Times-Advocate, 1985-07-24, Page 1Accountants must
pay for bad advice
A firm of London accountants that
advised two investors to put their
money into a -shaky London
restaurant has been directed to repay
the investors $47,399 for the bad.
advice.
Clarkson and Gordon and Company
and their agent. William Beavers,
have been directed by the Ontario
supreme court to pay the funds to
businessman Robert Hamather of
Hensall and widow Gwendolyn Rader
of Grand Bend.
In a decision rendered in the profes-
sional negligence case, Mr. Justice
W.J. Anderson ordered the money
paid to recoup the Toss of a $35.000 in-
vestment and most of a $15.000 loan
guarantee the pair made in 1978.
The decision follows a 12 -day trial
which started in London in March and
concluded in Toronto.
London lawyer Paul Downs said the
judge found "incongruities" in
documents entered as evidence by the
accountants and that his award in-
cluded interest on the lost funds.
Evidence was that in late 1978,
Hamather and Rader asked Clarkson
and Gordon for advice on the wisdom
of lending the $35,000 to 380941 Ontario
Ltd. which owned Maggie's Speak
Easy Restaurant at 394 Clarence St.
The investors were advised to go
ahead and also provided the loan
guarantee. The business lost about
$25,000 in its first two months of
operation and was destroyed in a late
1979 fire.
"The investment went sour and the
monies were lost," the investors
claimed. seeking compensation for
bad financial advice. -
Downs said some of the loan
guarantee money was subsequently
recovered by Hamather, an Exeter
car dealer, and Rader.
AN ENJOYABLE RIDE - Marie DeBruyn dressed as a clown takes
Rob Linton of the Huron street group homes during a Saturday rodeo.
HOSE DEMONSTRATION Dan Ryder and Wally Becker of the
Huron Park fire department man the hoses during a demonstration
sponsored by the Huron Mutual Fire Aid.
To apply for large
group home tonight
While the South Iluron Association
for the Mentally Handicapped will
proceed with plans to build a group
home in the north-east section of Ex-
eter, indications are that they would
1►e happy to reach a compromise with
residents of the area who have oppc►s
ed the plan.
Executive director .John Gray told
the '1'-A this week that a building per-
mit application for a large semi-
detached home will he presented 10
the Exeter - planning advisory com-
mittee this week. although the
'Association would still prefer to build
two smaller residences.
Ile indicated the site of the semi-
detached hone. which would contain
four-bedroom units on both sides.
would probably he -somewhere het -
ween :I.(NNI and-I.INMI square feel i11
total.
Thal would be considerably larger
than most of the homes in the in1-
mediate area.
Two smaller homes. he explained.
would is preferred by the Association
as it would he a better use of the 1►ro-
'perty and would enhance the
neighborhood more than a larger
building. It would also give the
Four hurt
in collisions
Three people sustained minor in-
juries in a Tour -vehicle chain reaction
collision on Friday at the intersection
of 1lighway -land the Credit on Road
Drivers involved t%('re Peter Zen-
drow•ski, limdon..lenniler Scott. Fen -
(hill: Pamela 'Thiessen. Auburn: and
Catherine Anton, Chatham.
Scott and two passengers in her
vehicle were shaken up and total
damage to the four vehicles was set
al $3.1511.
11 was one of the three collisions in-
vestigated this week by the Exeter
OPI'
Another Friday crash involved
vehicles operated by Larry Davis.
Brampton. Shaella O'Brien. Strat-
ford. They collided nn Highway 21
north of Grand Bend and damage was
$I.525. -
The other collision was -on Sunday
when a vehicle dhriven by Sherry
Travers. I(R 2 Zurich, was forced oft
concession 2-3 of (lay by an unknown
vehicle The Travers vehicle went
through the ditch. striji g a culvert
and came to rest in a wheat field.
The driver was taken to South
Iluron Hospital for treatment of in-
juries. Damage was estimated al
$1.000.
Over the weekend. the police report
that a stereo was stolen'h•om the flea
salt residence of Don Single. It was
valued al $1.200. About $50 in cash was
also taken
Association more flexibility.
However. under the town's new zon-
ing bylaw. Iwo smaller homes could
not he built in the area without a ma-
jor variance.
Gray indicated that if the residents
of the neighlx)rhood would prefer to •
see two smaller homes they would
have to okay the minor variance that
would be needed.
Under the bylaw. institutions have
to he set 300 metres from each -other.
and that would prohibit two smaller
.residences on the 99'x 176' property
the Association has available.-
The
vailable,The Association official said the
Iluron County planning department
has indicated that the semi-detached
building would be permissible.
if it is approved by the planning ad-
•
visory coMmittee and council. the
Association would still ente1•tain
discussions with the neighborhood
residents for the proposal 10 erect two
smaller homes. -
Gray said any residents in-
terested in discussing this alternative
could contact him.
