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Times Advocate, 1994-12-14, Page 1SEIP'S valu-mart 4 & * Eketer 235-0262 See Me At e Store • Thur. 4-7 ��' Fri. 4-8 /r' k :Sai. 11-2,2-4 Serving Exeter and area since 1873 SEIP'S valu-mart Wednesday, December 14. 1994 r ------ , SUBSCRIBE!- If you aren't subscribing to The' 1 Times -Advocate, you're missing out. Use the coupon below and subscribe today! 1 Name: 1 Address City 1 Prov. 1 1 1 Postal Code 1 YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada 1 Within 40 miles - (65 km) addressed to non letter carrier addresses $30.00 plus $2.10 G.S.T. Outside 40 miles - (65 km) or any letter 1 carrier address $60.00 + $4.20 G.S.T. Outside Canada -$99.00 td see 40 Poeta..) 1 USE YOUR CREDIT CARD ❑000000❑ 1 00000000 Card No. I Expiry Date 0 Visa 0 Master Card 0 Cheque enclosed Return to; TIMES ADVOCATE I 24 Main St. Exeter, Ont. NOM 1S6, sssi. — — sssss 1 — ss1� 1 1 1 Preservation Debate rages over old Stephen cemetery See page 2 Temps . for Huron A - Zurich woman opens an employment agency See page 5 From Australia Exchange students haven't seen so much snow See page 12 A helping hand Students help students in peer tutoring program Crossroads Second front Red Wings Ex -NHL stars to face off against Hawks See page 18 Classifieds pages 23-26 Announcements pages 27-28 Experts page 29 Library puppet show A puppet show at the Exeter Library last Tuesday afternoon featured the spellbinding talents of Marion Doucette from the Huron County Library System. Standing from left are Beth Hundey, Bethany,. Wagler and Amy Eveland with Doucette, and with Danielle Long on the right who all helped out with "Too Much Noise". Funding sought to put Lucan library in school, Not all councillors or members of the public agree a shared facility is best for the village LUCAN - An application for funding to be used for a new joint library to be added to the Lucan Public School is being made this week. At regular council meetings on December 6, the Township of Bid- dulph and the Village of Lucan ap- proved their joint application to the Ministry of Culture. Tourism and Recreation. At the same time the Middlesex Board of Education will be applying to the Ministry of Edu- cation for monies to aid in this pro- ject. Lucan reeve Tom McLaughlin assured council members that ap- plying for the funding was in no way saying the facility would be- come a reality. If and when funding is approved, public meetings will be held to explain the reasoning be- hind the new library, the costs as compared to one financed only by the village. McLaughlin added, "I think we should test the waters for funding. This is in no way a commitment to a new library." At an earlier meeting, Middlesex Board of Education director Ted Anderson said, "There is money left in the education sector for the funding of a community-based joint library facility. It appears that Ministry officials in Toronto may look favourably upon a project such as this. The government as a whole is favouring joint projects and sharing of services." Lucan librarian Claire Anderson reported meeting with MPP Irene Mathyssen and the MPP was very much in favour of this project. Newly -elected councillor Rose- mary Gahlinger-Beaune was op- posed to the library's proposed lo- cation. "During my campaign I found the library was the number one pri- orPlease see Library, page two. Steckle regrets signing petition for American he Huron -Bruce MP admits e and other .- parliamentarians were 'dupgd' into supporting the efforts of a neo -fascist OTTAWA - Huron -Bruce MP Paul Steckle's name appears on a petition opposing the im- prisonment of Lyndon LaRouche, a man who claims to he a political•.p isoner, victimized by the FBI and the American government for trying to set up a third political party. However, LaRouche, who was pa- roled in January for mail fraud, in- come tax evasion and conspiracy us- ing fabricated evidence, is described as a neo -fascist with anti-Semitic views and bizarre conspiracy theories. Many of his followers are still in jail for similar charges. An article published in Saturday's Toronto Globe and Mail says that eight Canadian MPs signed the petition asking for LaRouche's exoneration after be- ing targeted by his followers with an aggressive campaign to portray him as a political prisoner. Some of the MPs claim they were "duped" into add- ing their name to the petition. The eight MPs on the list included Liberals Paul Steckle, Jag Bhaduria, Colleen Beaumier, and Mark Assad, Reform MPs Dr. Grant Hill and lack Ram - "So learned throu say, and NDP MPs Chris Axworthy and Victor Alt - house. Speaking with"th 9'hat:-AdVdtate' Rota hit Ot- tawa office Monday, Steckle said he wished he hadn't signed the petition. "I certainly don't support these things," he said. "Some of us learned a lesson throtigh