TUESDAY, Feb. 9/10

*****

“AYLMER MAN CHARGED FOR 6TH TIME FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE!”

Aylmer – A 46-year old Aylmer man, who has been convicted of domestic abuse on 5 previous occasions, was arrested and charged again for an incident on Tuesday. Police were called to an apartment on Talbot St. west at 9 pm after neighbours complained of noise. Police were given no response when they knocked on the door although movement could be heard within the residence. Police then observed through a window that there were two couples inside and one male was holding a female down and putting his hand over her mouth.  The 39-year old victim  did manage to yell ‘ Help’ and the police forcibly entered. The male then ran out another entrance. Police learned that this couple had actually been married in the summer, despite the previous domestic incidents,  and all four had been drinking most of the day. They were also told that the female had been punched in the face numerous times just before Police arrived apparently because she had waved at another male while the couple was riding in a taxi earlier in the day. While attending to the bleeding victim and interviewing the other couple Police discovered that the other male was wanted for a breach of an association so the 52 year old from Langton was charged.  The other male then returned to the apartment and was charged with two counts of domestic assault and kept in custody. The woman was sent to hospital for treatment of her wounds.

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AYLMER POLICE REPORT:

-Police investigated a hit and run on Friday at 6:30 pm at the main intersection as a female driver heading south on John St. and about to turn right on to Talbot, while  stopped to allow for pedestrians to cross, was bumped from behind by a male driver in a light blue mini van who then kept driving south. Police are still looking for the minivan.

-On Thursday at 8:30 am Police also investigated an accident which occurred at the intersection of Queen and Talbot east as a 25-year old Aylmer female was charged with failing to yield as she hit the back end of another vehicle coming south across Talbot while she was turning west from Queen. There was light damage to both vehicles.

OBITS:

-GEORGE RANDALL ;   of Aylmer;   on Feb. 7;   in his 96th year;   father of Larry and of Carol ( Bill) Dunn  of Aylmer area;   Visitation Tuesday at Kebbels Funeral Home 2-4 and 7-9 pm;   Funeral at Kebbels on Wednesday at 3 pm.

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EESS GIRLS HOCKEY MONDAY – EESS 4, Parkside 1

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AYLMER COUNCIL MONDAY:

-It was noted that Captain Jim Thompson, over 30 years, and Captain Wayne Gavey, over 28 years, are retiring from the Aylmer Fire Department.

MONDAY, Feb. 8/10

*****

AYLMER TODAY:

-Aylmer Council, 3:30 pm

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OBITS:

-Aaron Wiebe;   of Aylmer;   in his 82nd year;   on Feb. 6;   born in Chihuahua, Mexico;   Visitation at Kebbels Funeral Home on Monday, 2-4 and 7-9 pm;    Funeral Tuesday at Old Colony Church at 2 pm.

-Katie Rakoschi;   of Aylmer;   in her 95th year;   on Feb. 6;   Survivors include son John and Marie and daughter Katie Stickel of Aylmer;   Born in Romania she was founder of the Ladies Aid of the German Canadian Club;  Visitation Tuesday at Kebbels Funeral Home;   Funeral Wednesday at Kebbels at 11 am.

-Basil Nevill;   of Tillsonburg, formerly of Straffordville;   on Feb. 7;   aged 92 years;  former Reeve of Bayham;   Visitation at Ostranders, Tillsonburg on Wednesday from 2-4 and 7-9 pm; Funeral at Ostranders Thursday at 1 pm.

- ‘Barney’ Farquhar of R.2 Belmont, on Feb. 5, in his 48th year, son of Ruby Farquhar of London and brother of Brendan Zavitz of Belmont;  Visitation at Bieman Funeral Home Dorchester on Tuesday 2-4 and 7-9 pm; a private family service will be held at a later date.

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SPITS PLAYOFF HOCKEY SATURDAY: New Hamburg 3, Aylmer 1  (Series tied at 1-1)

-At Aylmer;  NH led 3-1 after period two; SOG by NH 30-21

-Aylmer Scoring: Schruder (North, Maracle)

-Next Games: Tuesday at New Hamburg;  Wednesday at Aylmer at 7:45; Friday at New Hamburg;  Saturday at Aylmer.

