Times Advocate, 1984-10-31, Page 5Former Exeter. yeieh# bulider gets year in fril
A former lExeter
builder who tried to keepyhis
ailing company afloat by tak-
ing In boats for repairs or
display, then selling them to
other customers without their
owners' knowledge was Karl Vermaeten, 52, who volving more than $80,000
sentenced Monday to one pleaded guilty to two counts of worth of boats and ac -
year in jall. fraud and three of theft in- cessories, engaged in "a
DISCUSS RECREATION — The physical education staff at Huron's elementary schools convened in one of the
special subject area workshops held at the professional activity day at J.A.D. McCurdy School in Huron Park,
Friday. Shown reviewing some new concepts in equipment are, back row, left to right: Joe Laurie, Huron Centen-
nial; Georgina Wells, Seaforth; Ron Livermore, Howick. Front row: Ron McKay, Clinton; Al Beattie, Huron Centen-
nial; Bud Walker, Huron Centennial; Bob Livermore, Gray Central; Dee Graham, Brookside.
Riddell charges raise Tory outcry
Continued from front page $37,000 from his legislative also gets a $35,000 pension.
his daughter, Kathleen Giffin, pension. In other words, the Walter Borosa, former ex -
who works for the Ontario Treasurer writes his daddy a ecutive assistant to the Depu-
Lottery Corporation and cheque for more than $100,000 ty Premier (Mr. Welch),
whom Riddell met at a June a year." earns $48,325 as chief of pro -
28 Wintario draw in Seaforth. "Among Tories now holding tocol for the province. Terry
"Kathleen was the one in- key positions is Lincoln Alex- Yates, former chief fund -
stance where I tried to in- ander, a former Hamilton raiser for Joe Clark, earns
terfere," by unsuccessfully area Tory MP, who earns $25,000 as chairman of the On -
arguing she should attend col- $60,000 a year as chairman of tario Racing Commission.
lege or university instead of the Workers's Compensation "Gerald Nori, former presi-
accepting the lottery job Board. He also receives an dent of the Ontario Pro -
straight out of high school, he undisclosed indexed gressive Conservative Party,
said. parliamentary pension. Gor- earns a yearly honorarium of
Defending his own don Aiken, former Parry $2,500, a $174 per diem and
background, Westcott said he Sound Tory MP, earns $57,000 money for travel and out -of -
has never raised funds for the as chairman of the Commis- pocket expenses as a director
Tories and said reports of an sion on Election Contributions of the Ontario Energy Corp.
appointment to the police and Expenses. He is also Omer Deslauriers, who was
commission are merely eligible for a federal pension.
newspaper speculation. "Willis Blair, former PC
Riddell noted Thursday he riding president in the federal
had made errors in calling riding of Broadview -
some in-laws Westcott's Greenwood, earns $61,000 as
children, and had wrongly in- chairman of the Liquor
dentified the office in which Licence Board of Ontario.
one of Westcott's children Bradford Bowlby, a one-time
worked. federal Tory organizer, earns
"I was in error and I offer $55,000 as chairman of the
my humble apologies for any Assessment Review Court.
embarrassment this may Ross DeGeer, former ex -
have caused Clare Westcott,' ecutive director of the Ontario
Riddell told the house. PC Party, earns $90,000 as
Riddell, who admitted Agent General at Ontario
Wednesday he was un- House in London, England.
familiar with the qualifica- "Robert Macaulay, former
tions of Westcott's relatives Ontario Tory cabinet
and had no evidence that minister, earns about $75,000
Westcott played any part in as ci,u„ ,,,an .,f the Ontario
their being hired by the Energy Board and a further
government, told the house $14,000 from his legislative
Thursday: "My apologies pension. Bill McAleer, who is
also go out to the many active in both federal and pro -
families in Ontario who tried vincial Tory election cam -
unsuccessfully for one job paigns, earns a $125 per diem
with Ontario government." as chairman of Ontario Place.
Riddell's statements on "Robert McDonald, former
political patronage touched Hamilton area Tory MP,
other area residents as well. earns $71,000 as Deputy
Excerpts from Hansard on Minister of Community and
his speech are as follows: Social Services. John White,
"For some, the patronage former Ontario Treasurer -
plum can be a double bonan- "Let me continue. John
za. For example, former Yaremko, former Ontario
cabinet minister Allan Solicitor General, earns
Grossman receives about $60,000 as chairman of the
$66,463 as chairman of the Commercial Registration Ap-
Criminal Injuries Compensa- peal Tribunal and the Liquor
tion Board and a further Licence Appeal Tribunal and
Dropin
before they
drop thepuck.
kntucicy cnic
14TN►IIVS
KentuckyFried
Chicken
227 Main St. N. Exeter
defeated in Ottawa East in
1981, earns $88,684 in salaries
and perks as Ontario's agent
general in Brussels.
