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Times Advocate, 1992-12-16, Page 2Page 2 Times -Advocate, December 16, 1992 T1V THF NF:W,S Regional wrap up Jewellery thieves arrested SEAFORTH - Two suspects have been arrested and charged with theft in connection with the robbery of Anstett Jewellers in Seaforth. According to the Huron Ex- positor, thieves broke into the store December 5 at 4:09 a.m. by throwing a rock through the front glass door. A brick was used to smash a display case and a quantity of jewellery was tak- en valued at $10,000. Two Tuckersmith males were arrested and face charges of break, enter _and—theft. Police also executed a search warrant in a Tuckersmith home where they seized a quantity of mari- juana, hash and drug parapher- nalia. Arsonist torches Mitchell school MITCHELL - Police suspect an arsonist started a blaze that caused $250,000 damage and forced the cancellation of class- es Friday at Mitchell -District High School. Three classrooms received ex- tensive damage as did a portion of the school's roof. The fire was detected by police who re- sponded to an alarm about 2 a.m. According to police, two sets of footprints were found in fresh snow near a broken window in the classroom where the fire started. The trail of footprints ended at a road that had just been plowed. Sears defrauded PARKHILL - A charge of de- frauding the Sears Canada Cor- poration has been laid against a Parkhill business woman after an OPP investigation which be- gan in July. According to the Parkhill Ga- zette, Sears London regional headquarters turned the matter over to police after becoming suspicious about accounting re- ports from an agent operating a catalogue order office. The firm alleges it was de- frauded of about $7,000 in the period from April 9, 1991 to May 7, 1992. Cheryl Gray of Parkhill was charged with one count of fraud over $1,000. Balloon fiesta ST. MARYS - The St. Marys Lions Club is planning to hold a Balloon Fiesta next June, in an attemra to raise $5,000 to $7,000 for Challenge Sight First, a Li- ons International program aimed at eradicating preventable blind- ness world wide. According to the St. Marys Journal Argus, the event is being planned for June 18, 19 and 20. Members hope for 12 balloon- ists at this year, and intend to buildit into an annual activity. No name change for Craigholme AILSA CRAIG - An item in last week's regional wrap up said that the Craigholme retire- ment home in Ailsa Craig had undergone a name change to Craigwiel Ganlens. An official from Craigholme said that information provided to the Parkhill Gazette was incor- rect and no nanic change had been undertaken. Craigwici Gardens fair -been the corporate name for the com- pany that operates the rest home, nursing home, and the day cen- tre since 1974. The company has recently begun to use the Craigwicl name for answering phones and other correspon- dence, but otherwise the official names of the residences has not changed. l Reality of AIDS explained at higb school By Ray Lewis T -A Staff h can't happen to me. EXETER - When it comes to AIDS, that seems to be the public's general consensus. But today, there are no absolutes, and statis- tics are beginning to show the dis- ease for the epidemic it really is. On Wednesday, senior students at South Huron District High School were involved in a two-part seminar. Divided into two groups, one was introduced to the new Magic Johnson video "TIME OUT", and had the opportunity to discuss with Diane Aiken, AIDS coordinator for the Huron County Health Unit, how AIDS and the HIV virus are transmitted. But what really drove the mes- sage home was the second part of the seminar, testimony from a young area couple who are both HIV positive. Don and Elma Dant -married six years ago. Their lives followed a format typical for rural Huron County. They started a 50 -sow far- row -to -finish operation, while Don and his father ran a broiler barn and cash -cropped. After a bout with viral meningi- tis, Elma gave birth to two sons over a period of thineen months. Unfortunately, she then suffered a miscarriage attributed to an unusu- al form of uterine cancer. Months later, her bad luck continued when she acquired a mysterious case of shingles, very unusual for both her age and gender. When Elma's fourth pregnancy ended in a tubal pregnancy, she be- gan to question her condition. Fur- ther doubts arose in August 1991, when she developed her second case of meningitis. After being hospitalized, Elma discovered she was again pregnant. She recovered quickly from the meningitis, but during routine blood tests conducted during a reg- ular pre -natal examine, Elma was given devastating news. "I was informed I