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“HOT OFF THE WIRE” – “Aylmer Community Theatre (A.C.T.) presents good theatre!”  (submitted by Linda Charlton of Springfield)

When a new theatrical production of A.C.T. comes to town, it’s not only an event that is presented in the beauty of the Old Town Hall, it’s a chance for us to share with a community of a hundred or more theatre goers at a time, in addition to the actors and their crew, in a really good experience. This time, the production of “Dearly Departed” is a production that’s inspiring to say the very least. It could be of interest to you that A.C.T. presents 7 performances over two weekends.    You should see this new production.  The number of characters, 17 to be precise and all the set changes too, present what seems would be quite a challenge to organize.  But the detail to the sketches, well, it’s something great to experience.

The family portrayed in “Dearly Departed” is brought together in the circumstances of the death of a loved one.  It’s quite a challenging atmosphere to portray and includes all the dynamics of how each family member reacts in their own sense of loss.  I shouldn’t forget to mention that this play is a…comedy! Doesn’t A.C.T. have fun through the talent and energy it has, to portray some pretty tough personalities on stage.  It’s very impressive to watch the characters come alive through the actors and all the crew who assist.  I found, and maybe you will too, that it’s a bit tough to see certain dynamics that were a part of the storyline but you’ll have your own feelings about that!  Through it all, A.C.T. pulls off the humor!  There’s a really nice treat for you in this play – and it has to do with song and music!

Let me share what perhaps could be a secret aspect of attending theatre in Aylmer.  I can tell you that when the actors come out the stage door at the end of the play the theatre goers get the chance to meet, greet and share in the fun that follows a performance!  I laughed when I heard one of the talented actors come out the stage door; she was laughing and saying to the audience who remained, “I’m really not mean”!!!!!  She’s right!  But, as she and her other fellow actors do, she acted well; she hid her own personality and portrayed a character that, in partnership with A.C.T., created really good theatre, and good fun!

SATURDAY, Feb. 6/10

The Amish of Aylmer Ontario - $5.00 - Available at Local Stores

*****

AYLMER TODAY:

-Spits Playoff Hockey, host New Hamburg, 7:30 pm

-ACT Presents ‘Dearly Departed’  ;  8 pm;  $15;  at Old Town Hall Theatre (and Sunday at 2 pm)

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SPITS WIN PLAYOFF OPENER FRIDAY:

New Hamburg -  Aylmer Spitfires defeated New Hamburg 3-1 here last night in the opener of their playoff series.  There was no scoring in the third period and Aylmer was outshot 37-26. Next game is tonight in Aylmer.

Aylmer Scoring -  Hunter (Roloson, Haines), North (Roloson, Maracle), Bean (Vandepoele, Brisson).

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OBITS:

-Cornelius Vander Pluym;   of St.Thomas, formerly of Aylmer;   on Feb. 5;   in his 83rd year;   husband of Adrianna;  Visitation at Kebbels Funeral Home on Sunday 2-4 and 7-9 pm;  Funeral at Our Lady of Sorrows Monday at 11 am.

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THE SATURDAY (S)CEREAL – “AYLMER 50 YEARS AGO”:

“STRAND THEATRE ROBBED!” -  In January, 1960 the Strand Theatre at the corner of John and Sydehnam was robbed on a Tuesday night by a lone gunman. The casher in the ticket booth said a man in disguise pointed a gun at her and said: “This is a robbery, hand the money over.” She gave him $57.50. She said: “I had the notion to fall off my chair and pretend that I fainted but when I saw the gun I thought I had better hand over the money.”  The man wore a helmet and goggles and spoke in a low voice and ran off to his car parked around the corner.

“CANNERS ANNOUNCES CLOSING” – In January, 1960, the Canadian Canners factory at the corner of Myrtle and Chestnut,  which had began as the Aylmer Canning Factory some 80 years earlier, announced it was closing its processing division and was just going to be used for storage and listed for sale. Only 15 fulltime employees, although some who had been there 40 years, were left at the plant. However the previous fall about 150 employees, mostly women, had been busy with the canning of beans and pimentoes.

FRIDAY, Feb. 5/10

*****

AYLMER TODAY:

-ACT Presents:  ‘Dearly Departed’, 8pm, $15, at Old Town Hall theatre (Saturday 8 pm and Sunday 2 pm and next weekend). Tickets at Campbells etc.

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OBITS:

-Jerry VanPatter;   of Aylmer;   on Feb. 4;   in his 88th year;   husband of Dorothy;  He was a resident of Malahide all his life;   Visitation at Kebbels Funeral Home on Friday 2-4 and 7-9 pm;   Funeral at Kebbels on Saturday at 2pm.

