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Times-Advocate, 1986-01-29, Page 31 DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATION — Jodi Mosurintohn of Huron Park tokes his children Sarah and Danny for a ride in a wagon, Thursday afternoon. T -A photo Council at Stanley set wage increase During its first meeting of the year, council set wages forthe township employees. According to Clerk - Treasurer Mel Graham, workers received an increase of approximate- ly five percent, for an average in- crease of 45 cents per hour. The road superintendent's hourly wage will go from $11.13 to $11.58; grader operator, $9.98 to $10.43; junior grader operator, $7.98 to $8.43; truck driver, $9.72 to $10.17; casual labor, Won't tamper with success Members of the Kirkton Agricultural Society decided at their well -attended annual meeting not to tamper with the formula which made last year's Kirkton Fair such a success. The 1985 fair, expanded to a three- day event, featured a demolition der- by, a fiddlers' jamboree and a pork supper. These crowd-pleasers will be repeated this year, despite the fact the cost of liability insurance has doubled for 1986. The fund-raising gourmet dinner hosted by Michael and Diane O'Shea has become a popular annual tradi- tion. Once again 400 tickets at $2 each . will go on sale in March. The winning couple will be entitled to invite another lucky pair to accompany them to the O'Shea home for a memorable meal. O'Shea stepped down as president of the Kirkton Agricultural Society, but remains as a director. Shirley Brintnell succeeds him as president. Other members elected to the 1986 • board are Helen Shute, first vice- president; Garth Blackler, second vice-president; secretary -treasurer Marianne Ferguson; and directors Paul Robinson, Murray Switzer, Joyce Bickell, Deborah Webb, Janice Richardson, Marilyn Stevens, Jim Nairn and Keith Wilson. $6 to $6.45. The building inspector will receive a seven percent increase, making Stanley Township's share of his wages $3,672. He, as well as township exployees and councillors will receive a two cents mileage increase, receiv- ing 27 cents per kilometre. The township's clerk -treasurer and tax collector will earn $24,712 this year and the deputy clerk -treasurer will earn $11,932. This is an increase of approximately five percent. Hensall and Zurich $1,500 to assist with their recreational facilities. They also agreed to grant the Vanastra Recreation Centre $1,000. An payments are due in December. A number of bylaws were passed during council's January meeting. The first bylaw of 1986 is 'the township's borrowing bylaw which will allow council to borrow up to $700,000. The passing of this bylaw is standard procedure. Bylaw two allows for interim tax bills of 142 mills. According to Clerk Graham, this would allow for $520,000 to be collected, during the year in- stead of a larger sum once a year. A minimum tax on lots was set at $10. The township has appointed Vodden and Bender of Goderich as auditors. Darcy Rathwell, Cliff Henderson and Ron Overholt were appointed as fence viewers. Livestock evaluators for 1986 will be Ken McCowan Sr. and Robert Turner. Richard Erb and Jack Coleman were appointed as tile drainage in- spectors. Erb will cover the area to the west while Mr. Coleman will look after the area to the east. The weed inspector will be Joe Gib- son of RR 2 Seaforth. Two recreation committee members have been changed. Arlene McCowan and Audry McLellan - Triebner will no longer be a part of the committee. New members are Ken McCowan Jr. and Sandra Johnston. Time: -Advocate, January 29, 1986 Pogo 3 Exeter man termed insane during time of wife's assault A 77 -year-old Exeter man has been found not guilty, by reason of insani- ty, for the July 6 attempted murder and aggravated assault of his wife. Cornelius Verkerk, 97 Andrew St. N., appeared in Goderich court, Mon- day, and was ordered confined to the London Psychiatric hospital by Judge Gary Hunter. His further care and release would be subject to the Lieutenant - Governor's review board. The court learned that the assault may havebeen_precipitated by Verkerk's paranoiabout having to leave his home for a brief period due to the fact his wife was scheduled for an operation. He apparently misconstrued plans to have him stay with a daughter as being an attempt by his wife to kick him out of the house. Only two witnesses appeared at the brief court hearing where Verkerk pleaded not guilty to the two charges. His 