STARTS THIS THURSDAY!
S
37
under a spell
Eight-year-olds Danielle Arku, left, Zaeem Hossain and Adam Al-Dhaher compete in the 14th Annual London Regional Spelling Bee Sunday at Central high school in London. Arku, a University Heights
elementary school pupil, finished fifth in the primary division for six to eight year olds, Hossain of Eagle Heights school finished second and Al-Dhaher of Al-Taqwa Academy won with the word
“investigate,” taking home $200, a large trophy and the right to represent London at the Spelling Bee of Canada national invitational championships in Toronto on May 6.
Hotels raise red flags over strip
bar’s plans to head south
Owner of Golddiggers has applied to shift bar off
Dundas and move near OPP on Exeter Road
Norman De Bono
The London Free Press
A Dundas Street strip bar that
has generated controversy because
it’s next to a childcare centre may
move to Exeter Road across the
street from the OPP, but hotels in
the area say it should stay put.
George Nikopoulos owns Gold-
diggers at 2010 Dundas St. He has
applied to the city to move the club,
formerly called the Royal Lancas-
ter, to 802 Exeter Rd.
He said developers have ap-
proached him with offers to rede-
velop the Dundas site.
“This would be a win for the
city. Finally, after decades, that li-
cence could be moved from Dun-
das Street,” Nikopoulos said. “(The
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1983 to 2018 celebrating 35 years of service to the London and area Community
TH SP R I NG A R T
C RA F T S H O W
THURSDAY, MAR 29TH 5-9PM • GOOD FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 10-5PM
Exeter Road) area is growing. It is
expanding. I hope the city plays
ball.”
The commercial plaza at 802 Ex-
eter Rd. is across the street from
the OPP’s London detachment.
“It is perfect for the police to
keep an eye on us,” Nikopoulos
said. “The more police presence,
the better. It may keep some peo-
ple away.”
But hotels on Exeter Road, just
east of Wellington Road, oppose
Golddiggers’ plan to move.
“I would prefer it stay where it is.
It creates a stigma when it is around
hotels,” said David Abraham, gen-
eral manager of the Hampton Inn.
“I have been general manager at a
property close to an establishment
like that before. It is not good for
Postmedia reporters
share their findings after
months of tracking more
than six million political
donations at the federal
and provincial levels. NP
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MONday, mARCh 26, 2018
business.”
Coun. Jared Zaifman represents
the Exeter Road area on city coun-
cil.
He said he’s trying to get feed-
back from residents and business-
es on the possible move of Gold-
diggers and isn’t surprised hotels
are opposed.
“There are concerns about hav-
ing a strip club near hotels,” he
said. “It is very early in the proc-
ess. There are concerns around sex
trafficking in hotels in the area. I
see both sides of it.”
A body rub parlour called Ambi-
ence operates in the Exeter Road
plaza where Golddiggers wants to
locate.
Orest Katolyk, the city’s chief
municipal law enforcement officer,
said strip club owners are permit-
ted to apply to move a licence.
See golddiggers | A6
More than a dozen Canadian
cities host marches to call for
stricter gun control laws in
both Canada and the United
States, adding their voices to a
global movement. NP
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Young Knights squad needs
playoff toughness in Game 3
Ryan
Pyette
The Knights were fired up before
the OHL post-season for two ma-
jor reasons.
First, they thought their re-
vamped squad could actually sur-
prise some people and do some
damage, kind of the way the Wind-
sor Spitfires have so far.
And second, they knew their
young core — the one expected to
lead the club back to Memorial Cup
contention — would be able to soak
up all the emotional highs and lows
of a playoff run and become better
for the experience.
So far, we can say one thing for
sure.
These Knights are learning
how to take some well-placed gut
we asked you...
Would you like to see the Senate kill
the government’s pot legalization
bill?
YES 57%
NO 43%
Total votes cast: 1,521
from
$
799
P OST M E D I A
SECTION B
Derek Ruttan/The London Free Press
punches.
It was tough enough to lose a
hard-fought Game 1 on a winning
tally that was banked in off goal-
tender Joseph Raaymakers.
But Game 2 was basically a Shake-
spearean tragedy on ice, Hamlet
holding a hockey puck instead of
Yorick’s skull.
How else do you describe a team
that locks down a high-powered of-
fence for more than half the game,
then surrenders a final-minute goal
with the goaltender pulled and the
overtime marker shortly after tak-
ing a too-many-men penalty?
See playoffs | A6
Ohl playoffs
Owen Sound leads best-of-seven
Western quarterfinal 2-0
Game 3: Monday, 7 p.m. at
Budweiser Gardens.
Game 4: Thursday, 7 p.m. at the
Bud.
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