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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1996-05-15, Page 22Page 22 Times -Advocate, May 15, 1996 COMMUNITY Where Are They Now? Where Are They Now? is an extended series on South Huron District High School graduates and (heir !'3 :.0 Don Stuckless: repairing vehicles CENTRALIA - "Starting my own business has certainly created a lot of challenge(s) but it's always been rewarding," said Don Stuckless of his class B (body) mechanic career. • He most enjoys the collision repair and painting aspects of his work and although he specializes in cars and trucks, he repairs, paints and prepares other vehicles such as highway tractors and boats. When he finds time away from his seven -day -a -week job, he restores older vehicles or repairs them for sale. Included in his restoration work is a 1972 Buick Skylark Convertible, a vehicle he describes as his "Sunday fun car." In 1991 Stuckless opened Straight Line Collision on Highway 4, just south of Exeter and relocated to Centralia's main street two years ago where he now employs a body man and an apprentice. ""The volume of work had increased and I needed more room," he said. "Bascially I have to just keep up with the demand for my type of work." When he first opened shop he anticipated he'd work 60 to 70 hours each week, but found the job required 80 to 90 hours. Although he mentioned "the market's gotten slower in certain regards," he feels "the collision repair end of it's something that's always going to be there." In his line of work there are advantages to a slower economy such as people tending to repair their vehicles instead of buying them new. According to Stuckless, skills needed for class B mechanic work include being skilled with numbers. Math, he said, had always been one of his strong points. "You have to be good with numbers in order to use the instrumentation that's used to measure these unibody forms." Stuckless describes a unibody as a vehicle that has its inner frame welded together rather than appearing as a full frame. With the increasing amount of unibodies on the road, he found he needed to _--� upgrade his skills and took an intensive collision repair course in Oshawa two years ago. <- =e-,7 Besides unibody work, he also deals with insurance companies. Many .customers aren't aware of the system, he explained, so he helps people through what he describes as "a rough time." Stuckless finds one of the challenges his work presents involves newer vehicles with air bags and computerized systems. "Often times you've got to research the technical end of it...To be knowledgeable in every make and model of vehicle, it's really difficult." Class B mechanics, he added, must continually upgrade their skills in order to keep up with the industry. Stuckless attributes his success partly to his apprenticeship experience at an. Exeter body shop. "As an apprentice, I was doing everything a licensed body shop person would do." Although he had initially intended to become a carpenter and had taken building construction courses while attending South Huron District High School, when Stuckless graduated in 1981, he said "It was probably one of the worst years for the building trade." Instead, he went to work for the Exeter body shop full-time for eight years before managing a new shop in the area and "started to enjoy it." While in high school, he also obtained experience at various local body shops. He became licenced in 1985 after attending two eight-week courses at Fanshawe College. Stuckless was bom in Alberta and grew up in Lucan, then Huron Park. He lives on a farm near Crediton with his wife, Carol, and their two children, Teri and Bradley. Family support; he said, has been a great help in achieving his goal. His hobbies include fishing, hockey and golf. Councillor expresses frustration LUCAN - Councillor Rosemary Gahlinger-Beaune presented a detailed speech at council's May 7 meeting regarding her disagreement with the appointment process of choosing a reeve. She also expressed concern with village staff salary increases, local me- dia coverage and what she described as attacks,on her character. "I have carefully considered tendering my resignation," she said. "I will stand by my promise to the people who elected me. I will continue to en- courage each and every citizen to come forth to council to state your views and I will continue to salute and honor those people who have. I will con- tinue to listen to your views and to act upon them." Gahlinger-Beaune pointed out accomplishments of community leaders as well as priority issues she claimed council responded to "by stating these issues were not their priority." Some issues shq,ideptified included downtown revitalization, job train- ing and employment development and fiscal accountability. "The community is divided," she continued. "There is the faction that wants to hold on to a perceived power of -control. There is the faction that says let's move on and promote our community. Lucan is at a crossroad. Status quo is no longer an option." The councillor also claimed 'rumors and threats have plagued her during her time on council. "1 have been told to be careful for fear of retaliation. I have heard the rumors which abound about my family and personal life. I have been tqld that I have no right to be sitting on council for I am a woman and I am a newcomer...Reality is that I am the only member of council who does not personally gain from my position. Unlike the rest of council, my business cannot profit from my appointment. If anything, it' has harmed my busi- ness substantial)}('." Gahlinger-Beatine thanked' Lucan residents who have contacted her to share their views as well as members of council for their support in Al- lowing her to attend astrategic planning conference in Guelph.' ,. She concluded by saying she Ioo12s fortv@fd to the next ig months of