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Second arson attempt l e has tenants worried | For the second time in 15 months, a fire suspected to be arson has been set in a Waterloo apartment buildâ€" ing and police say that at least the latest one is the work of the soâ€"called ‘*Saâ€" turday Night Arsonist." Tenants leftâ€"the Waterloo building at 11 p.m. when some smelled smoke and others responded to smoke detectors. They were relieved that the fire, set in a ground floor stairwell was quickly conâ€" tained and damage limited If so, the Thursday night fire at 328 Regina St. N. proves the notorious arâ€" sonist doesn‘t reserve his work for the weekends. At the same time, some were so frightened by the repeated incident they reâ€" The arsonist, who has written over the monthsâ€"to the police and local media, is believed responsible for at least 12 area fires. Gregorios Asimis, operator of a BP station at Erb and Regina Streets, is still hoping the city might allow him to sell gas in the evenings and on Sunday. If not, he‘d at least like the city to make it mandatory for operators to stay open when their turn comes to work the longer hours. 2. By Stewart City will reconsider gas sales bylaw fused to give their names when the Chronicle went to interview them Friday. "L+ was= so worried I couldn‘t sleep (Thursday night) and maybe I won‘t be able to tonight,"" she said. Last May a deliberatelyâ€" set fire was discovered in the basement laundryroom of the same apartment building. That fire caused extensive smoke damage. Tenants claim that it‘s the fourth deliberatelyâ€"set fire in the neighborhood. The tenant saidâ€"she was talking to a friend on the teâ€" lephone shortly after 11 p.m. when she heard someone ‘‘*pounding‘‘ on her door ‘‘*screaming for someone to call the police and fire deâ€" partments.‘" *:>* The fire, started when newspapers wrapped in a plastic garba.em-weu lit, left one tenant "stared silly. It‘s the second fire in this building in just «over a year." o Another tenant said ‘"it‘s scarey here ... I can‘t take much more of this." **My husband and I are going away from here for the weekend just to get some peace and quiet," she said. She suggested the only way to prevent an arsonist from entering the building is to install locks on the front and rear doors to the buildâ€" ing. ‘*I didn‘t hear a thing until the smoke alarm went off," she said. "He just walked in, did his thing and disapâ€" peared." y Tenants were dismayed by the news that regional police are considering closâ€" ing the arsonâ€"hotline, begun in April to help investigators track down the firebug. ‘‘They can‘t shut down the hotline. We need things like that," one woman said. **We need a number to call for help or to give informaâ€" tion if the situation is to imâ€" prove." & _ Police say they will have an ‘‘indefinite watch*‘ on the Regina St. apartment. ‘Let‘s face it, twice hit by fire ... there will be soâ€" meone watching for sure," said Deputy Police Chief Charles Clare. Michael G. Weedon, a reâ€" sident of Waterloo, was reâ€" cently appointed director of finance, control and treasâ€" urer and élected to the board of directors for B.F. Goodrich Canada Ltd., in Kitchener. Weedon, 27, was previousâ€" ly director of control and systems service for the company. s This apartment building at 328 Regina St. N. has been struck by fire twice in the last 15 months. Police suspect the latest one last Thursday to be the work of the soâ€"called "Saturday Nightâ€"Arsonist." : By Stewart Sutherland Staff Writer The city will once again tackle the question of longer hours for the sale of gas, it was decided Monday. Council voted to defer a motion from its service station advisory committee recommending no change in the present byâ€"law which restricts hours of sale.: Instead, the advisory committee will meet once more after its chairman, alâ€" derman Robert Henry, consults with city solicitors on a proposal suggested by Mayor Marjorie Carroll. â€" The mayor suggested that the present permissive byâ€"law be made mandatory to force operators to remain open when scheduled to do so during restricted hours. At present, operators can sell gas beâ€" tween the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and not on Sundays. The permissive part of the byâ€"law allows operators, on a rotatâ€" ing basis once a month, to sell gas durâ€" ing the restricted hours. A schedule of stations open during those hours is pubâ€" lished in local newspapers. ‘‘*Many service stations are not stayâ€" ing open the regulation length of time," Carroll said. "It‘s been a very strange situation for the residents of Waterloo for too long."