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ITS BEGINNING TO LOOK LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS On May And theres more to come says the weather office which is predicting cloudy cool day with showers or flur ries this afternoon Satur day will be sunny and clear but the low tonight will be near freezing The unseasonable snow caused no traffic problems Ex aminer Photo Man given threemonth term for stolen goods possession By JOHN WROE Examiner Staff Reporter Provincial Court Judge John Anjo reprimanded man for lying on the witness stand then sentenced him to three months in jail Thursday for possession of stolen pro perty Richard Harrington 20 11 Henry St in Barrie pleaded not guilty to the charge laid by Innisfil Township Police Nov 22 after they found welding torch in the trunk of one of Harringtons cars The torch was identified as belonging to Holts Auto Wreckers on Peacock Lane The torch went missing Dec 16 1974 according to William Holt Harrington former employee of the com pany was interviewed by police Dec 28 1974 and Jan 27 1975 but both times he denied knowledge of the torch Just before he was ar rested Harrington told police he had bought the torch in the fall of 1974 for $100 The ven dor was dead at the time of the arrest Harrington took the witness stand and at first said he had bought the torch in November or December of 1974 But he later ammended this to about three weeks after his second interview with police making it around February 1975 He said that when he bought the torch he made no connection with the one stolen from Holts Harringtons lawyer James Herlihy said the defence was based on the accused having no knowledge the torch was stolen He said there was not even proof theft occurred Crown Attorney John Mad den simply said Harrington was not believable in the witness stand because of the FRANCES MASON and her husband George examine some of the doucments they have ob tained in their twoyear contradictions in his story Quite frankly dont believe your story said Judge Anjo cant ignore your type of defence either the fact that you deliberately lied to the court Therefore sentence you to three months in jail charge of possession of stolen property against an Angus apartment building superintendent was dismissed byJudge Anjo Defence lawyer Ed Mayhew almost won dismissal on technicality After Mr Madden had com pleted the Crown case Mr Mayhew inted out that no witness ad identified his clientGordon Baverstock as the man charged with the offence However Judge An jo permitted the Crown to recall witness to identify Mr Baverstock The charge was laid by On tario Provincial Police after Constable Timothy Smith discovered property of Kim Davis in Baverstocks apart ment Mrs Davis testified that she and her husband had been sharing an apartment in Angus before breaking up in November 1975 The rent was paid on the apartment until the end of the year but when Mrs Davis returned Dec 20 to pick up her possessions most of them including stereo set and Chesterfield were gone She went to Baverstocks apartment to turn in her key and there saw some of her possessions Baverstock told her he had got the articles from other sources Dec 23 Mrs Davis returned with the police who found more possessions in the apartment of Steven Peaker Peaker testified that he helped Baverstock remove the articles from the utility room behind the Davis apart ment and Baverstock told him he could take what he wanted Peaker had gotten the impression that the fur niture was to be thrown in the garbage Constable Smith said Baverstock had told him he had taken the articles after finding them in the utility room with the back door to the Davis apartment left open He too had assumed they were garbage Judge Anjo said he found Baverstoeks story reasonable one and that the police evidence still left some doubt He said there ap peared to be third party because some of Mrs Davis possessions notably the stereo were still missing Judge raps Crown attorney for not having cases ready We cant operate jury court just to meet the con venience of counsel said County Court Judge Clare Thursday after lear ning 65 members of jury panel had appeared in court for no purpose The jur panel had been summone in the anticipation of new trial starting and jury being selected However the Crown at torneys office had no cases ready to proceed with John Murphy explained that the Eugene Robinson murder trial had caused some con fusion in timetables since the fight to get Mrs Masons workmens compensation enefits restored Benefits relating to an injury Mrs Mason suffered on the job county court session had been scheduled to start in April but was delayed For the one case the Crown was ready to proceed with the accused didnt show up Mr Murphy said he un derstood it was because the defence lawyer was busy in another court but nonetheless issued bench warrant for the arrest of Darlene Duhamel charged with assault causing bodily harm Judge Clare said he would make representations to en sure the situation did not arise again Mr Murphy of 4413 in 1971 were cut off in May 1974 though she says the injury is as bad as ever ExaminerPhoto fered an explanation as to why some of the cases could not begin but asked that it not be published as it could prejudice the right for fair trial The only case dealt with was Richard Cargoe 19 of Bradford who pleaded guilty to charge of break enter and theft He was