was HIV posi- tive," Elma informed the students. "I was sent home with an informa- tion package that was 10 years old, and after calling the 800 number, was informed I should get my af- fairs in order." It was apparent, Elma's bout with strange illnesses had been a result Fines levied in seven cases in Exeter Provincial court EXETER - In Exeter Provincial court last Tuesday morning, Judge R.G.E. Hunter levied a variety of fines in charges against seven dif- ferent persons. Michael Parsons, 287 Huron street, Exeter was fined a total of $600 by Judge R.G.E. Hunter on charges of speeding and avoiding police pursuit. The incidents occurred at 11.45 p.m. on June 5, 1992 when a vehi- cle driven by Parsons was spotted by police on Con- cession 2-3 road of Ste- phen township travelling at a high rate of speed. OPP officers while trav- elling south on the town- ship road noticed the truck going north and fol- lowed it for one kilometre clocking speeds of 120 kilometre an hour in an 80 kilometre an hour zone. The accused tried to elude police by enter eg a farm laneway and parking the truck behind a barn. When the truck was found it was empty. Parsons who was arrested about an hour later said he ran be- cause he didn't want another speeding ticket. Police said he co- operated fully with them after being apprehended. Damage to school As the result of wilful damage at Hensall Public school on October 2, 1992, two Hensall young men were each fined $200 and put on probation for 12 months. Pleading guilty to shooting out windows at the Hensel' school were Jason Reid, 105 Albert street and David Stephens, 64 King street. Also involved was a young offender who already had a record. He was earlier fined $200 and placed on probation. Evidence revealed that Reid was responsible for shooting out only one window. The court learned he had written a leuer to the school principal apologizing and offering to do volunteer work around the school. It was said his act was foolish and completely out of charac- ter. His defence told the judge it would not be contrary to public inter- est to issue a conditional discharge. The judge disagreed saying, " Schools are vulnerable when not occupied at night". Total damage to the windows was $269.30. Reid made the neces- sary restitution of $69 for his share of the damage while Stephens and the young offender each paid $100. BAC over 80 Jeffrey Butler, 127 Roland street, Dashwood was fined $750 and had his driving licence suspended for 12 months for operating a vehi- cle on Highway 84 in Hensall on November 1, 1992 while having a blood alcohol count in excess of 80 mg. Mischief under $1,000 A fine of $200 was levied against Vinzenz Krainz of 168 Oxford street, Hensall for mischief under $1,000. Krainz pleaded guilty to punching a hole in a safety glass window at 306 Carling street in Exeter while visiting his estranged wife on September 18, 1992. He also threw shoes at a locked side door. He has made restitution of $80 to the owner of the property. Assault charge Richard Fisher of 27 Goshen street in Zurich was fined 5300 after pleading guilty to a charge of assault. The charge arose from an inci- dent on August 13, 1992 when Fisher's estranged wife Debra was leaving the children for the weekend. A discussion regarding sharing of time of the children escalated and Fisher blocked the doorway. He made small jabs and kicks at her an- kles with his stockinged feet. When she repeated her wish to leave he grabbed an arm and pushed her out. Later that evening he called and apologized. She called police and he gave a full statement and showed remorse. Fishers lawyer argued that there were absolutely no injuries or lasting damage and he is now getting along well in regards to the children. He said it was a "technical assault" and the closest to a min- imum as you can get and called for a relatively small fine. He did say he was not suggesting dismissal. Charge dismissed A charge of operating a vehicle while having a blood alcohol count of over 80 mg against Paul J. Scott of London was dismissed when OPP officers were unable to make positive identification in court, Tuesday morning. Assault bodily harm A fine of $400 was levied against Robert Miller, RR 2, Dashwood on a charge of assaulting a peace officer. He had earlier been fined $73 for trespassing. The crown in presenting the evidence said it was an unusual case. Miller is the owner of 75 acres of land which'was rented to Klondyke Farms and when he thought the contract was breached he started to work the land himself and refused to leave when he was told by po- lice he was trespassing. The court was told the lease was valid with payment to be made in the fall, but Miller felt