‘ A recent telephone survey conducted by deputy city clerk Lou Ayers showed eight of 24 stations are not opening when their turn comes up once a month. Carroll said she can‘t understand why some operators aren‘t staying open, sayâ€" ing "*where does that leave the pubâ€" lic... with no gas." * f Gregorios Asimis, a local gas station operator, had approached council June 9 for permission to sell gas during the resâ€" tricted hours. ‘‘"If you‘re on the list you should reâ€" main open," Carroll said. _ j The city‘s service station advisory committee met two weeks later to reâ€" view the byâ€"law and consider Asimis‘ request. He told the committee retailers who fail to open when scheduled "aren‘t proâ€" viding service." . CA esd ‘‘The byâ€"law is good if all stations open when they should, and stay open," Asimis. said. Otherwise, he wants perâ€" mission to open independently of ascheâ€" Weedon appointed director ‘In its report the committee said the byâ€"law was enacted ‘‘as a result of a maâ€" jority of service station operators petiâ€" tioning for restrictive hours‘ and said He succeeds Dallas P. Lutz who was appointed viceâ€"president of analysis and control, Engineered Products Group at BFG‘s world headquarters in Akron, Ohio. â€" . Weedon joined the comâ€" pany in 1976 after graduatâ€" ing from the University of Western Ontario with a master‘s degree in business Waterloo Chronitle, Wednesday, July 23, 1980 â€" Page 3 there would be ‘"no extra revenue if all stations are open."‘ A * But a letter, signéd by five local Esso Gealers, sent to Henry‘s committee in June supports Asimis‘ request. In their letter the dealers said a "resâ€" trictive hours byâ€"law and rotational opening lead only to consumer conâ€" fusion, chagrin and dissatisfaction." Committee chairman, Alderman Roâ€" bert Henry said Monday the complaint from Asimis was the first his committee has received. * They also said "the consumer need is the single most important factor that a retail service must satisfy...we exist to serve the consumer." * Henry suggested if the city were to repeal its byâ€"law it would ‘*drive one more nail in the coffin‘‘ of familyâ€" operated service stations. But Asimis told council his operation was a family business and claimed he wouldn‘t suffer with the longer hours. As well, Dave Walker, owner of of a familyâ€"operated service station on King St., Waterloo, said in an interview yesâ€" terday ‘‘it‘s quite the contrary,"‘ to Henry‘s suggestion. ‘‘Having extended hours would mean more business,‘"‘ Walker said. He also said "if a schedule is set up we have to follow through. There has to be some consistency in the byâ€"law."‘ Alderman Mary Jane Mewhinney pointed out at the council meéeting that the advisory committee was made up entirely of members of the Gasoline Reâ€" tailers Association. ‘"I don‘t think we‘ve heard from the general public,‘ Mewhinney said. She charged Asimisâ€"was being discriminatâ€" ed against and that, in any event, ciâ€" tizens are "overâ€"regulated by byâ€"laws." Alderman Blake Hull said he‘s opposed to any change in the byâ€"law, saying the present system creates an ‘"occasional inconvenience, but no major problems.‘"‘ Local service station operator Gary Voight told council the byâ€"law ‘‘*was brought in to prevent bankruptcies and (allow owners to) share the minimal night traffic." "If the byâ€"law is rescinded it could be economic suicide (for small operators) because the big companies would take advantage of the situation. They have the resources to win in the long run," Voight said. The committee will meet early in Auâ€" gust following talks with the city soliciâ€" administration. He will be responsible for the company‘s financial, banking, purchasing and data processing activities. Weedon is a member of the Financial Executives Inâ€" stitute of Canada, Hamilton, He livés on Tatlock Ct., Waterloo. %