Wednesday, February 3, 1999 - North Shore News ~ & .: Your Complete Mechanical. | Repairs & Service Specialists. Hikers | kept Kidnapping case TALKING YELLOW: PAGES 183 Pemberton Ave. warm From pane 3 When the first North Shore Rescue three man squad arrived, Rutlana con- Unwed to assist. North Shore Rescue team leader ‘Tim Jones, who was part of the three-man team first to arrive at the scone last: Wednesday, had high praise for the BC Pransit Security emplovee. “This was a heroic action becanse he put hinvelt) at risk.” said Jones. “For the rest of us this guy's a hero, We sion’t see ourselves as heroes because we choose fo get into this.” Jones added that although Manning is stili- missing the current operation’s focus has shifted from rescue to recov: ery. For his part, Rutland hasn't decided if he'll be doing the Grouse Grind again, though he’s sure he'll wait for the trail to officially reopen first. “If thev’re doing this much effort to keep people out you'd have to be a fool to go over the barriers (blocking the trail’s entrance),” suid Rutland. Clarified at trial Murder victim was not considered a suspect Bob Mackin Contributing Writer MOHAMMED Mirhadi was not a suspect in the 1996 kidnapping of Randy Chan, a Vancouver City Police investigator told a B.C. Supreme Court judge and jury Monday. Det. Rob Forsberg was called by Crown counsel Mark Levity te tescity at the first degree murder trial of Michael Caster. Caster, 21, is accused of fatally shooting Mirhadi in the front row of a) North Vancouver movie theatre on Feb, 28, 1997. Forsberg’s testimony was intended to refute claims made by Crown witness David Darmadi during the trial’s first, week in mid-December. Darmadi, while under cross-examination, told the coure chat Chan's older brother Raymond may have bees responsible for Mirhadi’s killing. Darmadi said he heard the elder Chan, a Lotus gang member, issued a $65,000 con- teact for the death of supposed participants in the kidnapping. Darmadi is a convicted drug dealer who was sefteduled to be sen- tenced on drug charges in BC. Supreme Court in January. His case was adjourned twiee. Darmadi's sentencing is now slated for Feb, 9. Darmadi told the court in the Caster trial that he witnessed Mirhadi slap and kick Caster on Feb, 26, 1997 in the Capilano Mall parkade. ‘Yhat incident, a dispute over the quality of stolen stereo equipment, is whar the Crown belicves: prompted Caster to kill Michadi. Four men were charged with Randy Chan's kidnapping, but a trial wort happen. Thats because two of the accused, Roman Maan and Birdy Johal, were murdered late last vear. A chied man charged fer the kidnapping, Mant Rezaci, of North Vancouver, is serv ing a }4-vear prison sentence for the fune 1996 atrempted murder of fellow drug dealer Siamak Zahedi, Rezaci was shat in the back ofthe head in December 1996. He survived the shooting, but experiences severe spasms and sometimes uses a wheel chair, Rezaci pleaded guilty to his part in the armed kidnapping and was given a con- current five year sentence to his attempted murder jaih time. The fourth accused, Davinder Singh Gady, refused police pro- tective custody after Johal was) killed. Kidnapping related charges against: Gady were dropped in January. Forsberg was introduced as a surprise Crown witness in the Caster trial on Jan. 19, but the jury didn’t hear his testimony for almost two weeks. Justice Randall Wong tuted his evidence was admissible but defence counsel Paul McMurray suecesstul- ly argued for time to prepare his cross- examination, Court was adjourned: carly Monday afternoon following Forsberg’s short stint on the stand. = Three sign NV joint-use agreement Liam Lahey and Martin Millerchip NORTH Vancouver City, North Vancouver School District 44, and the North Vancouver _Recreation Commission signed a master agreement on the joint use of public facilities for recreation on Monday. The official signing of the agreement by Mayor Jack Loucks, school board chair- -man Dorg MacKay-Dunn, and ree commission chairman 'Maurcen Curtis, ends nine years of negotiations. Expectations were high for “There are 18,0000 chil- dren that attend District. 44 motion from Coun. Ernie Crist thar would have seen Pree pick-u the signing to take place months ago, bur that was delayed after the Nerth Vancouver District stalled on getting involved. Ironically, it, was the dis- trict’s wording onthe agree- ment that the city, the school board and the reereation commission signed. “We've been looking for- ward to signing, this agree- ment for some time,” beamed Loucks. “This is a great day.” MacKay-Dunn was also visibly clated at the signing. “We'd like to thank and con- gratulate the city of North Vancouver for their leader- ship,” he said. schools; contrary to popular belief, those children come from this community.” The protocol agreement allows city staff and officials, District 44, and che ree com- mission to develop specific shared-use agreements on sites, facilities and services. North Vancouver District refused to sign the master agreement after the school board said it could no longer afford to contribute to the maintenance cost of the school tields for which the district, would — become responsible. Meanwhile, district coun- cil deferred Monday a DISTRICT OF WEST VANCOUVER RECREATION FACILITIES MASTER PLAN the question of the district assuming responsibiliw for school playing ticld mainte- Rance put to a referendum during the municipal clec- tions Nov, 20. KYOLIC GARLIC fi \ ASE ee) ap Nene bd 99. ; Tad ?99-999 985-7195 0.9597 farkaoes Send pee sofa bed flame npie foam core faton. scalcd-garded fatan caver. pillows ang piles covers Whe yoanhhhes last 267 €. Ist. i ¥an Entrance in feat lane Han.- Sat. -8pm Sunday 12-5 pm “984-4394 984-7191 ora . 2 GRR ANG TRUCK RENTALS North Snore Owned & Op g Y a nyt ® ° Any car on our lot. 720 Marine Or. North Van 987-7295 ‘& drop off anywhere on the North Shore SPECIAL WITH LECITHIN Garlic has been used for hundreds of years to treat a variety of ailments. Today, Garlie’s main purpose is to lower The District of West Vancouver is proceeding with the cholesterol ond maintoin healthy blood pressure. Kyolic Garlic is an excellent next phase of recreation facility master planning. Brpoloment fr tov vith cholesert ond oe ee . CHa —_ blood pressure problerns. aa We invite your participation in the first round of Bh KYOLIC GARLIC i . WITH LECITHIN community workshops to be held at: veo Coe Regular $29.99 e Tuesday, February 9° at Gleneagles Golf Clubhouse; and e Thursday, February 11" at the Seniors’ Activity Centre. We look forward to seeing you from 5:00 to 9:00 pm on either night. If you have any questions, please call Ralph Ferstay, Project Co-ordinator, West Vancouver Parks & Recreation at 925-7207. SALE 2... 924.99 | (Not volid with any other offers or discounts) Expices Febrvory 27, 1999 Present coupon of purchoes nutrition house come home to wellness Capijano Mali 990-0229 Eaton Centre Brentrood Mall Guildford Town Centre Lansdowne Mall 244-9532 299-6270 | Willowbrook Mall §33-33.47 582-5804 | 1194 Robson Street at Buto 632-0047 \ te Bey J 9 430-0501