-Abe Wiebe;   of Aylmer;   on Feb. 3;   in his 64th year;   husband of Margaret;   Visitation at Kebbels Funeral Home Friday 2-4 and 7-9 pm; Saturday funeral at EMC Mt. Salem  at ll am.

-Glenwood Haight;   of Aylmer;   on Feb. 4;   in his 76th year;   Visitation at Kebbels Funeral Home on Tuesday 7-9 pm; Funeral Wednesday at Kebbels at 11 am.

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“AYLMER’S JUDY MINOR WINS MAJOR HONOUR FOR MINIATURE ARTWORK!!!

(Judy Minor, of Aylmer, has been notified that her painting ‘Lang Syne’ has been awarded ‘Best in Show’ at the Miniature Art Society of Florida’s (MASF) annual miniature show recently. This is a prestigious honour and the highest award at this exhibition. The MASF hosts the largest international miniature art show in the world; this year, over a thousand submissions were juried from 11 countries.  The final judge was John Seerey-Lester, a prominent U.S. artist. Judy provided the following  info for AylmerNews:)

1-Why did you choose this scene? -  We have an assortment of ‘almost antiques’ on display in our house which probably have no monetary value, just everyday, well-used items from days gone by. I fondly remember my own Bunnykins bowl.  Before the days of plastics, dishwashers and microwaves, many of we 50’s children were fed from these dishes, with a long-handled silver baby spoon, and the two-handled Bunnykins mugs, before these things became too expensive for the average person. The little white baby shoes were common (hard to picture that Mark’s size 13’s were once this size) and the baby rocker in the background is an old Thompson family relic. Those were simpler, often harder, days but things were built to last for several generations. I often paint well-worn items like that, and often muse about the stories they might tell.   I also find the textures and shapes of that era quite satisfying to paint; the leathers and wood and carefully handcrafted things including the hand-painting on the Bunnykins dishes. They all absorb/reflect the light differently.  When I am painting this tiny, I am reminded of ’The Friendly Giant’ show when we were kids–I was always fascinated with the early part of the show, when the ‘giant’s’ big fingers would move the tiny settee closer to the fire. My family (all tall, and I’m not) and artist friends tease me relentlessly about the miniatures, nicknaming me Mini Minor, indicating I should drive a Smart Car etc.  One artist suggested that I must just do normal-sized paintings, then wash them in hot water and stick them in the dryer. I replied, no, I have tiny elves painting overtime in the studio for me, and they work for peanuts!

2-Have you submitted entries to this show before? -  My art career started around 1991 but I started doing miniatures in watercolour, as an experiment, around 2001. At that time I was not at all aware of how ancient this specialty art form is and about all the different world societies which are dedicated to preserving it. I put a few up in one corner of my booth at one of my Windsor art shows. Karen McConnell (originally from Springfield, and a miniature painter of note herself) saw them, and urged me to investigate the international shows. I found out that the Canadian Miniature Society (Ottawa) had just achieved Charter status and so I entered that one in 2002 and did quite well with the awards; the judge bought one of my pieces and sent me a little handwritten note to be sure to enter the Miniature Art Society of Florida’s show, ‘the world’s best’. I did do the MASF for a couple of years, I think, and received some divisional awards there. On a whim in 2004 I also sent a couple of pieces to the ‘World’s’ (in Washington DC that year, at the Smithsonian), which is held every 4 years or so, and was pleased to get an ‘Judge’s Award for Excellence’ there, which was a rare honour. Around 2005 until recently, I was concentrating on my other works–the miniatures are a sideline for me–so I stopped entering the miniature shows for awhile.  However, I did want to try to do oils in tiny size and started that a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. I thought I’d send a couple off to the MASF for this year’s show and see what happened.   Miniatures are much different than ’small paintings’. Small paintings are meant to be viewed with the naked eye and have just that amount of detail. The standard for miniatures is higher in that they are meant to stand up to magnification, and once the viewer examines them that way, more and more detail becomes visible. It is like viewing a much larger painting while still holding it in the hand. For this reason, miniatures tend to be physically demanding to paint, so I can’t do them all the time; and I enjoy the variety of doing larger, less detailed works, and also much looser plein aire pieces (getting outside to paint), as well.

3-Did you attend?/What do you actually ‘win’? –   We didn’t go, no–I understand that the MASF President was hoping I’d attend the awards banquet and I was sorry to disappoint. This came as an immense surprise to me so I wasn’t at all prepared…..There have been two ‘oh my gosh’ moments with the missives from the MASF in Florida. The first letter I casually opened thinking it was just a notification that my work had been accepted by their jury, but it had me reaching for my glasses to carefully reread ‘highest congratulations, you have received Best in Show’. The second such moment was when I received a frameable certificate, which I knew about; but tucked inside was another gold-sealed envelope with a nice award cheque. That part hadn’t crossed my mind.