remanded to May 25 for sentencing Cargoe had broken into the Ontario Provincial Police station at Bradford and stolen case of beer The beer had earlier been confiscated by police after it had been found open in his car BIKEATHON STROUD 30mile bike athon will begin Sunday mor ning at the StroudInnisfil Recreation Centre sponsored by the Innisfil Lions Club More aggressive approach needed from city says housing report The Housing Policy State ment suggests that Barrie Council take much more ag gressive approach to correc ting the citys housing pro blems It makes six general policy statements recommenda tions to ensure an adequate supply of housing comes on the market each year It sets new housing start targets and recommends 473 units be put on the market in 1976 493 in 1977 and 514 in 1978 to keep pace with local de mand and to ensure that housing prices stay com petitive Its aiming for five per cent vacancy rate City planning and develop ment staff should make an nual reports to council and planning board and the hous mg committee on changes in the marketplace that may af feet the realization of this target And the city should put much greater emphasis on the construction of rowhous ing and rtments to pro vide affor ble accommoda tion All subdivision reements should contain ate when the development must be completed Failure to meet SUBSIDY PLANS FOR CITY HOUSING Nine subsidy programs are available for housing says the recentlycompleted housing study committee The programs and the report is recommendations are ONTARIO HOUSING ACTION PROGRAM OHAP Barrie should ask the ministry of housing to designate the city Housing Action Area in order to become eligi ble for funds under the Home Ownership Made Easy HOME program ASSISTED HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM AHOP Barrie has three AHOP programs All are townhouse developments The re rt recommends house construc tion of nonfrill semi etached and multiple types to be produced to AHOP specifications RENT GEAREDTOINCOME FAMILY ACCOMMODATION The Ontario Housing Corp now manages 74 family units in the city The study recommends steady supply of family gearedtoincome accommodation be made available through OHC at rate of supply consistent with demand SENIOR CITIZEN ACCOMMODATION The OHC manages 151 senior citizen rental units Another 50 are slated for construction in 1976 but there are about 181 elderly on the waiting recommends OHC accommodation be and lowrise buildings and that 50 units list The study rovided in big provided each year until the waiting list declines to less than 100 ap plications ASSISTED RENTAL PROGRAM ARP All rental partment construction in some zoning categories be produced to ARP pecifications unless funds are not available from Central Mortgage and Housrng Corp or city council considers this type in ap propriate for certain area NONPROFIT HOUSING ASSISTANCE The study recommends re ort be prepared by the planning and development staf by June on the potential of forming municipallyowned non profit housing cor poration CONDOMINIUMS Approvals for conversion from rental units to con dominium ownership to be allowed only when the vacan cy rate is five per cent or more and if 80 per cent of the tenants in the units have signed agreements to buy their units the study suggests MUNICIPAL LAND ASSEMBLY The city should develop policy on landbanking to en sure the attainment of longrange lanning goals Hous ing committee members feel land anking white ho is the great pe They think similar policy as exists for in dustrial landbanking can be developed for residential needs NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM NIP NIP funding be considered where recreational and social facilities are lacking and that Barrie continue to offer the Ontario Home Renewal Program is recom mended LOCAL GENERAL TO SHOW MOVIE The Raggedy Anne Day Care Centre will show the movie Tom Thumb at Cundles Heights Public School Saturday from to 230 pm Admission is $1 and children are to be ac companied by an adult or teenager IENSIONERS MEET representative of the Canada Pension Plan will be guest speaker Wednesday when the Barrie and District Branch N0 of the Canadian Forces Long Service Pen sioners Association meets at 730 pm in the cafeteria on the second floor of the main building at Georgian College OPEN HOUSE The Barrie and District Association for the Mentally Retarded will hold its annual open house at the Adult Rehabilitation Centre 175 Bayfield Street May 14 from to pm All work and train ing areas will be open and demonstrations will be given There will be bake sale and sale of asSorted crafts plus refreshments DIR YEARS OFDEALHVG WITH WCB the deadline by the developer will entitle the city to take any action deemed ap propriate to ensure the ap proved development of lands and to consider the state of the surrounding properties ENCOURAGE COOPS The report says nonprofit and cooperative groups wishing to provide various forms of lowcost housing should be encouraged and aided by the municipality as far as possible But study puts its strongest hopes on improving the local housing situation on getting the city to make greater use of government housing sub sidy programs Minimum income levels between $14000 and $15000 annually are required to pur chase the least expensive home on the market which is condominium rowhouse of about $35000 Clearly housing subsidy programs are re quired in order to widen the range