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Times-Advocate, 1985-01-16, Page 1Remkes loses in court again After assessing the complainant as. "not giving the full story," provincial Judge Walter Bell dismissed an assault charge Wednesday against Londoner Terry Allen Lewis laid in connection with a picket Line incident at Fanshawe College last fall. Lewis, 36, of 83 Harding Cres. had testified earlier that when he drove his car past a picket line at the col- lege Oct. 29, striking teacher John Re and flung himself on the hood of the vehicle. He also told court he was struck in the face by Remkes. Remkes, 45, of Exeter testified he laid the private complaint after his own arrest on a charge of assaulting Lewis in the incident. Remkes was convicted and fined $200 on Jan. 5. Remkes had told court he was part of a picket line at the Cheapside Street entrance to Fanshawe when he was *bumped by the slow-moving Lewis vehicle, which kept moving after the contact was made. "I had no choice - either to lean over the hood of the car or go under the car," Remkes said. The judge said he was impressed with the "objective attitude" of three picketing Fanshawe teachers who testified the Lewis vehicle had come in contact with Remkes. "i did not form the same opinion of John Remkes. I had an impression he was not giving the full story." Based on the evidence, Bell said, "I am persuaded.. that Remkes deliberately put himself in the path of the accused auto." The judge said that touching, even a kiss, can constitute an assault but in law it must be__�!_.._•.t.t__ e said the crown had failed to prove that intent in this case. Bell summed up: "The charge is misconceived and it is dismissed". Area residence hit by thieves About $1,300 worth of items were taken by thieves who broke into a residence on Highway 83 in Stephen Township during the past week. The residence is used mainly as a retreat by owner Gary Daley, Stratford. Items stolen included snowmobile equipment. helmets and suits. Two Case dealers to lose franchises When giant Houston-based Tenneco Inc. consolidated its J.I. Case Co., ac- quired in 1969, with newly acquired International Harvester, the reper- cussions were felt in Huron County. Case dealers Cleve Gingerich of C.G. Farm Supply, Zurich, and H. Lobb and Sons on the Bayfield Road near Clinton are among the 400 farm equip- ment retailers across North America who will lose their franchises. The two local Case dealers were among those visited by Case and Harvester officials last week. All los- ing their franchises are being offered an agreement which is void if not signed within 14 days of receipt of notice of termination. Under the agreement Tenneco will buy back new unsold equipment and parts at cost. Each dealer would also receive $25,000 for signs, service tinue to service and repair Case and all other lines of tractors and machinery. Gingerich has made ar- rangements to obtain Case parts from another dealer, and promises to •'ser- vice the tractors I've sold as long as the wheels go round". Gingerich is not yet sure what the future hold s, or how the loss of the Case franchise will affect his six employees. "It all depends on whether I get another line", Gingerich said, but could not elaborate further as yet. "Until this, Case was a super com- pany to deal with", Gingerich said Please turn to page 2 MARCH OF DIMES CAMPAIGN — Exeter Lioness club members are again in charge of the local can- vass for the March of Dimes and will be visiting local homes this week. Shown above with campaign literature are Lioness president Liz Stephens, campaign co-ordinator Phyllis Haugh, Liz Bell, Sharon Snell and Judy McLeod. T -A photo Ames Serving South Huron, North Middlesex One Huncired and Twelfth Year dvocate & North Lambton Since 1873 EXETER, ONTARIO, January 16, 1985 Price Per Copy 50 Cents Exeter finally getting rsiiighom� facility Cleve Gingerich manuals, price lists and good will, plus a $10,000 signing bonus. The termination came as a shock to many dealers. Only three weeks previously they had met with top company personnel in Kansas City. Missouri, and left with the impression mergers and buy-outs would be the route followed by the company, with cancellation of dealerships to be con- sidered only as a last resort. Gingerich, a Case dealer since star- ting his business more than two decades ago, feels he has no choice but to sign although he does not think the settlement is fair when everyone - the dealer who has only been in business four years and the establish- ed dealership with a roster of - are offered identical terms. - Gingerich had assumed he would have the opportunity to sit down and talk things over with the Case - International harvester task force he had been told to expect. However. there was no discussion. The only op- tion was "take it or leave it". "After 23 years of selling tractors and parts to customers, and repair- ing tractors, and all at once it's gone, it's almost like losing your farm", Gingerich said. Gingerich's income from selling Case small utility equipment such as backhoes, crawlers and small bulldozers has also