her term. Zurich youth enjoy Sarnia rally By Carmel Sweeney Zurich correspondent ZURICH - Leaders Denise Mei- dinger and Diane Miller with seSer- al young people from the St. Boni- face Parish attended a Northern Light Youth Rally in Sarnia on Sat, urday. The grade two children on the St. Boniface Parish are presently mak- ing their first Holy Communion during the month of May. The chil- dren involved are Laura Coleman, Sarah Vaessen, Korey McKinnon, Josh Geoffrey, Kevin Ducharme, Stephanie Regier, Natalie Laporte, Patrick Lansbergen, Heidi Klopp, Justine Gelinas, Jacqueline Gelinas, David Long and Matthew Masse. .00 The families of Heidi Klopp and Justine and Jacqueline Gelinas held a celebration at the Township Hall on Sunday ,for the first communion and Mother's Day. The Knights of Columbus held a Mother's Day community breakfast after the two morning masses on Sunday. The parishioners of St. Boniface church celebrated their IOOth Anni- versary on May 5. A special mass was held in the afternoon with Bishop Sherlock officiating. The mass was followed by a program and a dinner at the arena. The meal was catered by Jerry Rader's Homestyle The new addition to the church was the blessing of the Bell Tower which was up in time Your Views Letters to the editor for the anniversary. Several women from the Ladies Auxiliary brought crafts to sell at the auditorium and front hall of the 13lue Water Rest Home on Satur- day. The next meeting of the Aux- iliary will be Tuesday, June 4 at 2 p.m. with picnic and supper for the residents. Personals An open house was held for Al- bert Deichert at St. Peter's Luther- an church fellowship hall on Sun- day in honour of his 80th birthday. Several friends and relatives at- tended. ? , Congratulations to Kevin Masse son of Clare and Lucille Masse, Zurich, and Jeanette Kaak, daugh- ter of Joe and Diane Kaak, R.R.2 Tax burden unfair "...you are requiring the seasonal Lakeshore property owners to pay a disproportionate share of the services for the rest of the township." The following is a copy of a letter sent to the councillors of Hay Township. Dear Gentle .len: Re: Property Taxes Some facts about my (typical) 75' property on the lakeshore in Hay township: Year Property taxes paid Consumer Price Index excluding local shoreline extras 1986-1.00 1971 $114.34 .32 1986 $646.59 = 1971 tax x 5.7 1.00 CPI = 1971 x 3.15 1990 $1161.08 = 1986 tax x 1.8 1.20 = 1986 CPI x 1.2 1995 $ 1459.87 - 1986 tax x 2.3 1.34 - 1986 CPI x 1.34 1996 est $2206.22 = 1986 tax x 3.4 (51% incr) 1.37 = 1986 CPI A 1.37 (2.24% incr) I note that, in 1 year, my assessment has increased by 217%. When I combine this with the total assess- ment used for deriving taxes for the township, now $.186M, this means that, in 1996 this property assumes a 579E greater share of the tax burden within Hay township than in 1995. And this is for people, a significant majority of whom do not use most of whatever facilities are provided by these taxes. This means that, to an ever increasing degree, you are requiring the seasonal lakeshore property owners to pay a disproportionate share of the services for the rest of the township. It would appear that council feels this to be an acceptable procedure. I suggest it is not. And as a way of drawing the attention of the remainder of the population of Hay town- ship, I/we will be suggesting that cottage owners do not use the services of any business or service located within the township, this by way of noting that we have already spent our share of money within the town- ship. I look forward to hearing your views on our tax share, as well as hearing what efforts you have made to remedy this imbalance. ttrustthls matter will be considered at your next meeting, May 6.1 believe. 'Yours truly, A.T..Hillary . Dashwood, were married on May 4 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church. Jean Armstrong's brother Bev Taylor and daughter Darlene Jack- son of Camrose, r Alberta, stayed with her following the funeral of their mother Gertrude Taylor. The funeral was last Friday in Seaforth. Sincere sympathy is extended to Jean and family. Birthday greetings are extended to Heather Klopp, Kevin Geoffrey, Leon .Bedard, Julie Gelinas on May 5 and Marcel Gelinas May 16. Carmel Sweeney visited with daughter Carrie and Dan Eybergen and? granddaughters Tiffany and Brittany, Georgia and returned home Saturday. Impaired driving charge laid EXETER - On May 5, Exeter OPP stopped a vehicle on Main Street and gave the driver an alco- hol test. , A failing response was indicated and the driver was charged with im- paired driving. That day police also reported an unknown vehicle drove over sever- al lawns on Sherwood Crescent. Office equipment stolen from Zurich business ZURICH - Exeter police report a break and enter occured in the ear- ly hours of May 12 at Cobble De- sign. Entry was gained by smashing a window. Office equipment includ- ing a cdtt1puter, telephones, fax ma- chine and photocopier as *ell as 'mechanics tools were removed. Top Individual Bowlers were, back row, at left, Chris Smith, High Single, and Scott Smith, High Triple. Front row, at left, Lynn Smith, High Average, Pennie McRobert, High Single, and Heather Smith, High Triple. Absent Is Bob Smith, High Average. Playoff Champs included, back row, at left, Scott Smith, Dennis Daubs and Larry Smith. Front row, at left, Helen Rodgers, Denise Ward and Paul Smith. cgs:��:Si 1998.96 League Champs of the Lucan Mixed Bowling League celebrated on Friday at the Lucan Legion. Back row, at left, Lynn Smith, Wade Noble and Dianne Gollan. Front row, et left, John Carvell, Gordon Jenkin and Dave Smith. Skydiver suffers electrical bums STEPHEN TOWNSHIP - Ac- cording to Exeter OPP, a male sky- diver suffered electrical burns to his kgs while landing at approxi- mately 1:42 p.m. on May 5. The man received medical treat- ment after landing at Lot 20, Conc. 12.