this." Steckle said the "clean-cut" representatives of La- Rouche were allowed past the House of Parliament security with a "briefcase full" of documents sup- porting their claims, and a list of names of who had lent their support to the cause. "I'm not given to giving signatures on just any- thing," said Steckle, but said everything he saw on LaRouche's case suggested he had been wrongly incarcerated. "I got caught into doing something and I wouldn't do it again," said Steckle. A few weeks later in the national cau- cus, MPs were warned against the ef- forts of LaRouche's supporters. "We were warned, but it was after the fact," said Steckle. The MP said he didn't want to make any kind of official statement about his error in signing the peti- tion, because that would only give the LaRouche campaign additional fuel for its fire. He did say in the future before signing petitions he would be seek- ing further independent research on the topic at hand. "1 guess I got duped with the best of them," con- ceded Steckle. me of us a lesson gh this." Telephone scams costing thousands Some local residents may still await 'prizes' that will never come EXETER - An elderly Hensall man is the latest victim of what police describe as "relentless" telephone scam artists that have bilked local residents of thousands of dollars. "1'm not going to say how much, but thousands," said de- tective sergeant Rick Borden of the Exeter OPP, add- ing that the realization that one has been the target of a scam is often an em- barrassment. Borden said there have been two such victims in recent weeks, and he has re- ceived six other complaints from other local residents. While one suspected tel- ephone fraud company was using the name "Platinum Industries", Borden said the con artists change the names, telephone numbers and locations of their operations so quickly, it is hard for police to keep up with them. That is why a joint police task force, called "Phonebust- ers", has been set up with the cooperation of the OPP, RCMP, New York State Police, and the FBI and others to help crack these crime rings, many of which operate in Quebec or New York State. Borden said the scam artists most often offer their victims "prizes", which can range from expensive televisions, vaca- tion packages, hot tubs, to cars and trucks. Although they promise the prizes are completely free, there is always some kind of "fee" needed to be paid to receive it. A com- mon ploy is to require money, which can be up to several thousand dollars, for the prize to clear customs, be shipped, to pay certain taxes (in the case of a vacation), or for a "promotional fee". ' The tricksters will even send brochures ahead to their intended victims to set the bait, promising them a fol- low up call in a few days. The glossy brochures lend legitimacy to their claims, but Borden said they are 1 usually swiped from furniture stores, car dealerships, i or travel agencies. "The big tip off is if they want a certified cheque," said Borden, noting the thieves will often want it sent by courier. "Legitimate companies don't ask you to certify a cheque before you send it." Ifthe victim balks at these re- quirements, the scam artists turn up the heat by suggesting the prize can just as easily go to their runner up. "Some people panick. They think they're going to lose their great prize," said Borden. Asking a Better Business Bureau about the operation usu- ally won't help, because they deal with only local com- panies, and the name used by the fraud artists is typically only a few days old. Borden said victims will often have a hard time believing they have been bilked, and are convinced their prize will show up any day. Sometimes the scam artists will even call back, claim there has been a "mistake" on the shipping, and usually ask for even more money to get the prize on its way. "They're just relentless," said Borden. One victim was even contacted by a group claiming to be "Refund Services" from Las Vegas, who said they had re- sources the police did not and could help get her money back for her. After she sent them a cheque for $ 1,600 for their services, but was heartbroken to be told by Borden that "this is just them again". Borden said he can't stress enough that there is no chance of getting a huge prize from a company you've never heard of, over the phone. "They'll always insist on a certified cheque, postal money order, or a bank note," said Borden. There are other telephone scams that run the ragged edge of the law by offering impressive prizes to purchasers of overpriced items, such as personalized pens, but the latest round of outright confldence games played over the phone has him and the OPP concerned. "There could be 10 victims out there 1 don't know about. They don't know they're victims yet, or know and they're just embarrassed by it." said Borden.