winter tire events3.cottagecountrynow.ca/special/almaguin/data/pdfs/14/an07.pdf · jian liu, 39,...

Andy CampbellStaff Reporter

SUNDRIDGE – For Robert Geense, asfor many other impaired drivers, threebeers seem to go an awful long way.

Geense pled guilty to impaireddriving in Sundridge provincial courton Nov. 27. He was charged in Mag-netawan on Oct. 14, after policestopped his vehicle on Hwy. 124 ataround 2:20 a.m.

According to the police report,Geense at first claimed he had notbeen drinking, but his two passengershad been. He did not have his driver’slicence, but claimed to have one fromNova Scotia. When the officer took himback to the cruiser for questioning, thesmell of alcohol became apparent. He

then admitted to drinking three beers.Geense failed the roadside test, and

was taken to Burk’s Falls, where heblew readings of 190 mg and 180 mg ofalcohol per 100 mL of blood.

Defence attorney Tiiu Aloe told thecourt that Geense is 30 years old andsingle. Originally from Nova Scotia, hecame to the area for a construction job,which he has been forced to give up.

“He plans to return to Nova Scotiathe first week of December,” said Aloe.

The defence and Crown made ajoint submission requesting a fine of$800, plus the requisite one-year driv-ing prohibition.

Crown attorney Wes Beatty notedthat the fine is above the minimumdue to the amount of alcohol inGeense’s system.

“The readings are comfortablywithin the aggravated range,” he said.

Justice Lawrence Klein agreed andissued the fine, to be paid within 60days.

Geense had little to say, except thathe had exercised poor judgement.

“It cost me a lot,” he said. “It’s goingto be a cheap Christmas this year.”

“It’s going to cost you a lot more,”said Klein. “It’s the gift that keeps ongiving.”

Continued from Page 1indicates that all switches were still inthe off position when the fire brokeout. I won’t even hazard a guess at itscause at this point in time.”

Homestead Furniture owner GeoffMiller, of Powassan, told the News hehad no comments on what might havestarted the fire.

“It’s under investigation and untilthat has been concluded, I really havenothing to say about how this mighthave happened,” he said.

Miller started his furniture businessin 1994 as a one-man operation.

“I just wanted to build a small shopand I really enjoyed the lifestyle here. Itwas intended to cater to specific indi-vidual furniture orders, but I soonlearned that one man can’t manageand look after ordering supplies andmake furniture at the same time.”

At the time of the fire Miller hadeight employees and had changed thevenue of his business from individualclients to wholesale orders.

“The 1990s were hard economictimes and manufacturing wholesalewas a better business than catering toindividual clients,” he said. “We spe-cialized in bedroom furniture and nowhave seven different lines, each with 15piece collections.”

Homestead Furniture is a majorsupplier to North Bay’s ManchesterSleep Centre as well as 11 other Ontario

furniture outlets. Few people knew thefull extent of the company’s operation.

“I guess that was by design,” saidMiller. “Once I moved to wholesale, Iwanted to discourage walk-in trade.Retailers don’t want that kind of com-petition, so it’s not surprising that peo-ple had little idea of the amount ofbusiness we did or the extent of theproducts we produced.”

Miller says he has no definitiveplans for what happens next.

“I’m going to let the dust settle, findout the cause of the fire and then

decide the future of the businesses,” hetold the News. “The worst part of allthis is how it will affect my employees.Nothing could be worse than havingthis happen right before Christmas.There’s no way we’re getting back towork anytime soon, and it’s the end ofthe hiring period for (winter) seasonallabour. I’m going to get everyonetogether to boost morale and leave thefuture open to whatever it may bring,”he said. “At this point in time, every-thing is in God’s hands, and he hasn’tlet me down yet.”

By Sarah Bissonette

PARRY SOUND - Through a Can-tonese interpreter, a Scarborough manpleaded guilty last week to growing7,572 marijuana plants in the backyardof a Joly Township home in 2005.

Jian Liu, 39, was sentenced at theParry Sound Courthouse on Thursdayto an $11,000 fine and three months injail, followed by three months housearrest and 30 months probation.

Federal Crown attorney DavidHolmes told the court that the OPPwas told about the grow operation andexecuted a search warrant on July 19,2005 when they found the plants beinggrown in a “garden style plot.”

“At approximately 9:30 a.m. an

adult Asian male, wearing a dark bluet-shirt and subsequently identified asthe accused before the court, exitedthe rear patio door of the residenceand walked toward one of the marijua-na plots in the rear yard...and walkedamong the plants,” said Holmes. “Mr.Liu appeared to police to be checkingon the plants.”

Liu and three others were arrestedat the home soon after, the courtheard.

Prior to his pleading guilty lastweek, a trial was underway for Liu andhis three co-accused, but the FederalCrown and defence lawyers negotiatedthe sentence he ultimately received.The three co-accused paid fines toSundridge community groups and the

charges against them were dropped,the court heard.

Holmes told the court that if thetrial had continued, Liu and his co-accused wouldn’t necessarily havebeen found guilty.

“There might have been problemsfound with information used to obtainsearch warrants in some respects,” hesaid.

Liu, a recent immigrant from China,doesn’t have a criminal record.

Along with the 7,572 plants outside,police found ecstasy pills and 36 gramsof marijuana inside the home.

Liu also received three months injail, to be served concurrently, for hav-ing ecstasy as well as a 10-year weaponprohibition.

ALMAGUIN NEWS, Wednesday, December 5, 2007 - Page 7

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Owner of furniture factory says things are‘in God’s hands’ after it is claimed by fire

Drunk driver loses job and more

Guilty plea for 7,572 pot plantsfound growing in Joly backyard

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