4-One of your biggest achievements? -  (Haha, should this be ‘biggest’ (in quotes)?)    Artistically, this particular award pleased me because the judge was John Seerey-Lester, whose (normal sized) work I admire a great deal; he is a master realist collected worldwide, and sought-after for his knowledge and ability. I will treasure his comments about ‘Lang Syne’. In the press release he indicates how highly he respects miniaturists, and that the MASF show is his very favourite one to judge, due to the high calibre of art despite the size constraint. One’s own peer group is the toughest audience, and these artists are extremely visually literate and know what to look for, above and beyond a ‘pretty picture’. With all the hours of work that an artist spends alone at the easel, this is nice encouragement from the larger group that one is ’on the right track’ .    However, it’s the process of making art which is by far the most exhiliarating for me–the awards are like a nice little touch of applause after the fact. I remember a quote which expresses that feeling, ‘Be it jewel or toy, not the prize gives the joy, but the striving to win the prize.’ (Robert Bulwer-Lytton)

5.Why the title? – Lang Syne, Broad Scots for times gone past. I felt it fitted the piece.

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‘RECYCLING PLAN FOR AYLMER, LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES STILL ON HOLD”

(At last week’s Council,  Mayor Bob Habkirk hinted that plans for an area recycling program may soon be underway. Director of Operations Rod Tapp provided this update to AylmerNews.)

The current status of the Proposed Joint Recycling Depot Project is as follows:

Ø       London is still waiting to hea from the Province as to how much funding will be made available for the project, which is estimated at $25 Million. (it is hoped that notification will be forthcoming in the near future)

Ø       Waste Diversion Ontario and Stewardship Ontario have approved and committed $4.5 Million so far for the project.

Ø       Once all funding details have been approved by the various government agencies involved for the project, a complete Report will be going to London Council for approval.

Ø       Once approved by London, a meeting will be held with all interested Municipal parties, at which time, all costing and operating details etc. will be provided for the project.

Ø       A complete Report will be subsequently forwarded over to the Town of Aylmer Council for their review and consideration as to whether the Town will opt into the program.

Ø       The Recycling Depot will then be constructed on a pre-approved site located at the south end of London on Manning Drive and is estimated to take 1 year to complete.

Ø       The Recycling Depot will be a state of the art facility and will be capable of accepting and processing all recyclable materials from London and surrounding municipalities with room for future growth etc.

Ø       The Depot will process the materials and market them for sale with all proceeds going directly back to the municipalities’ using the facility.

From all accounts, preliminary analyses of the Proposed Joint Recycling Project and Program appear to be very positive for the Town of Aylmer which includes the following:

1.)     The ability to expand the Town’s current recycling program to include many more items that are not currently offered for pick up from the Town’s current service provider.

2.)     Provide for a significant reduction in the Town’s overall Recycling Costs

3.)     Adhere to and/or exceed all the current “Best Practices and Provincial Standards’” identified and used in the industry, which in turn will increase annual Government operating funding.

4.)     Enable the Town to achieve a much greater waste diversion rate for the Town that will be in line with Provincial Mandates (60% Diversion).

THURSDAY, Feb. 4/10

*****

“AYLMER’S STEPHANIE DESUTTER’S NEXT GOAL AT MERCYHURST IS THE NATIONALS. (Her first GOAL was scored Tuesday night!)“

(Stephanie DeSutter, daughter of Frank and Ingrid DeSutter of R.7 Aylmer is in her first year at MercyHurst College in Erie, Pa. and is a rookie defenceman on the Women’s Hockey team which is ranked #1 in the U.S.  Stephanie provided this info to AylmerNews .)