vanished. "That's like cutting off an arm". he added. Letters have gone out to his 250 Case customers. promising to con - After 30 months of meetings and negotiations, approval has been given by the Ontario Ministry of Health for construction of a nursing home in Exeter. Iry Armstrong, chairman of the local committee announced Thursday night that provincial Health Minister Keith Norton will approve a licence transfer of 30 nursing beds from Seaforth to Exeter. The new nursing home in Exeter will be built and completely financed by Tom Kannampuzha, present owner of the Kilbarchan Nursing Home in Seaforth. The new facility will be of one storey construction with an option to add to in the future. Total cost is estimated at $2 million. Armstrong said the new building would include in addition to the transferred 30 nursing home beds, about 40 rest home beds and 10 day care beds. • Kannampuzha asked for the READY TO ROLL Tony Armstrong and Brad Chambers are ready for a toboggan slide down a steep slope at Morrison Dam, Sunday afternoon. T -a photo Runway, area field prove hazardous A couple of unusual accidents were out of control and into the ditch. included in the seven investigated by Damage was $2,000. the Exeter OPP this week. Again, The other occurred al the intersec- there were no injuries reported in any tion of Highways 4 and 84 in Hensall of the collisions and involved vehicles driven by Michael Harris. Grand Bend and Joseph McLellan. Hensall Damage was $1,100. There were also three accidents on Monday. the first involving vehicles operated by William Stebbins, RR 3 Dashwood. and Anmarie Hoffman, Exeter. They collided on sideroad 20 at concession 2-3 of Stephen. Damage was $1,600 Vehicles driven by Mary Murray. Hensall. and Arthur Bowerman. Huron Park. collided on Highway 83 about four km. east of Exeter. Damage was $1.200_ The other Monday collision occur- red on the Bruce Hall parking lot at Centralia College. Vehicles involved were owned by Stephen Menheere, RR 2 Dublin, and Carl Billiald, RR 2 Albertan. Damage in that one was estimated at 51.500, t)n Saturday, a vehicle driven by James Scott. RR 1 Ilderton, skidded off Highway 4 north of the Crediton Road and went into a field where it struck a parked pickup truck owned by Paul Brophey, RR 3 Parkhill The pickup was parked in the field fronting the repair shop just south of the May farm. Total damage to the two vehicles was listed at S2.400. The wide open spaces on the Huron park airport runway was the scene of a Tuesday crash. A pickup truck driven by Stephen Green. 1111.1 Em - bio, rolled over as he scooted around on the runway. Damage was $3,000. That was one of three crashes on Tuesday. The second occurred on County Road 21 when a vehicle driven by Julie Parker. Huron Park, went • .4. r•.. : transfer of beds from Seaforth to Ex- eter rather than undergo costly renovations to the Seaforth facility which is located in a converted house. The Kilbarchan owner indicated the Seaforth building would be converted into a senior citizen apartment building. Occupants of the 30 beds in Seaforth will be given first chance at the new beds in Exeter. He added. "I doubt if all 30 would make the move, but, we will make sure all our present residents are THE HANDSHAKE OF THE LEADER? — Only time will tell if Dennis Timbrell is the next provincial Con- servative leader. Meanwhile he's meeting with riding association members all over the province, such as Carol Arthur (centre) and Tom Jasper (left). Stresses need for agribonds Timbrell woos delegates Asked who would be his choice for Agriculture. Minister if he was Premier, Timbrell said he wants "somebody who will be able to work with the dozens of agriculture groups in the province and try to bring them into consensus." Timbrell has been calling for par- ty unity and avoiding mud -slinging throughout his campaign, and his Ex- eter appearance was no exception. Ile spoke of the worthiness of all the can- didates, but suggested that he is the most worthy because, "I'm in the best position to keep this party in the mid- dle and in power". Timbrell describ- ed himself as "pragmatic, with common-sense solutions to pro- blems", and said. "I'm in the best position to deal with both rural and ur- ban problems". Betty Cardno of Sea forth question- ed Timbrell about the relocation of 30 nursing home beds from Seaforth to Exeter. Timbrell didn't know anything about the move. but sug- gested Cardno speak to Health Minister Keith Norton. who was in at- tendance. Norton says it's a matter of size and economics, explaining that upgrading the Seaforlh home would be more expensive than moving the beds in conjunction with building ad- ditional facilities in Exeter. About 75 people attended the meeting. a turn -out with which (he local organizers were pleased. Among them was local riding president Tom ,lasper of Goderich, who said that 30 to 40 per cent of the delegates to the convention are still undecided. Bryan Smith of I,ucan, the candidate for Huron -Middlesex. and Carol Arthur of CORRECTION Omission of parts of two sentences in an article on tax arrears in Hay township in last week's issue turned a crucial paragraph into a mean' ingless mishmash. The paragraph should have read: After a lengthy discussion, council passed a motion that in 1985. 