(.r•,ry emphasized that the Associa-
tion would like to build two smaller
homes to blend in with the
-neighborh(x)(i. bid indicated That the
support 01 the neightx►r's would be re-
quired to get the necessary minor
variance approved to accomplish that
goa I .
READY TO OPEN TURTLE DAYS — Ailsa Craig's Turtle Days officially opened at noon Saturday. Shown
checking the program are chairman Doug McNair, Ailsa Craig reeve Don Shipway, Middlesex warden
Bill Lane and Jack Rosser. T -A photo
Ames -
Serving South Huron, North Middlesex
One Hundred and Twelfth Year
dvocate
& North Lambton Since 1873
EXETER, ONTARIO, July 24, 1985
Tests conducted in Hensall, lake system
Price Per Copy 50 Cents
aiacor in area water
Watersupplies in Mitchell. Hensall
and the - Lake Huron water supple
system at Grand Bend have so far
been negative in tests for the
chemical alachlor.
London environment ministry of-
ficial Ray Lampman said both the
water and water treatment plants in
these localities have been tested once
a month for the chemical Lasso.
which is expected to be banned by
next year. is the source of alachlor.
The Lake Huron water supply system
feeds water to Dashwood, Crediton
e:-rr.rs.,em-- fix: :MAX .
Store re -opens
after alterations
Customers visiting Les's Valu Mart
which opened Tuesday morning at the --
interesection of Highways 4 and 83
and formerly a Zehr's market will
find many changes.
The entire appearance of the store
has been changed by the independent
owner and operator Les Bott and his
family. First of all the decor has been
greatly enhanced with Valu Mart
green as the dominant colour.
Bott who was the manager of the
Zehr's operation in Exeter for the
past five yearssays,-We are putting
the emphasis on friendly service. Our
main goal is to provide Exeter and
area shoppers with lower prices
which will include weekly specials."
• Ile continued. "We are going to im-
prove customers service with carry -
outs to your cars and store hours are
being extended.
The store will he open each Mon-
day, Tuesday and Saturday from 8:30
to 6 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday
hours will be from 8:30 a.tn. to 9 p.m.
and Friday's open hours will he from
8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
One of the features is a complete
change in the grocery aisle lineup.
Associated items will be located in the
same aisle making grocery articles
much easier to find.
The lull line in-store bakery will
continue and the meal department is
. being expanded to provide better
quality.
Another Exeter resident Tom Seip
will be the -store's assistant manager.
inn Leslie is manager of the meat
department. produce manager is
Jack Phillips and Peter Van Loo is
manager of the bakery division. Ethel
Bort will handle the accounting and
Marj Cooper is head cashier and of-
fice co-ordinator.
CUT VALUE MART CAKE - less Bott, independent owner and
operator of°Les's Value Mart which opened Tuesday morning cuts
the official opening coke with the help of his wife Ethel at the left
and office co-ordinator Marj Cooper. T -A photo
.and several other area
municipalities.
Huron medical officer of health, Dr.
Harry Ciesler said the tests are con-
sidered negative if Tess than five parts
of chemical perbillions parts of water
are discovered in the water supply.
Dr. Cieslar said Lasso has been
found in quantities atxn•e the five
parts per billion in his native area of
Dresden. Marketed by Monsanto.
Lassa is used as a pesticide for most-
ly corn and.soya bean crops. -
The Iluron MO1J said traces oIlhe
watch for the chemical which has
been (inked to cancer..
Lampman said the places where
tests have been positive are tested
weekly. I le expects all testing will be
completed by the middle of August
because the chemical has a life span
of six weeks.
"Alachlor has a fairly rapid
breakdown." said Lampman. .
As of the beginning oI this month.
the ministry had taken 1.380 water
samples this year -
Private %cells are also being tested.
chemical surfaced in water su lies........bol; utubegir linided,-=Hi`xt'ft t<'Pf�T
a
- year. This year the Ontario ministry . University of Guelph which can only
of environment has been -.keeping • do 150 'tests a day
By next year the_whole issue will
be gone." states the Huron. MOH
because of the ban. although Monsan-
to is fighting**
However. he said more money has
to be spent on developing tests for •
detecting other chemicals in water.
Dr. ('ieslar said there are thousands
of chemicals and just a small number
of tests.
"Even if the American government
gave up 'star wags' there's still not •
-enough money." he said.
Some re uests ha�c t. n ►dn! ILS
Mrttft s iv o lave used this
mireftitui'Ttt'J `` fl+d" of er s es last said the tests are• being done at the chemical for 20 years. Dr. Ciesjar-
said no test for humans has 'yet been
developed.