Erie – “Mercyhurst is a program that prides itself on work ethic, passion and teamwork. With these three virtues combined with an excellent coaching staff and a committed team my decision to attend Mercyhurst College was very easy. After visiting the school in February of 2009 I knew I would not meet a team that was more connected and I knew that I wanted to become a part of that family. This season has been a success for many reasons but mainly, our competitiveness combined with a great coaching staff has guided us to a level where we want to play at. As of now we have no Olympians at Mercyhurst because Megan Agosta is away playing for team Canada, and she will be returning to the Mercyhurst lineup next season. Being raked #1 is a huge accomplishment, especially for 16 weeks, we are very proud but we know that there is still a lot of work to be done to reach our final goal of winning a national championship

I started off the season pretty strong but ended up getting mono not soon after our first games. As of now my playing time is fairly consistent, I actually scored my very first NCAA goal this past Tuesday against Robert Morris J. I still have a lot to work on to be where I would like to be in terms of playing time but the coaching staff is very dedicated to helping us achieve these goals. Normally we practice Monday- Thursday and play games on Friday and Saturday, Its pretty time consuming but I think I speak for everyone on the team when I say that we would not change it for anything. We play because we love the game. Our road trips vary from as long as 5-6 hours to as short as 1.5-2 hours.

I am studying to become a business major, I have been home a couple times; we had a weekend off near the beginning of the season so I came home for my brothers wedding and I was home again for Christmas so that was pretty nice. Since Erie isn’t as far as my old school (The Culver Academy) I get more visitors. My mom and dad still come for every home game and most of the away games, both my brothers have been down as well as some friends, its nice to know you have people at home supporting you. As for the future I am hoping to have a successful next three years being a Laker, and then see where hockey takes me, maybe Europe for a couple years? We will just have to see haha.

My hockey history is kind of long so I’ll hit the high parts. I started skating when I was 2, joined my first team in Aylmer when I was 4. While in AyImer I played for many coaches but a few that stick out in my mind are Mike Haines, Todd Sprague, Doug Rabbets and Charlie Roloson they all took a chance on putting a girl in a predominantly male sport and ultimately helped me get where I am today. I stayed in Aylmer Minor Hockey until I was 11. After that I switched to AAA boys Elgin Middlesex Chiefs for a year before deciding it was time to start playing girls hockey. I began my girls hockey career with the London Devilettes. When I was 12, playing for Ted Sheehan, I was named the assistant captain and went on to help my team win our league, silver stick and provincials. After that I made a difficult decision to leave my family and friends to attending a boarding school called The Culver Academy to play hockey. After playing with many girls from Culver who went on to play Division I college hockey, I knew this was something I wanted to do as well. In my senior year of high school I was named as one of the co-captains and led our team in winning our final tournament, something that had not been done in many years.  Also that year I signed my National Letter of Intent, stating that I would be attending Mercyhurst College to compete in women’s ice hockey.

There truly are a lot of people to thank for helping me over the years. First my parents, they have supported every educational and hockey decision I have made wholeheartedly and they are no doubt my biggest fans. My brothers, for always pushing me to be better whether it was on the drive way or the backyard rink, I couldn’t have done it without them. My grandparents, who have always been there bright and early in the cold rinks to watch my games, it truly means a lot to me. All of the coaches, mentors, trainers and teammates I have had over the years.”

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AYLMER TODAY:
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-Bayham Council, 7 pm
-Malahide Council, 8 pm
-Aylmer Community Theatre – “Dearly Departed” – Preview $10 – 8 pm -Old Town Hall theatre

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“OPP CHARGED AFTER CRUISERS COLLIDE IN BAYHAM”

The Elgin County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has charged an OPP member with Following Too Close contrary to the Highway Traffic Act following a two vehicle collision on Jan. 28. Investigation revealed that 28-year-old Constable Bradley Derrough, with two years service of the Elgin County Detachment, was responding to a call around 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 29, when his cruiser struck the rear of another cruiser. The collision, which occurred on Richmond Road, just north of John Wise Line in Bayham Township caused minor damage to both vehicles. There were no injuries.
As a result of the investigation, Derrough was charged with Following Too Closely and served a Provincial Offences Notice.

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“BANDSHELL DECISION RECEIVED FAVOURABLY BY COMMUNITY GROUP”

Aylmer – Mary Jane Lampman, spokesperson for a community group favouring restoration of the Bandshell, said today she is “very pleased” with Council’s approval Monday to progress with work on the building. She said she was glad that washrooms would be included and was fine with the decision to only open nine months, hoping Christmas season use would still be an option. She said she wasn’t aware of the purpose of the ‘community room’ which would be included. Town Director of Planning Dan Dale said the use of the room is not “fully defined, but there there was some thought around the idea that it could be used by a group as a meeting space to plan an event, and certainly some storage etc.” He added that the washroom and the community space is actually only intended for use approximately 9 months of the year , as there would be no heating and the plumbing will not be winterized.” Council especially wanted to make use of monies/labour that Ms. Lampman’s group had organized and she said her group now has about $48,000 in funding.