73 -year-old wife, Gerrigje, told the court she and her husband had gone to bed around 10:00 p.m. on Ju- ly 5 and that her husband had been •restless throughout the night. Around 6:00 a.m., the following morning her husband came running into their bedroom with a hammer saying, "now I come to kill you". The court was told the accused struck his wife of 46 years eight or nine times on the head and also broke a bone in her hand as she attempted to use the latter to protect herself from the blows. Mrs. Verkerk recounted how she made her way to a landing at the cellar stairs and her husband then pushed her down the stairs and struck her head again a couple of times with the hammer. She said her husband said,"now you've had it". The diminutive woman explained that she prayed for strength and was able to make her way to a neighbor's home where members of her family were called. Mrs. Verkerk required 40 stitches to close the hammer wounds to her head and explained that her "whole face was black". She spent 10 days in hospital. She identified the hammer produc- ed as evidence by the Exeter police department and also pictures taken of her blood-stained bedroom, Cellar and of her bead and hands. The mother of 10 children told the court that prior to the attack, she was scheduled to have an operation and arrangements had been made with her husband to stay with a daughter In Kincardine. It was suggested to, the court that Verkerk did not understand the reason why he was going to have to spend some time with his daughter and that he feared his wife was try- ing to kick him out of the houae. Mrs. Verkerk said she didn't know how her husband had come to that conclusion, but said during the attack Short Term Deposits Smiley's final one? Bill Smiley, the homespun philosopher who amused, irked or simply entertained readers of the Exeter -Times Advocate and other weekly newspapers across Canada, has written what could be his last column. The T -A, among the first group of newspapers to use the column almost 30 years ago, was notified this week that the 65 -year-old retired publisher, teacher and former fighter pilot from Midland has been in poor health. "It is with much regret that we ad- vise you that due to poor health, Bill Smiley will no longer be writing his column," syndicator Ray Argyle said in his letter. "Bill has asked us to express his deep personal appreciation for the loyalty and suppory you have shown him for the past 25 years. Bill hopes that his health will improve to the point where he will be able to resume his column." Smiley's column appeared in over 100 Canadian weekly newspapers. The majority were in Ontario but his readership extended from coast to coast. While few of those readers ever met him, most came to think of him on an intimate basis as they read of his family and life escapades and his con- stant down-to-earth assessment of life in rural Ontario. The column, entitled Sugar and Spice, often took pot shots at pompous officialdom and poked fun at every- day irritations such as mowing the lawn and fighting weeds. Its fans covered every segment of society. Min. 55000 30 - 119 days 8.75% Min. $50,000 30 - 119 days 8.80% Min.5100,000 30 - 59 days 10.15% Interest paid at maturity Rates subject to change without notice Minor injury as car rolls he said he would kill her for trying to kick him out of the house. The other witness called was Dr. R.L.Fleming of the mental health centre at the Penetanguishene hospital for the criminally insane. He said he believed that Verkerk was capable of standing for trial in that he could understand the nature of the trial, its circumstances and could give directions to his lawyer. Fleming and his staff conducted an assessment on Verkerk during November and December of 1985 and found that the accused had suffered previously from mental problems. In the late 1950s he was admitted for several months to the London Psychiatric hospital, where he under- went shock treatments, and more recently he had been a patient inythe psychiatric department at Universi- ty Hospital in London on two occa- Thedford woman handed two fines A Thedford woman was fined a total of $553 when she appeared in Ex- eter court, Tuesday, to face two charges arising out of an accident at Huron Park. Katherine J. Kehn pleaded guilty to failing to share the road and was fin- ed $53, plus another $500 on pleading guilty to a second charge of operating a motor vehicle for which there was no insurance. The fines levied, by Justice