he was being taken off his own land when half the rent was not paid in the spring. When police tried to remove Mill- er from the property on May 19, 1992 he began wrestling with offi- cers. He bit one of the officers in the left forearm before being handcuffed. Another charge of failing to appear in court was dismissed when it was learned that Miller felt the charges were all taken care of when he paid the fine for trespassing. Ir of the HIV virus; things began to make sense. Just before Christmas, the couple's worst fears came true when it was confirmed that Don too, was HIV positive. The only hope they had left was for their children. Fortunately, both sons tested negative, but the unborn baby was still in question. While waiting for it's delivery, the couple began to familiarize themselves with the disease, be- 'ppm/what many are willing to ad- mit, or publicize. They discovered that Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is thought to be caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV. Ninety-five percent of all people who test positive for HIV go on to develop full-blown AIDS. Of those, 97 percent die in two to sev- en years. The duration of HIV status car- ries from a time period of months A0r15. years. but_the-.average time period between initial infection to the development of full-blown AIDS is nine years in males and only five to seven years in females. Elma explained that there arc three different drugs used to boost the immune system. Most doctors first try AZT which gives many people, including Don, symptoms of morning sickness and fatigue. In Elma's case, she suffers extreme symptoms like impairment in form- ing words or expressing ideas. Treatments are very expensive. According to Elma, each person can expect to spend between $2,000-$5,000 per month. "In addition to all the other changes in our lives, it definitely changes our financial situation,' said Elma. As you can well imagine, the Plants have suddenly been faced with major decisions. Guardians have been found for their children, while they have had to increase their awareness to personal hy- giene. "Our kids know of the disease, but being so young they still don't quite understand," confirmed Elma. One message in particular that Elma wants to get across, is that people, teenagers especially, need to drop the false sense of security. "People still think it's a gay dis- ease, because at one time 80 per- cent of the victims were gay males," she said. "But that is changing, and believe it or not, it's definitely your age group which will suffer most. You are going to be the maximum risk group." In the not too distant future, over 40 million people will have con- tracted AIDS. According to Elma, by the year 2000, more women, in fact, one in three, will have the vi- rus. That is due to the fact that it is nine times easier for a woman to become infected than a man. She also added that statistics show that even when using a con- traceptive, there is a one in six chance of pregnancy, and that can only happen a few days out of the month. Imagine what the chances of contracting AIDS are. "If you have unprotected sex even oncc, you are at risk," she said. "The only 100 percent pre- vention, is abstinence." By next year, AIDS will have be- come the number one killer of women between the ages of 19-27 in the United States. That tells you how quickly the disease is spread- ing, considering the disease was virtually unheard of 10 years ago. To make matters worse, there are now thought to be three strains of the disease. Elma and Don have different types of the virus, which means they run the risk of even re- infecting one another, "We came through the sixties where we were taught to believe, if a feels good, do it," said Elma. "Now we have to be responsible for our actions. Ten years ago, we were exactly like you people sitting here today." Throughout the seminar, the couple was very candid, and after sharing their story, took some time to answer some sincere and deli- cate questioning. Although stu- dents at first appeared tentative, the couple's straightforwardness and honesty quickly won over, prompt- ing even difficult inquiries. "Should a person go for testing," asked one student. "If you've had sex even once, it's a good idea to go," said Don. "That doesn't mean you'll have it." Elma was caught through a rou- tine screen, or she may never have known until she entered hospital lat- er down the road with full-blown AIDS. That is what happens with most. "I had absolutely no reason to be tested for it," she answered. "It was never something that would happen routine to me." "Where can 1 go for routine test- ing " The family doctor can do it, but if