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WED., Feb. 3/10 – Second Edition

“AYLMER COUNCIL APPROVES BANDSHELL RESTORATION”

Aylmer – Council approved the Bandshell Restoration option from Rylett Engineers on Monday that will cost $158,855.40 and will include basic repairs to the bandshell, an accessibility ramp, a barrier free washroom, a community room, use for about 9 months of the year and some reliance on community donations. The next step will be going back to the Engineer to finalize the drawings and prepare the tender documents to go out for tender.
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“JOE WEBBER ACQUITTAL CASE UPDATE:”

(Last week’s Aylmer Express reported that Webber had recently been acquitted of charges from a Bayham robbery in 2006 after he had spent over a year and a half in jail)

In November 2006 two masked men, one white and one black, forced their way into a Bayham residence and, brandishing a gun, demanded cash. The black man then forced the male owner to drive to Tillsonburg to withdraw cash and upon returning ,the family, husband, wife, son and son’s friend, were tied up. The next day Joseph Webber of Bayham was charged with the crime; the second man was never found. In December, 2007 at the trial, Webber was identified by the husband as the robber. Webber was sentenced to 5 years plus the 15 pre-trial months he had spent in jail.

In June, 2008, Justin Parry, now 29 of Norwich, while in custody for numerous other offences, admitted to this robbery. A black man, Mansa Adisa Fraser, now 24, of Hamilton , also in prison, then admitted to being his accomplice. Parry’s criminal record was lengthy – he was sentenced in July, 2007 to 7 years for robbing 3 banks in Huron County and for theft of drugs and a shootout with police in Brant County; he and Fraser had been involved in a previous home invasion in October, 2006 where a shot was fired; he was about to be sentenced to another 22 years in August 2008 for some 25 home invasions over a 6 year period throughout southwestern Ontario. Fraser was incarcerated for various thefts and home invasions in the Hamilton area.

This is part of Parry’s 2008 court statement (from the Brantford Expositor):
“If there’s anyone amongst you who hears what I’m saying, but doesn’t understand me. Who sees what I’m doing but still doesn’t believe me, I would have to assume that you don’t believe you’re really sitting on a chair. In a real courtroom. With a real judge listening to a real remorseful man who’s convicting himself right in front of you. I would have to assume you don’t believe in wind, either, since you can’t see it. But you can feel it. Can’t you feel my sorrow for what I’ve done? Can’t you see I’m honestly trying to change my life? Don’t you believe by seeing my actions how hurt I really am for all the pain and suffering I’ve caused?
If anybody still has a doubt about my sincerity in changing my life and following the word of God, I pray that your eyes might be opened before your judgment day. For in doing what I’m doing, God will call me His faithful child. I will find favour from God for doing what’s righteous in His eyes. And the same God who’s going to judge my heart is the same God who’s going to judge your heart. May the fear of the Lord be in you, as it is in me.”

After Parry’s confession, Webber was released on bail and this past January was acquitted by the Ontario Court of Appeal. The Bayham family has since moved to the US. The following is from the Court of Appeal’s transcription of why Parry’s confession was believable:

“Mr. Parry provides a significant level of detail in his police statement that accords with the facts of the robbery, including:
o The robbery occurred during the day in October or November 2006;
o His partner drove his own car, a silver Nissan Versa;
o There was a long driveway to the home;
o His role as the instigator of the robbery;
o He had a black partner;
o He carried a shotgun;
o He knew they had a safe;
o There were four people in the home;
o They went into the basement and there was a male hiding in a closet;
o He asked the male who came out of the closet whether he called the police;
o The father offered to go to the bank and get money;
o The father left with Parry’s partner and went to the bank;
o He stayed with the family and apologized to them. He told them he was addicted to crack cocaine and that the kids should stay away from drugs;
o He had a cigarette at the house that he took from one of the victims but he was careful not to leave a butt at the scene;
o His partner took electronics and video games from the home;
o There was a farrier coming to the house that day;
o There was a child coming home from school at the end of the day;
o They tied the family using plastic tie straps; and,
o His half of the proceeds was $3000.
• The Ontario Provincial Police confirmed aspects of Mr. Parry’s account:
o Mr. Parry pointed out the home to investigators;
o Mr. Parry’s account of how he learned about the safe in the home (through his friend’s partner, , whose younger sister dated the son) was confirmed
o Mr. Parry’s account of paying the friend $500 for the information about the safe was confirmed
o Plastic strap ties linked to another home invasion robbery that Parry committed are made by the same manufacturer as the ones used in this home invasion robbery and are the same colour, length and have the same lot number.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 3/10

*****

OBITS:

-Harvey Kolb;   of Aylmer;   on Feb. 2;   in his 89th year;   survivors include his wife Grace and daughter Julia and husband Kirk of Aylmer;  Visitation at the Walser Funeral Home Kitchener Friday 7-9 pm and Saturday 1-1:45 pm; Funeral Service at Walsers on Saturday at 2 pm; Cremation has taken place.

