. . : a Gear up for mountains | NORTH SHGRE Rescue's Robert Holley stands by essential hiking gear including flashlight, waterproof matches, fire-sterter, whistle, pocket knife, compass, map, large plastic bag, water, food, extra clothes and 924-1251. ., 388 a first aid kit. Hikers are invited to attend a free hiking course at 7 p.m. Thursday at Argyle secondary. Money use disputed in court fight A WHITE Rock woman alleged to ‘have black- mailed a former West '. Vancouver ‘priest for . $165,000 over 25 years in a sex affair now claims the money was an invest- ment in her revolutionary " “state of the art” electrol- ysis business. By Brent Mudry_. Contributing Writer The contraption even caught the eye and interest of a well-known Vancouver Stock Exchange (VSE) pro- moter last year, according to court-filed documents. The latest revelations in the case of Father John Brown and Patricia Oberle, his former lover, come in affi- davits and other documents ued in the B.C. Supreme Court. Father Brown, 79, filed suit three weeks ago against Oberle, 61. He claimed she made him buy her silence for a short- term affair the pair had in the early 1970s. Oberle now claims that the “very active’ sexual affair lasted for seven years. There was a brief respite when she married someone else for three months, her third mar- tiage. “The marriage was one of the greatest mistakes of my life and J attributed it to my excessive drinking.” she states. The Catholic Roman priest, who served at St. Anthony’s Parish. in West Vancouver, went public with his decades-old secret in a bid to evict Oberle from his White Rock house. He wants to sell it. His health is deteri- orating rapidly. Brown bought the house in 1984 as an investment hedge for his retirement. He let Oberle tive there rent-free for the past 12 years, as a condition of the alleged blackmail scheme. i In @ strict edict enforced by successive popes in the Vatican for centuries, priests are forbidden to engage in any kind of sex. Father Brown served the church as a priest for 54 years. He was told by his bishop to resign from the Presious Blood Parish in Cloverdale a few days after the suit was filed. Brown had planned to retire gracefully due to failing health. Court documents note the former priest received an old age pension of $500 a month, plus $1,708 as income from the parish, of which 3600 was a transportation expense. “Of my income, ! gave approximately 50% to charituble causes,” Brown states. His income has now fallen to $f.200 per month, plus his old age pension. Oberle claims that some- how on his stipend, Brown managed to build substantial assets, of which the White Rock house is just one part. “I do not know the extent of the plaintiff’s wealth, but t do believe that he is quite wealthy.” Oberle states in an affidavit. The woman offers no mention of any of these “many” assets, but she claims that Brown would charter a plane or helicopter for private flights with her, sometimes two hours long. Oberle has becn on wel- fare since last summer when Brown cut off her support. The move came a few months after VSE stock pro- moter Lewis Dilman met Brown through a funeral director, a mutual friend. Dilman considered taking Oberle and Brown's “Hargon” hair removal device public, but the talks ended and the contraption never made it to the VSE. Brown claims that he sct up Totally Yours Studios Inc. in 1984 to help Oberle devel- op her electrolysis invention. Brown met Oberle in 1971, the year after she opened the Patrician Electrolysis clinic on Marine Dyive in West Vancouver. She claims she later operated the budding business out of her rented apartment. Several members of the Precious Blood parish sup- ported Brown in sworn affi- davits. A Surrey couple recalled an incident 10 years ago in which Oberle was allegedly drunk and verbally abusive. “UH tell everyone about your great Father Brown,” Oberle allegedly threatened. “I could tell the Archbishop what's going on.” she allegedly added. In her own Oberle claims that all Brown's payments “were made voluntarily and were not made as a result of any alleged blackmail or other threats.” She blames him for turn- ing the private affair into a very public issue. Oberle has also counter-sued, seeking to defence, * keep Brown's payments com- ing and to win the house her- self, —§ COMPHAE onl. 3 g 7 sto Includes: soi pine sofa bed fame, role faam cote foten. scotch-garded futon cover, pltows and pillow covers While quantities last 267 E. Ist. ¥.Van FACTORY FUTON gh4-4604 Entrance in rear lane ——Hon.- Sat, 11-Gpm Sunday 12-5 pm 3 locations on the North Shore WEST VAN .. Central Ambleside : DEEP COVE LONSDALE Dollarton Shopping Centre 3rd & Lons 1471B Clyde Ave. dale 407 N. 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