of the Peace Douglas Wedlake were related to an accident on January 3 when the Kehn vehicle skidded on a curve on Canada Ave. at 6:58 a.m. and careen- ed into the path of a Tuckey Beverages Ltd. truck. Damage to the truck was set at $1,000 and the Thedford woman's vehicle was damaged beyond repair. She was given six months in which to pay the fines. Allan D. Rooseboom, RR 3 Zurich, was fined $100 and given 30 days to pay after pleading guilty to a charge of having liquor readily available in his vehicle. He was stopped for speeding on September 1 in Hay Township around 3:00 a.m. and open liquor was found in the vehicle. The court learned that an ALERT test showed a warning level and the acccused was driven home. In the only other case heard on Tuesday's docket, William John Mahoney, 68 Beach St., Grand Bend, was dined $48 on a charge of driving at a speed of 110 inan80km. zone on August 25 on Highway 83. Mahoney was tried in absentia. The investigating officer said the accus- ed didn't believe he was driving that fast and was shown the radar reading in the police cruiser. He became angry when advised he would be charged. Mahoney was given 15 days in which to pay the fine. Bions for treatment of paranoid aspects to his makeup. Following the attempted murder, Verkerk was assessed at the London Psychiatric Hospital and at the Goderich General Hospital and Flem- ing said the findings at those two in- stitutions were similar to his own in that the accused suffered paranoid ideas and was suspicious of his wife's intentions. The accused suffered delusionary beliefs concerning his wife and these were worsened by the stress of her impending operation. "He felt his wife wanted to get rid of him," Dr. Fleming testified. noting that since Verkerk's retirement, the latter had bepome increasingly withdrawn and increasingly depen- dent upon his wife. Dr. Fleming said Verkerk was unable to appreciate his actions dur- ing the attack or the consequences of those actions. He said the accused did not appear to require admittance to a secure hospital and, noting that he had been successfully managed in a psychiatric hospital since the attack, felt that type of institution would be best and not a secure hospital such as the one at Penetanguishene. Defence counsel Mike Donnelly made no submissions and said he was content to have the court find the ac- cused not guilty by reason of insanity. Judge Carter said he was satisfied that, at the time of the alleged of- fence, the accused was insane and unable to appreciate the nature of his action. UP AND IN — Kendra Fenwick shows her free throw style during Saturday's Knights of Columbus basketball contest. T -A photo CO.OP •o Weekly Specia 10" Rockwell No. 34090A Motorized Tablesaw 1 only Reg. 619.99 sal.55499 Modern Age Rollos Stucco 5 litres 9" Rockwell No. 34-580C Motorized Tablesaw 1 only $399.99 Sale 32900 Ameroek & Designer. Bathware Fixtures An 83 -year-old Exeter woman sus- tained minor injuries after her car rolled over in a ditch on Highway 83 on Saturday. Violet Ernst lost control of the vehi- cle in some loose snow near the .Huron -Perth boundary and the vehi- cle careened into the ditch. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $4,000. It was the only collision reported in the area this week. Saturday night, a break and enter was reported at Centralia Farmers Supply in Centralia. The door on a storage shed was broken open and a quantity of ceiling panels stolen. The incident is still under investigation. There were 24 charges laid by the Exeter OPP over the weekend, bring- ing the total for 1986 to 196. For the corresponding period last year, there were only 52 charges. The weekend list included two 12 -hour suspensions for drinking drivers, seven Liquor Control Act charges and seven trespassing charges. Reg. 12.95 1 O99 Sale 10" off Myers Water Softener Model FA20 Reg. 479.99 ...429" C.I.L. Interior Latex Paint Special Price Flat /j' 99 Gloss 2399 Cana -Vac Central Vacuum System 1! STANDARD TRUST Member -Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation 386 Main Street South, Exeter, Ontario NOM 150 23S-1060 Open Monday to Thuriday 9am to Spm; Friday 9am to Rpm; Saturday 9am to Ipm. 1 only Reg..479.90 Sale 42995 MOUNT CARMEL INCOME TAX CENTRE Income tax accounting for farming and business VINCE RYAN B.A. RR 3 Dashwood, Ont. We have Korot Quantities Limited, While supplies last Sale prices in effect until Feb. 5, 1986 Exeter District Co -Op 4 blocks west of the Fire Hall 233-2081