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EESS SPORTS TUESDAY:

-Girls Hockey:  St. Joes 2, EESS 0

-Senior Boys Basketball:  EESS 59,  WESS 44 (Cornelissen 26, Baelde 10, Barton 9)

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AYLMER TODAY:

-EESS Boys Hockey, host Glencoe

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“SHOPPERS DRUG MART ROBBERY ARRESTS UPDATE:”

(See yesterday’s report/Info supplied by Aylmer Deputy Police Chief Andre Reymer)

“We thought we were looking for a female and the male but it was the same male in both. After the second robbery we chose not to publicize the event fearing that the suspect would be driven underground and dispose of any evidence (clothing). We believe this worked as we quickly received information about someone pushing large quantities of the same drug stolen. We conducted extensive surveillance with the OPP and we set up an undercover buy which resulted in the target’s arrest along with his 16yr old girlfriend and a 19 yr old friend. The arrest and recovered drugs allowed us to do a search warrant on a Malahide twp.  home. We got more drugs and the clothing we suspected was used in both robberies. The 18 yr old male then confessed when confronted. His girlfriend and male friend were charged with drug offences but only the 18yr old male was charged with robbery, wearing a disguise, dangerous weapons. The accused persons were held in custody pending further investigation. No names are released because of the age of the female and any chance of identifying her.”

TUESDAY, Feb. 2/10

*****

“THE JOE WEBBER FALSE IMPRISONMENT CASE: UPDATE”

The two men who were charged with the Bayham Township home invasion which occurred in November, 2006 have a lengthy criminal history. Justin Parry, now 29, of Norwich and Mansa Adisa Fraser, now 24, of Hamilton admitted in the summer of 2008 that they had robbed the home with a weapon and not Joe Webber then of Bayham, who was, as reported in last week’s Aylmer Express, wrongfully imprisoned for the incident. Parry was serving 7 years in jail for several bank robberies in the Kitchener-Stratford area and had been assessed another 22 years in August 2008 for 25 home invasions over a six year period in southwestern Ontario when he admitted to the Bayham case. Fraser was serving time for 27 charges laid in a Hamilton court in 2008 when he also admitted guilt in the same crime. (To be continued tomorrow).

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“TWO CHARGED WITH SHOPPERS DRUG MART ROBBERIES!”

Aylmer – Aylmer Police reported today that two Malahide residents were apprehended yesterday and charged with committing the two oxycontin robberies at Shoppers Drug Mart on November 27 and January 25 (see yesterday’s story).  An 18-year old male was charged with traffickking and possession of a controlled substance, two counts of robbery with a weapon,  two counts of robbery using a disguise and possession of marijuana. A 16-year old female was charged with traffickking and possession. The arrests were made as a result of a combined Aylmer Police-OPP investigation. The suspects were held in custody with a bail hearing scheduled for today. As well a 19-year old Bayham male was charged at the scene with traffickking in marijuana and was released pending a court appearance.

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AYLMER TODAY:

-EESS Girls Hockey, host St. Joes;  EESS Boys Basketball, Seniors host WESS

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SPITS HOCKEY PLAYOFFS:

-Friday at New Hamburg;  Saturday host New Hamburg

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MONDAY, Feb. 1st/10

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AYLMER TODAY:

-Assumption PD Day

-Aylmer Council, 7 pm

OBITS:

-Merle Ward;   of Miller Lake, formerly of Aylmer;   on Jan. 31st;   in his 49th year;   Former President of Aylmer Minor Hockey;   Visitation at Kebbels Funeral Home on Tuesday, 7-9 pm;   Funeral Wednesday at Kebbels at 11 am.

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SPITS SAT. HOCKEY: Woodstock (19-13-4)   7, Aylmer (12-20-4)  1

-At Aylmer, SOG 27-27; Woodstock led 4-1 after two periods.