you believe you are in a high risk group and want more privacy, the London Options Clinic will conduct the test with minimal questions," said Elma. "If you are going to test positive, it will most likely come within six -months of your encoun- ter. A negative test after six months usually is a vote of confidence. "Are you discriminated against?" "Not by people who matter." "How did you get it?" "Usually that's the first question asked. Through sex, but the rest is private and we won't share that with the public." "Have you had trouble finding physicians, chiropractors, dentists, etc?" "Dentists definitely. Not because they arc afraid, but because they worry other patients_ will be afraid." "Are you afraid of catching some- thing from us?" "Yes and no. A cold could kill me, whereas Don doesn't seem to get sick yet." "Do you have any dreams you want to fulfill?" "Right now I would like to make some lasting impressions on the baby. We would love to go to Florida, but the U.S. has a law which forbids people with AIDS to enter the country. If we went any- way, we could be arrested and if anything happened like°a car acci- dent, our insurance wouldn't cover us." "Dp you think they will find a cure?" "A treatment maybe, like what they have for diabetes. But not in our lifetime." The general consensus of the young audience was that they haven't received enough infonna- tion on AIDS. According to those present, the media tends more to sensationalize the death of various high-profile figures, rather than de- liver much-needed answers. The courage of Don and Elma Plant was both admired and appre- ciated. Don is now 31 while Elma is 26. Their children arc four, two and eight months. All the children have tested negative for the virus, although the baby will not be con- sidered out of danger until she is two years old. For more information on AIDS, most are unaware there is a Huron County information branch which can be reached through Diane Aik- en, AIDS coordinator for the Hu- ron County Health Unit in Clinton at 1-800-265-5184 or 482-3416. Callers are not ,, equired to give their name to ask questions. Students of South Huron may also contact Sharon Abel, who vis- its the school's Health Room every Thursday. Don and Elma Plant hit home Wednesday afternoon when they delivered a seminar on AIDS to senior students at South Huron District High School. Zurich raising sewer and water rates to cover expenses ZURICH - Water and sewage rates will be going up for house- holders in Zurich next year, and even though the percentage increas- es may seem alarming, council ac- knowledges the actual cost to rate- payers is not all that much. When reviewing the amount of funds the village will need to in- spect, clean 'and repair Zurich's sewage system, council at Thurs- day's regular meeting recognized they would have to boost rates con- siderably to cover the costs. Reeve Bob Fisher told council he came to the meeting expecting to hear a doubling of the current rates would be needed. Clerk Maureen Simmons howev- er produced figures showing that while sewer repairs could approach 530,000 in -1993, a doubling of the rate would generate an excess of revenues after 1992 reserves were added in. Council noted there were some misleading figures presented by the ministry for testing costs, but agreed that a sewage rate increase of 50 percent would likely cover all costs to make sure the sewer sys- tems on both the north and south sides of town were operating effi- ciently. "It wouldn't hurt to have $13,000 in reserve in case they come in un- der budget," said reeve Bob Fisher, noting that oncc the work was done, any reserve or leftover could be used to reduce the sewer rates in the future. Council agreed the 50 percent rate increase best matched expecta- tions for the project costs. "It would make it $18.40 a month," said Simmons, calculating the average household cost. "That's not bad," said councillor Barb Jeffrey. Reeve Bob Fisher commented that while the increase might seem a lot to some people, it still repre- sented a small fraction of what rate- payers were being billed for sew- age charges in Lucan. At the same meeting council also approved a two percent increase for water rate charges in Zurich, noting that increased Ministry of the Envi- ronment costs for mandatory test- ing had to be covered. "We thought (the increase) would be more with all the sampling...but we can get away with less than what we thought," said councillor Dwayne Laporte in his report to council. Laporte said the average increase will be only about 350 per house- hold bill. "The only reason its going up Me two percent is the province grub- bing money out of us for testing," agreed Fisher.