Ward Cornell worked on the
Premier's leadership cam-
paign in 1971 and earns $71,845
as Deputy Minister of
Municipal Affairs and Hous-
ing. John McBeth, a former
Solicitor General, earns more
than $60,000 as vice-chairman
of the Ontario Police Commis-
sion in addition to his $15,400
pension. Edward Goodman, a
key adviser to the Premier,
holds the prestigious but non-
paying chairmanship of the
Royal Onatrio Museum. Gor-
don Thomson, a defeated
Tory candidate in Windsor -
Riverside, earns $60,100 as a
member of the Ontario
Municipal Board.
"Relatives of people well
connected to Tories have also
received appointments. Louis
Alexopoulos makes $125 each
day he serves as an Ontario
human rights commissioner;
his wife Tula is the Premier's
special assistant on policy
matters. Donald Misener was
appointed the sheriff and
local registrar of the Ontario
Supreme Court in Perth coun-
ty in 1982: his wife Colleen
was the unsuccessful Tory
candidate in Perth a year
earlier.
"Let me get a little closer
to home. My predecessor,
with all due respect to Charles
MacNaughton, was appointed
upon retiring from this place
as chairman of the Ontario
RacingCommission at $25,000
per year. He has since
retired, but during that period
of time and now he receives a
monthly pension of $1,845.10.
"Elmer Bell spoke at the
Tory nomination in my
riding. He got up and said how
important it was to have a
member on the government
side, that we in Huron -
Middlesex are tired of being
the caboose. There was
nobody more on the gravy
train than Elmer Bell. Elmer
Bell, a former PC organizer,
was appointed chairman of
the Ontario Police ('ommis-
sion at $55,000, and he has
since retired and gone back to
his law practice in Exeter.
"William Stewart is a chap
who works very hard against
me every election. i unders-
tand he even appointed the
cr ndidate who is to come
against me in the next elec-
tion. He works very hard for
those people, but he is a
former Progressive Conser-
vative member and he has
been appointed to the board of
directors of Ontario Ilydro at
dear knows what price, and
he is chancellor of the Univer-
sity of Guelph, God bless him,
and receives a pension of
$2,802.56 every month.
"There is Jim Britnell, the
guy who ran against me in the
last election. it is my
understanding that Jim
Britnell was promised he
would get a Tory position if he
happened to he defeated in
the election. He got the ap-
pointment all right. He was
appointed a member of the
Environmental Assessment
board where he receives $175
per day plus expenses.
The members should listen
to this and see if this is not a
blatant abuse of taxpayers'
money and political
patronage to the nth degree.
planned scheme which
ultimately resulted in
disaster," said provincial
Judge W.A. Cochrane, who
sentenced Vermaeten to con-
current 12 -month jail terms
on each charge. Three theft
charges against Vermaeten's
20 -year-old son Frank were
withdrawn at the request of
Huron County Crown At-
torney Gary Hunter.
In passing sentence,
Cochrane said he was taking
into consideration pre-
sentence medical reports
showing Vermaeten suffered
memory lapses and still re-
quires medication and
therapy for a head injury he
sutained in a fall from a boat
in August, 1983, at his former
Exe Fibrecraft Ltd. plant in
Exeter. The firm was peti-
tioned into bankruptcy by
bank foreclosure on a loan
last year.
Evidence read into the
court record showed Ver-
maeten started juggling boats
and owners in a complicated
series of deals, starting in the
spring of 1982, and was not
found out until after his
family-owned business failed.
A lengthy investigation car-
ried out by OPP Constable
Wayne Charlton of Exeter
and Detective -Sergeant Tony
Griffin of the Toronto anti -
rackets branch led the of-
ficers on a trail from Exeter
to northwest Saskatchewan,
Florida, Connecticut and
Michigan, tracing boat
ownerships and registrati
A six-page synopsis of
findings showed:
At the end of the boa
season In 1862 Verma
agreed to make repairs
ajustments to a new 30 -
(nine -metre) Nord
sailboat owned by a To
area school teacher, De
Price, who was then work
in northwest Saskatche
but spent his holidays sai
out of Bayfield and Pa
Sound. Vermaeten agreed
provide winters storage a
cost to the owners.
However, he subsequen
used Price's boat as
demonstrator at an Onta
Place dockside boat sh
There it attracted the inte
of an American buy
Charles Anasis of Rochest
N.Y. After a test sail, Ana
purchased the boat (belo
ing to Price) from Vermae
for $33,035 (U.S. ) and was a
persuaded by Vermaeten
become a Nordica yac
dealer in western New Yo
State.
In the spring of 1983 t
boat was slightly damaged
a storm and Vermaeten su
gested he take it back to E
eter to be fixed. Anas
agreed. Vermaeten sailed th
craft from near Rochester
Port Credit and managed
get it back to Exeter just tw
days before its righrf
owner, Price arrived fro
Saskatchewan to claim h
property.