60 per- cent of the taxes will be due by June 1. with the remaining 40 percent payable by November 1. (The dates had been 54 percent by June 30, and the remainder by November 30. Exeter, the local riding secretary, were also in attendance. Timbrell also discussed his inten- tion to establish a permanent wat- chdog committee in (he legislature over Ontario hydro. "I think it work- ed well when we had it before. It was a forum for rational discussion." he said. "MI new small businesses should have a reprieve from taxes for three years," Dennis Timbrell told a primarily Tory audience at the Ex- eter Masonic Temple Saturday after- noon. Timbrell was in town on the last leg of his campaign tour to win the Conservative leadership of Ontario. The convention will be held in Toron- to Jan. 24. 25 and 26. Agriculture Minister Timbrell also stressed the need for "Agribonds" to stabilize farmer's interest rates. "I've been pushing the Agribonds con- cept for quite some time." Timbrell said. Students to debate con ten tions issues Students at SIIDHS will be tackling some of the issues faced by area coun- cils when they stage a mock council meeting, Friday. as part of Local Government Week. The public is invited to attend the session, which will be held in the library at 1:00 p.m. Grade 10 history students. whose course includes civics. will be debating such things as user fees for recreation programs. the proposed Hav Township attri/industrial park on Exeter's northern boundary. and extending town services to nearby township residents. The topics were chosen from a list compiled by teacher Joe Hogan and principal Bruce Shaw, who is also Mayor of Exeter. Students voluteered to act in the various council positions as well as the various town department heads Other students will appear as peti- tioners to present arguments on (he issues. taken care of." Kannampuzha has taken an option on five acres of land in an area south of Sanders street between Pryde Boulevard and Edward street which would necessitate an extension of John street to the east. Exeter mayor Bruce Shaw who has been involved with the committee since its inception said he was ex- tremely -happy about the Ministry's decision. He went on to say, "It's great to realize we are finally going to get a nursing home right here in Exeter. It's a shame our elderly have had to find accommodation in Zurich, Hensall, Ailsa Craig, Clinton or other communities." Shaw continued, "In taking this, route we may not get exactly what we wanted by doing it ourselves, but, that doesn't mean we won't get a good quality building. The committee felt a lot of headaches have been eliminated." When the local committee was first organized it planned to construct a nursing home without provincial sup- ning, finance and building were set u A few months into discussions, the committee was approached by Kan- nampuzha and his offer was welcom- ed. The delay of about two years since that time was due to multitude of fac- tors ranging from financing by the Ministry, a misunderstanding of South Huron Hospital intentions and bureaucratic red tape. Kannampuzha has welcomed the suggestion of formation of a local ad- visory committee of about six persons to work with him during construction and after completion. in Seaforth mayor Alt Ross said his council was shocked at the news of the move of nursing home beds from Seaforlh to Exeter. Ross continued. "I am personally disappointed at the move. i have no objection to Exeter getting a nursing home. There is certainly a need there. but I don't like the way it was done without any consultation with us." Seaforth has one other nursing home. it is Seaforlh Manor with a capacity of 50 beds in the old Seaforlh hospital. The Seaforlh mayor said his coun- cil were meeting last night, Tuesday to discuss the situation. At the conclusion of Thursday's committee meeting. chairman Arm- strong said. "1 would like to thank our group for their great co-operation. it was a real struggle. But, (he final out- come is what we were after and we got it" Mayor Shaw concluded, "1 will be happy when the ribbon has been cut and the first patient moves in.' Others on the local committee in addition to chairman iry Armstrong and vice-chairman Doug Gould are .Joyce Black, Elaine Bogart, Joanne Wareham. Elmer Bell. Bill Morley, Doug Jamieson. Lois Armstrong, Flora Doerr. Bill Mickle, Bill Gilfillan, Chris Little, Peter Berend- sen. Cart Cann. Bob Chaffe, Bob Heywood, Warren May. Wally Read, Loretta Siegner, Marjorie Johns, Dick Jongkind, Gibby Gibson, Clarence McDowell, Jean Easton, Val Gould. Jack Stewart. Lee Webber, Harry Winters. Ross Haugh, Jim Sweitzer, Marshall Dearing and Doug Russell. TiMMY FOR LIONS DiNNER — AIIon Bullock, a grade six student at Usborne Central School will be the local Timmy for the 1985 Exeter Sportsmen's Dinner. He is shown above with Crippled Children's nurse Gaie Hoydon and Neall Straw of the Exeter lions. T -A photo