BENEFIT TO HELP FIGHT HUMAN RIGHTS CASE

A comedy night benefit is being held Friday for a local business
owner who is involved in a human rights case.

Ted Kindos of Gator Ted's Tap & Grill has been embroiled in a legal
disagreement with fellow resident and former customer Steve Gibson
since last year.

The two have been at loggerheads for about four years, as Kindos
didn't want Gibson - who has a federal government exemption to smoke
medical marijuana - to smoke his pot too close to the front entrance
of his business. The restaurant owner said the smoke was a nuisance
to passing customers.

At the time, Gibson said he wanted to be able to smoke his legal
joints in the same area just outside the restaurant among regular
tobacco smokers.

It looked like the two were heading toward a settlement in advance of
a scheduled Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario hearing last May, but
Kindos refused to sign the deal based on other legal considerations.

"It wasn't that he (Gibson) wasn't allowed to come back in (to the
restaurant). The point is you're (maybe) smoking a joint, which falls
under the Controlled Substances Act, which falls under our Liquor
Licence Act. So we can get our licence revoked if we serve (someone
like) him alcohol. We're in a liability situation trying to
accommodate his disability," Kindos has said in the past.

Friends and sympathizers of Kindos have put a comedy night fundraiser
together for March 27 at 10 p. m. at Gator Ted's (1505 Guelph Line)
to help him with his costly legal expenses.

Kindos says he has incurred $40,000 in legal fees with about half of
that covered by donations. He has had a Hamilton lawyer fighting his
case for free since late last summer.

The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has scheduled 10 days to hear the
case in June and July.

Tickets to Friday's benefit cost $20. Advance tickets are on sale at
Gator Ted's. Some tickets may be available at the door the night of the event.