Price got his boat back bu
Anasis, who arrived in Exete
later looking for the boa
found the Vermaete
ons. business in receivership. On a
their tip from an employee, he
traced the boat to Parry
ting Sound, confronted Price and
eten learned he had been
and defrauded.
foot In another deal, Vermaeten
Ica was paid $24,625 as partial
Tor
payment on a new Nordica by
anis Dennis Brigham, a Toronto
ing lawyer, who, wanted some
wan modifications. While sup -
ling posedly completing the work,
rry Vermaeten sold Bigman's
to boat in Michigan.
t no Finally, a third boat which
was sold by Vermaeten
tly through a Montreal dealer to
a a Toronto area customer,
rio Sami Kelada, was regained
ow. by Vermaeten on the pretext
rest of using it as a boat show ex-
er, hibit but it was then sold to
er, Tony Barone of New Haven,
sis Conn., for $37,000 (U.S.).
ng- Vermaeten was described
ten by his lawyer, Ted McGrath
Iso of London, as "an industrious
to and hard-working person"
ht who was "trying to keep
rk several balls in the air" in a
desperate attempt to keep his
he ailing firm afloat. He said
in Vermaeten had hoped to
g- recover from his financial
x- plight and build more boats so
is everyone could have one.
e As a consequence of his
to acts. Vermaeten, father of
to five, lost his former $100,000
o Exeter home by public auc-
ul tion and now lives with his
m wife in a two-bedroom base -
is ment apartment in London,
McGrath said. He is unable
t because of his ill health to
r work. The defence lawyer
t, suggested a six-month jail
n sentence.
n
CREATIVE LEISURE WORKSHOP — A day -long seminar was held at Exeter United
Church, organized by Flora Doerr and Audrey McGregor. Shown in the church foyer
are (back left) Pat Cook, Elsie Tuckey and (front) Flora Doerr, Grace Drummond,
guest speaker Helen Burkholder, Beth Batten, Marion Dougall and Jean Murray.
N. ,
Area women .advised
about plan for aging
Sixty-nine ladies from Ex-
eter United Church and
district UC congregations at-
tended a one -day workshop on
aging coordinated by Flora
Doerr and Audrey McGregor
at the Exeter church.
The guest speaker was
Helen Burkholder who looks
back on a busy and active life
working with YWCAs, on the
commission that formed the
UCW, involved with her hus-
band in Christian Education,
leader at camps and con-
ferences, and still going
strong as a senior citizen.
Mrs. Burkholder was on the
planning committee of the 11('
national workshop on aging,
which represented every con-
ference across Canada, and
participated in a Ministry
with Aging Persons task force
set up by the London
Conference.
Mrs. Burkholder challeng-
ed her listeners to reassess
their role models, examine ing the dishes, examining
the myths about aging, and one's beliefs, not resisting
freshen their outlooks by get- change, getting rid of un -
ting ride of mental garbage wanted possessions, joining
such as old resentments, or beginning a Bible study
regrets, disappointments and group, taking stock of oneself
heartbreaks. before a full length mirror,
and changing one's way of
entertaining were among the
suggestions given by Mrs.
Burkholder to keep a youthful
mind and body.
Mrs. Burkholder said time
spent in meditation each day
refreshes the spirit. Even
Jesus knew when to withdraw
to renew his inner resources.
Mrs. Burkholder said
seniors should be more
demanding as dconsumers,
asking for suitable clothing
styles and smaller homes in-
stead of the huge county
institutions.
Mrs. Burkholder said truly
mature persons take one day
at a time, treat it as a gift, and
neither dwell on the past nor
live in the future.
Coping with illness and
disability takes courage, she
said. Those in reasonable
health can help themselves by
sitting down and reviewiing
where they are, where they
want to be, and where they
are headed. Among the things
one can do for oneself are car-
ing for the body by exercise
such as walking and eating
the proper amount of
nutritious food, and the
endless sources of compan-
ionship in the church, the
community, and the world. .
Living each day as if it is
one's last, monitoring one's
memories during routine
tasks, to be grateful for water
and ample soap suds while do -
Times -Advocate, Octobor 31, 1984
Pogo 5
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A warm welcome awaits you at
Centralia College of
Agricultural Technology
Huron Park Ontario
Centralia College
presents
OPEN House '84
"Building on our Heritage
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7
228-6691
Ontario
1:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Ministry of Featuring:
Agriculture
and Food
- course displays
- Agricultural Business Management
- Food Service Management
- Animal Health Technology
2:00 p.m. - Re -Opening of Bruce Hall Residence
Bicentennial Events
- period costumes
- displays of Ontario's past lifestyle
- horseshoe pitching by Elmer Hohl, Wellesley
- square dancing called by Les Greenwood
al