MUTUAL FIRE AID -- Phil Graham of Angus Hose talks to Huron Park fire chief Norm Hyde, Tony Jones,
Dave McDonald' and Larry Henderson during a recent Huron Mutual Aid demonstration.
Wrong suspension term
doesn't save driver fine
A Rexdale man who was incorrect
ly advised as to the length of a licence
suspension. was still Iined $25:3 after
being convicted of driving while
under suspension when he appeared
in Exeter court. Tuesday.
Evidence revealed that .John
Stritzel had been advised by the
ministry of transportation and com-
munication that his licence had been
suspended for :30 days on April 1:1.
The ministry later advised the wife
of the accused via a telephone conver-
sation
onveysation that the suspension was for Iwo
years.
Stritzel was charged by Exeter
()PP on May 2 after being slopped for
a speeding offence.
The Rexdalc man. who operates a
business there as .well as in Grand
Bend. said he would not have driven
had he known his licence was still
under suspension.
However. Justice of (he Peace Gor''tt'
Ferris levied the conviction and fine..
noting that even the 30 days had not
expired between the original suspen-
sion and the (late on which the accu-
ed was charged.
StrltT.ei was given: 30 days in which
to pay the fine.
Ronald Lester Blanc. RR I Zurich.
was fined $128 after pleading guilty to
a careless driving charge laid after an
incident on March 23 when his car
failed to nc otiate a curve in Stephen
Township and rolled over in the ditch.
There were no injuries and damage
DAMAGE IS HIGH -
Damage was estimated al $3.100 in
a two -vehicle 'collision in Exeter
around 4:30 p.m.. Friday. at the in
tersection of Highways 4 and 83.
A southbound vehrrle driven by
Ronald Finlayson. Kippen. was in the
process of making a left turn onto
Highway 8:I when it collided with 'a
northbound vehicle driven - b}
Deborah Shore. Wroxeter.
There were no injuries in the
collision.
to the vehicle was listed at 85.000.
A charge of failing 10 remain al the
scene of an accident was withdrawn
and the accused was given 30 days in
which 10 pay the fine.
A Forest area plumber. Jack
-VanGeel. was given the minimum
fine of 828 for failing to arrange for
the final plumbing test on work he had
completed in a Dashwood home. The
charge was laid by the Iluron County
Health Unit under the Plumhing
('ode.
Evidence revealed that VanGeel
had taken out a work permit on May
5. 1984 but did not conduct the final in-
spection when contacted by the
Health Unit in February of 1985 Thu
accused said he had phoned the 1'nit
to say he Was.too busy. to coupe back
to the area for the final lest. .
Health (,'nil officials agreed to the
minimum fine on the understanding
that the accursed would conduct the
final lest.
The other two cases on Tuesday 's
docket were related to speeding
offences.
tonie Ann Carberry. Detroit, was
Ioguilty of drivingal a speed of
110 in an 80 km zone on May 24 and
was fined 848. while Joad F'. Sa.
Toronto. was found guilly of driving
al a steed of 106 in an 84) km. zone on
June 9 and was fined $42.
Assault victim
out of hospital
Gerrigjc \'crkerk. who sus . ined
.serious head injuries lollo win
assault al her 97 Andrew St. N.
t•csidence on July 6, has been releas=
ed from South Huron 1lospilaI.
I ler 77 -year-old husband. Cornelius.
has been charged he Exeter police
with attempted murder and wounding
following the incident
The local man was remanded in
custody to the London Psychiatric
1lospital for a 30 -day assessment after
appearing in Goderic•h court on the
Iwo charges
Sun shines again,
but the party doesn't
The sun was shining brightly in
Kirkton Wednesday •afternoon. hut.
for -the first lime in 41 years it really
didn't matter if it rained or not
II was the third Wednesday in ,Jul
and for the first time since 1944. the
annual Kirkton Garden Party was not
scheduled -
Late last fall the Kirklon Communi-
ty Association decided to drop the an-
nual party for at least one year.
l,ee Paul who has been involved
with the popular- summer event for all
of the 40 years said. `'Thinking about
it today. brings hack fond memories
of the many wonderful limes , we
had."
Paul added. "I have, heard veru lit -
Ile comment froth local residents.
but . have had a number of calls from
out of town asking it the garden par-
ty
arl% is on.•• • •
He added. "The Kirkton Communi-
ty Association which has sponsored
the party is still in operation. We will
he having our annual meeting in
November and any further hopes for
the 'garden parte will likely be
discussed we will 11150 lie sponsoring
a Halloween• party for area
youngsters as usual."
During the past 40 years rain only
interfered on one occasion when the
garden party was transferred t0 the
St. Marys arena
4