of potential homebuyers in Barrie The city has been slow to jump on the government help available for housing in the past Ald Paul Wessenger councils representative on the housing committee said Its never taken much ad vantage of the government subsidy programs avail able Other members agreed citing general attitude of in ertia by council and the no growth policy of city politi cians as the main reasons Copies of the report will be distributed to city planning board city development com mittee and city ad ministrative departments for comments and recommenda tions DAVID WITTICK con ducted the Eastview Con cert Choir Tuesday even ing during the second part of presentation by the Eastview Music Depart ment held at Georgian Col lege The string orchestra the Eastview Singers and The Eastview Concert Choir played to full house during the evenings per formance Examiner Photo More than music education comes from choral program By SHEILA McGOVERN Examiner Staff Reporter Nine years ago Eastview Secondary school began its choral music program with two students and teacher Dave Wittick The schools two choirs are now 175 voices strong travelling throughout the pro vince and performing con certs on their own without the help of guest artist Mr Wittick is great pro ponent of choral music and together with his choirs assistant conductor Bertram Kelso and accompanist Mol ly Palmateer he has travelled to high schools in Simcoe County and Toronto encouraging vocal music Simcoe County schools tend strongly towards instrumen tal music he said and dont have choral music programs cant understand the reason Mr Wittick said choral music is so less ex pensive in time we are talk ing restraint Both types of music definitely have their place he said but when it comes to talking money choral music is definitely cheaper Both music programs are difficult to develop and Mr Wittick agreed good choral music teachers might be dif ficult to find Instrumental music seems more popular and it is not as easy to teach human voice the instructor said par ticularly since few students would be taking private lessons He dispells the idea of vocal music programs being Mickey Mouse courses Students are required to learn theory appreciation sight reading and singing Students who choose the course tend to be musically gfted and the work comes much easier They study great deal on their own time and have chosen the course out of genuine interest DEMANDING PROGRAM The program is deman ding Mr Wittick said and students must develop self diseipline and responsibility In year student must learn and perform over 50 selections But gift for music is not essential Mr Wittick said anyone can be taught to sing unless they have physical disability In the past nine years Mr Wittick believes the two choirs the Eastview Singers or junior choir and the senior concert choir have made significant pro gress feel we have one of the top choral programs and choirs in Ontario he said The choir took first place in the two classes it entered in the Kiwanis Music Festival in Toronto and will perform at Ontario Place on the evening ofMay 31 It was also was of three choirs asked to perform at the Canadian Music Educators Association con vention in Newfoundland but Mr Wittick believed the $21000 expense of such trip even though half could be covered by grant was too geat We could use that money to travel in and around On tario to promote choral music he said although the selection was an honor The choir recently returned from trip to Ottawa and Fenlon Falls and is awaiting return visit from Fisher Park high school of Ottawa The Ottawa students will give an afternoon concert hn May 27 STANDING OVATIONS When the choir performed in Ottawa members were warned that choral music was not highly accepted Mr Wittick said but the choir received standing ovations and encores The groups repertoire is varied and includes everything from Mendelssohn to popular music The choir will be releasing its third record album soon Mr Wittick said his greatest satisfaction is wat ching them on stage perform well and having them know they have performed well The choral program pro vides not just music education but an education in life as well as in music he said AND ANGUS WOIIIANNOWSA YS dont think they know what theyre doing By RICHARD DUNSTAN Examiner Staff Reporter The Workmens Compensa tion Board needed only three days this January to sift through mountain of evidence and decide that Frances Mason then of Borden was not entitled to more than $6000 in benefits she claimed in connection with an injury she suffered at herjobin 1971 But it took the board almost three months to answer her resulting letter of protest She wrote Jan 29 and the boards reply polite four paragraph note telling her that only additional evidence would warrant further ap peal of her casearrived at her Angus home last week This say Mrs Mason and her husband George now living in Angus is the sort of treatment they have come to expect from the Workmens Compensation Board WCB since Mrs Mason was struck in the right thigh by ZOOlb metal bar at the Harding Carpet plant in killingwood Dec9 1971 Since then the Masons say the WCB has led Mrs Mason to believe for six months that her benefits were being delayed by administrative oblems when in fact they been cut off given her the runaround whenever she tried to straighten out her case or get information on it kept her for 10 days in hos ital psychiatric