Chief reporter Jack Tolson takes a look through the Chronicle archives from July 2000 to see what was making the news in Barnsley.
BASIL’S BRUSH WITH DEATH
BASIL the greyhound is recovering after his heartless owner left him for dead - tethered to a tree on a quiet bridleway.
Animal welfare workers believe the 18-month-old had been there for a week before being found by a man walking his dog between Carlton and Royston.
They fear he would have died of dehydration had he been left there for much longer.
Deborah Rothery from the TIA greyhound rescue said: “Whoever left him there must have known they were leaving him to die because that path is very isolated and they would not have expected him to be found.
“He wouldn’t have survived if he hadn’t been found when he was.
“We reckon that because of the state he was in he must have been there for at least a week.
“He was very dehydrated and emaciated.
“I just can’t understand why anyone would want to do such a thing to a dog.
“If they didn’t want him they could have called an animal rescue, there’s no excuse for doing what they did.”
PLANS DRAWN for £1m SHOPPING MALL
A BUILDING firm has drawn up plans for a £1m shopping centre on the outskirts of Barnsley.
Dodworth-based Booker Contracting has bought Mapplewell Ex-servicemen’s Club - known locally as the Tin Hat - and intends to flatten the site.
It wants to use the land for a shopping mall which would include restaurants as well as offices and flats.
A small, replacement club would also be part of the deal which saw the club change hands for a figure believed to be in the region of £180,000.
The plans have yet to be submitted to the council but director Peter Booker said the venture would be good news for Barnsley.
He added: “It is a fantastic scheme - very modern looking and pleasing to the eye - and we have high hopes for it.
“We hope to have a wide range of shops and businesses on the site.”
TOUGH CALL FOR BINGO BOSS ERIC
BINGO club manager Eric Howell is facing his toughest ever call - scaling three of the world’s most spectacular volcanoes.
He is one of 30 amateur climbers taking part in the quest to climb Vesuvius, Stromboli and Mount Etna.
The 30-year-old manager of Gala Club in Pontefract Road believes it was fate that he ended up taking part.
He said: “It was pure chance that I found out about it.
“It’s as if I was destined to go.
“Despite the element of danger, I’ve always been fascinated by volcanoes.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I am determined to make the grade.”