-Aylmer Scoring: Pfohl (Vandepoele, Schruder)

-End of regular season, Aylmer finished 5th,  Record last year = 21-12-3

-Playoffs Upcoming

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“SHOPPERS DRUG MART ROBBED AGAIN!”

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Aylmer – For the second time in a few months, Shoppers Drug Mart was robbed at knifepoint.  The latest incident occurred last Monday night about 8:30 pm when a young male produced a small kitchen knife and demanded oxycontin at the pharmacy counter and then fled with a quantity out the rear door.  Aylmer Police described the suspect as about 20 years old, thin build, about 5 foot 5-8 inches, wearing a black hoodie and  a red bandana covering his face.  Earlier this fall a young female also displayed a small knife in following the same robbery routine for oxycontin.

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“AYLMER MAN CONVICTED OF RESISTING ARREST”

A 48-year old Aylmer man was convicted of failing to comply with an undertaking and two counts of assault with intent to resist arrest in court last week. The man was given 14 days in jail and two years probation for the offences which arose from an incident in August in the Kuma Coffee Shop parking lot when he was stopped by police for violating his curfew.

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“PT. BRUCE FLOOD ADVISORY ISSUED BUT NO SEVERE PROBLEMS”

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(This info was supplied by Tony DiFazio, Resource Planner at Catfish Creek Conservation Authority, in relation to the recent flood advisory for Pt. Bruce)

“This winters moderate temperatures  produced limited ice cover on Catfish Creek and scattered ice congestions. Ice cover was limited to the lower 2 miles of the watercourse with thicknesses around 2 inches in the upper reaches and 6 inches in Port Bruce. Snow pack was also limited in our watershed this winter reducing the water equivalency contribution to this storm/flood event. This along with generally ice free lake conditions and open harbour allowed the channel to convey broken ice (last week to Pt Bruce). The CCCA continued the Flood Advisory until noon January 26.  The watercourses in the upper portions of the watershed have crested . Conditions were favorable for localized flooding.”

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SATURDAY, Jan. 30/10

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“AYLMER, ELGIN COUNTY LIBRARIES EARN MAJOR GRANTS FROM PROVINCE; CEREMONY IN AYLMER FRIDAY“

Aylmer – Elgin MPP Steve Peters announced five Ontario grants totalling $241,600 to area libraries in a special ceremony yesterday afternoon at the Aylmer Library, attended by numerous local dignitaries and interested spectators.  An Ontario Trillium grant of $75,000 was given to continue the “Growing With Books”  program, designed for young readers, which began in 2003.  The Ministry of Culture contributed 3 grants -  $98,000 to Oxford, Elgin County and St.Thomas libraries to provide a ‘web tool kit’ to improve online access at the libraries,  $38,500  for improving ‘learning and literacy’  for Elgin County libraries and $22,100 for the ‘Tune In’ project at Aylmer library which provides  a weekly childrens story and library promotions on Aylmer’s Mennonite radio station. Another $10,000 came from Government Services for small business intiatives with libraries.

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OBITS:

-Shirley Smith;   of StThomas, formerly of Aylmer; on Jan. 28;   in her 67th year;   Visitation at Kebbels Funeral Home Sunday and Monday, both 2-4 and 7-9 pm; Funeral from Kebbels Tuesday at 1 pm

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FRIDAY SPITS HOCKEY: Aylmer (12-19-4)   5  New Hamburg (15-18-2)  2

-At NewHamburg;    SOG, New Hamburg by 29-28;     Aylmer led 3-2 after 2nd per.

-Aylmer Scoring: Roloson (Mugford, Gregory), Maracle (Schruder, Mugford); Vandepoele (North); Honsinger (Hunter, Betzold); Harbour.

-Next Game: Tonite, host Woodstock – 7:30 (end of regular schedule)

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AYLMER TODAY:

-Club 7 Paper Drive

-EMMC at Summers Corners hosts Speaker/Author  Kevin Abell and Music; Free; 6:30; Child Care provided; Donations for PERC Youth Coffee House

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***AYLMER IOO YEARS AGO:    “The Saturday (S)Cereal” = “From Jan.13/1910 Aylmer Express”

“A  foundation for the new shoe factory (the Brandon Shoe Factory was destroyed in the Power Plant explosion a few months earlier) has been started just north of the new power plant (by present Aylmer Swimming Pool). The building will be 40 feet by 70 feet and consist of three storeys. The cost will be $5000 to $5500. The local businessmen will raise $1000 and the insurance will cover $3000 so another $1000 still needs to be raised. It will be called the Aylmer Shoe Company. “