ward wit patients suffering from severe mental il lnesses ostensibly for the sake of pain test which took less than day refused to believe the severe pain which keeps her not only from employ ment but from household chores is related to her original injury cost her $500 to $700 in legal and medical fees and transportation expenses in addition to the work loss compensation she has been denied dont think they know what theyre doing she says MUSCLE SIASMS Mrs Mason now 51 says she has suffered muscle spasms in the ri ht le severe pins an need es sensation in the right foot its just as if youre walk ing on stones and an assortment of related pains offand on since the injury She says she was able to work varying number of days each week passed out couple of times at work until May 1974 when she had to give up employment altogether because of the pain and muscle spasms series of doctors made lit tle progress either in dia nos ing or in treating the pro lem until late 1974 when it was diagnosed as chronic soft tissue injury causing pain which is magnified by psychological factors The diagnosis does not suggest that this magnification is deliberate nor that the pain actually experienced by Mrs Mason is any less distressing thansheclaims Another doctor she says told her in 1975 that she has bone bruise and will have to learn tolivewith thepain Meanwhile the WCB paid Mrs Masons benefits as much as $70 or $75 week when she could not work at allwithout hitch until May 1974 when she was called to Toronto for an examination told its all in your head and cut off benefits When she checked with the WCB she says she was told the termination was routine and cheques would soon be on their way again When none came she spent hectic summerabout half dozen trips to Toronto plus similar number of long distance hone callsmtrying to straig ten out what she was repeatedly assured as an administrative mixup brought about by lost file or some similar cause Not one of them came up WCB gets most beefs cabinet minister says Frances Mason isnt the only rson in Ontario with com aints about the Work men Compensation Board Last year provincial cabinet minister told an audience of union leaders he gets more complaints from his constituents about the WCB than about any other provincial agency The minister was James Snow then government ser vices minister now minister transport who represents Oakville at Queens Park He told the Oakville and Bramp ton labor councils only the federallyoperated Unem ployment Insurance Com mission draws more com plaints than the WCB But John MacBeth then minister of labor and thus responsible for the WCB was at the same meeting and he had an explanation The WCB had recently moved from one building to another he said One of the buildings was horizontal in construction the other was vertical and problems of ad jtftment to the new building played the devil with the WCBs internal corn munications The audience burst into lau hter and even Mr Mac Bet cabinet colleague Mr Snow was unable to keep an entirelystraightface and told me wasnt entitled to benefits she says None of them told me my file was closed the com pany Harding Carpets didnt even know Then she went to Wellesley Hospital in Toronto in September for her pain test and was told that che ques would resume when the results were in She was so appalled by her surroundings there she would not let her husband come to the hospital for an interview as doctors had requested for fear he would insist she come home before tests were completed When no results came in by the end of October the Masons retained Barrie lawyer Gerald Norman to break through the red tape Mr Normans letter of inuiry was answered by letter stating that Mrs Masons injury was long since recovered and her benefits had been cut off Mr Normans letter was to be treated as formal appeal of WCB decision of which Mrs Mason had been unaware The appeal was dismissed in January 1975 and two fur ther appeals exhausting WCB appeal procedures have met essentially the same fate PAIN IS REAL In each case Mrs Mason and her representatives she was supported in the second appeal in June 1975 by pro vincial NDP leader Stephen Lewis administrative assis tant have argued that her pain is real re ardless of whether it is ysical or psychological in origin and clearly dates from the 1971 accident In each case the board has held that she has no disabling physical injury and that any psychological pro blems cannot be traced to the accident Gerald Norman who ceased to represent Mrs Mason in May 1975 after Stephen Lewis entered the case says he believes Mrs Mason is genuinely suffering and ought to receive compen sation but adds that he recognizes the difficulty the board faces in dealing with problems thought to be of psychological nature However he is not nearly so understanding of the boards conduct of the case The board he said refused to release to him the medical reports on which it had based its decision referring him in stead to the various doctors some of whom failed to answer his letters In addition he said WCB officials naver made serious effort to confront Mrs Mason with their deci sion and convince her she was not entitled to compensation My complaint with the board is that they made it very difficult for metofindon what basis they made their decision found them somewhat secretive he says When that sort of thing happens one suspects that its only for the wrong reason