St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 92

2x region ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH Thurtu Nov. 18. 1982 Rimar Amiss On Insurance, Executive Says Until Wednesday, officials at Rimar would not respond to the employees' allegations. Several times officials refused to return a reporter's phone calls.

But at the creditors' meeting Wednesday, Robert I. Martin, president of Rimar, was asked publicly about the charges. "Yes, the medical insurance was canceled," he said. "I was amiss in not notifying the employees prior to the announcement that eventually came from the insurance company." But the employees' suit is just one facet of Rimar's tangled legal and financial troubles. More than 50 people attended the two-hour creditors' meeting.

They heard Martin explain why he seeks to reorganize the firm under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code. The filing enables the company to stay in business while coming up with a plan to pay off more than 500 creditors. Martin told creditors that he was talking with four companies about merging, selling or refinancing. But he wouldn't name the companies, saying to name them might endanger his negotiations. Martin has asked the approval of the U.S.

Bankruptcy Court for a plan to By Howard S. Goller Of the Post-Dispatch Staff The president of the financially troubled Rimar Building Products Inc. Wednesday told creditors at a meeting in the Federal Court Building that he should have informed employees when their insurance policy was canceled. Six employees and former employees filed suit last week In St. Louis County Circuit Court against the insurance company and a local agent to recoup money they spent on medical bills after Rimar failed to pay for the insurance.

Officials at Lincoln National Life Insurance Co. said they had to cancel Rimar's coverage in June after Rimar had given them a bad check for its (7,793 premium payment. But Rimar didn't inform its employees. The six employees in the suit, unaware their insurance had expired, all received medical care. Their treatment costs ranged from $1,000 to $30,000.

borrow $50,000 from a lender as a stopgap measure that would enable Rimar to stay in business for as long as two months while it works toward an agreement with one of the four companies. That motion is pending in court. Martin said that by staying in business, he hopes to turn enough of a profit to remove his own liability for more than $1.3 million in personal guarantees on loans made by lending institutions to other people. The company has assets of $7.3 million but debts of $9.6 million. Its seven sites grossed $100,000 last month, he said.

"I'm fighting for my life to be able to save the company so you can at least get a portion of the money (owed in debts), which I didn't incur in the first place," he told the creditors. Martin said he took over the business in October' 1981. An involuntary bankruptcy petition was filed in July, but was changed to a Chapter 11 filing in September. Workshops Planned On Christmas Crafts Christmas craft workshoos will be all necessary material included in the cost. Advance registration can be made by calling Val Thaxton at (618) 537-4481, Ext.

Representatives from Knott's Landing, a Belleville craft and hobby shop, will teach the workshops. held at McKendree College in Lebanon on three consecutive Monday evenings beginning next week. The workshops will be in the Upper Deneen Center The fee for all three craft nights is $20, or $7 for individual sessions, with Post-Dispatch Photo Dennis Topolewski awaiting President Ronald Reagan at Lambert Field during Reagan's visit last July. Banjo-Picking Reagan Fan Gets Tune To President wants to continue to work for the company, he'll have to take a cut in pay to work as a clerk or a lineman. Linemen push airplanes in and out of hangars.

He claims that the Aerospace and Machinists union Local 777 botched his appeal of his weeklong job suspension. The suspension was for bringing unauthorized equipment the banjo onto company property and for being out of uniform. As Topolewski explains in his song: Things are looking up in most respects for Dennis Topolewski, an airplane mechanic at Lambert Field who was suspended last July for trying to play the banjo for President Ronald Reagan. Since then, Topolewski has written and recorded a song telling how he was barred from playing his banjo for Reagan when Air Force One landed at Lambert Field. Topolewski sent Reagan a letter and a recording of the song.

The president sent back a short note of thanks and an autographed picture. Topolewski also has embarked on a part-time career as an entertainer. He plays his banjo Wednesday nights at the Control Tower bar, 4304 McKibbon Road in Berkeley. That's the good news. The bad news is that Topolewski's job as a mechanic working on small jets is being eliminated at Rockwell.

He says if he Seiko watches are priced low "I brought my banjo, but they chased me away. "It wouldn't even matter if I played real soft just because I brought it, I got five days off. every day at Target. Topolewski protests: "The guy who tried to kill the president got off scot-free. I try to play the banjo for him and I got a $500 sentence because I was out of work for a week.

now save another $40 "It's hard to see the justification," he adds. Edwardsville Ex-Official To Repay $22,000 In Fees on this men's chronograph alarm. believed the fees were part of his compensation. When he suspected there might be a problem with the practice, Hill said, Cunningham asked for an opinion from the city and was tolq it was proper. Hill said it was not until Cunningham was already treasurer that he had asked for another opinion and had learned the practice was illegal.

After that, he repaid the city $2,048, the amount of the last payment to his office from Madison County that he kept. When the city's auditor discovered Former Edwardsville City Clerk Jack Cunningham has agreed to reimburse the city. $22,000 from registration fees he kept as part of his salary. After five months of investigation and negotiations between attorneys for the city, Cunningham and the Madison County state's attorney's office, Cunningham agreed to repay the money within 90 days. The matter was resolved after a City Council meeting Tuesday night.

Cunningham served as city clerk from 1973 to 1981, when he was elected city treasurer. Jfe resigned the office and retired earlier this year. The money was paid to the city clerk's office for birth and death registrations, for certified copies, and for hunting and fishing licenses. For years, clerks were allowed to keep the fees as part of their salaries. The 1970 Illinois Constitution prohibited the practice, but it was not until recently that the issue made it through the courts and the prohibition was upheld.

Cunningham's attorney, Joseph Hill, said Cunningham never had been told that the practice was illegal, and had that check earlier this year, an investigation was started. Although Assistant State's Attorney Marshal Smith said Cunningham could I 11 a Mil I have faced criminal charges, Hill said there was no evidence that any Easy-to-read display criminal act was committed. Hill said the repayment would be a Save now on this multi-functional watch that's especially designed for the man whose active life demands quick, accurate timekeeping. Has ultra-thin silver tone case with brushed stainless steel adjustable band. Save 25 on all Seiko analog quartz watches In stock.

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