byrne. The close relationship which has developed between the Japanese Sundai School near Newbridge and the local town was praised during a small reception prior to the most recent meeting of Newbridge Town Commission, which was held in the school

Commission chair Cllr Fiona O'Loughlin made a presentation to the Director General and Acting Principal of the school, Mr Kanehide Seo, of a 5,000-year-old piece of bog oak, to mark the occasion. She said the school was carrying out very important work in the education not just of Japanese students, but in providing opportunities for local children to see something of Japanese history and culture.

She particularly mentioned the input of the school's pupils during the recent fesitval in Newbridge, where they contributed an Irish Dancing routine to the street entertainment programme.

Mr Seo said the staff and students at the school had, over the 12 years since it was built, found Irish people to be 'very good to foreigners'.

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Around the County

ATHY: Athy is to be the first Garda Station in the Kildare/Carlow Division to get an increase in the number of gardai. Accroding to Chief Superintendent Sean Feely, this will take place in the next couple of months.

The move has been welcomed by Deputy Jack Wall, who said in these changed circumstances he hopes that this will allow the station to be manned on a 24-hour basis.

NAAS: Naas UDC is to seek to have traffic lights at the junction of North Main Street/Poplar Square/Sallins Road in Naas adjusted to allow more time for pedestrians to cross the road when the ‘Green Man’ appears.

The matter was raised by Cllr Pat McCarthy at last week’s UDC meeting. Officials agreed there was a ‘very limited time of nine seconds’ from the Poplar Pharmacy to the Island for pedestrians to cross. It was pointed out that it is the responsibility of Kildare County Council.

NAAS: Greenaun development levies to the tune of £30,000 are to be resurrected and offered to Kildare County Council as part of its submission for government funding for improvements to the entrance to Ashgrove estate, estimated to cost £200,000.

The junction is the responsibility of Kildare County Council.

Cllr Pat McCarthy said traffic on the Dublin Road is now worse than ever. He had asked the UDC to apply for funding to allow the project to start, given the delay by Kildare County Council in sourcing the finance.

Cllr Charlie Byrne believed the money should come from the same source as funding for proposed improvements at Donnelly Mirrors and Fishery Lane. Cllr Seamie Moore pointed out that there was ‘an accident a week’ at the Ashgrove junction.

NAAS: Six cars were stolen from outside houses in Monread Estate on Wednesday of last week. On Thursday, another three cars were taken from the Sallins area; one was located the following day.
Two of the cars were found in Dublin.

LEIXLIP: Leixlip's new Library may be up and running within a year, according to latest news. The building, which will be on the Newtown House site where the current library service is located, has undergine the tender process and a buildir is expected to be on site in early Spring.

Newtown House itself is to be handed over to a local community group.

LEIXLIP: A new Bill which will ensure the control and supervision of individuals and firms providing security services by setting up a Private Security Authorityhas been welcomed by Fianna Fáil Councillor Paul Kelly.

"This Bill represented progress on yet another commitment in the Government’s legislative programme, and will help maintain and improve standards within the industry," he said.

LEIXLIP: An NTL proposal to dig up Leixlips Main Street to lay communications cable has been described as 'madness' by Cllr John McGinley.

"This arises because the Government will grant a Communications licence to anyone who wants one and the Council then have to give them permission to dig the streets," he said at a recent Leixlip Area Committee meeting. "If the Government set a realistic cost for the Licence there would not be so many people interested."

NAAS: Concern would like to thank all who collected and contributed to their Christmas street collection which totalled £2,633. This did not include money from the sponsored fast.

NAAS: Naas UDC hopes an allocation of £5,000 to fund a five-year plan for the Tidy Towns would be a template for future improvements in the town. Litter contributed to marks being lost in the Annual Tidy Towns Competition this year.

NAAS: The Knights of Saint Columbanus wish to thank everyone who contributed to their collection on behalf of Sr Mary Jo Hannon and her mission in Lesotho. The total raised was £1,100 which has been forwarded to Sr Mary Jo in total.

NAAS: Nas na Riogh Singers are looking for tenors and basses for the new season. If you are interested, please contact John at 045 877919..

LEIXLIP: Leixlip Area councillors are to meet with Kildare's county manager this month to see if there can be a faster way to progress negotiations with the ESB for land proposed for a town car park. Last month the councillors were told that CPO procedures had been initiated.