JANUARY 12, 2000

Bright i ats woe 32
, Glass’ eds eee 3]
y Crossword ose 37
Kids Pages

i Knight

Hosth Shore Alert

Wright

suspended

Gauze strip left behind in patient

Anna Marie D'Angelo
News Reporter adangelo@usnews.com

A North Vancouver surgeon who left a six-foot
long (1.8m) piece of gauze in a patient’s abdomen

has been suspended for three months from practis-

ing medicine.
ee David Michael Thomas admitted te being guilty of unprofessional con-
duct, according to a press release issued by the College of Physicians and
Surgeons of B.C. (CPSBC.)
Thomas was:
Bi suspended from practising medicine anti! April 1;
asta: to take psychiatric assessment and counselling with reports to the
Cc
B required to pay of $3,000 for disciplinary action cos
¢ CPSBC stated that “the future professional conduct of Dr. Thomas is
required to be beyond reproach in every respect.”
The News was unable to reach ‘Thomas to press ime. His suspension began:
on Jan. 1, about eight hours after he delivered the North Shore's first baby of
¢ year.
Thomas’ former patent Shannon Colieen Shobridge, 29, declined to com.

See Woman page §

Principal threats sparik
school violence meeting

Chris Bryan
Contributing Writer

COMMUNITIES are losing the battle against
violence in their schools, according to North

Vancouver RCMP Const. Tom Seaman,

“Violence is being ed (by some students) as a problem-solving tool,” the
schoo! liaison officer said Monday night at a Parent Advisory Committee
meeting at Windsor secondary school. “My parents neve> had to go to a safe
schools meeting, Our society has changed.”

More than 100 parents and students filled the library to discuss school
safety. The meeting was called in response to the recent arrest of pvo students
who allegedly threatened the life of principal Dave Pearce.

The two youths allegedly concocted a plan to shoot the principal and
mene of his family and were attempting to purchase a gun to assist their

More page 3

Table Henping p25

Black Tusk chef returns NV snowboarder

with renewed inspiration etes hat trick

European culture
with your coffee on
Marine Drive

Business p75
FREE

NEWS photo Julie Iverson

BIG White’s Jeff Warner catches some air during the Kokanee Boardercross Grand Nationals
snowboarding race at Mount Seymour on Saturday. Drew Neilson of North Vancouver wor the
men’s race for the third consecutive year. Mount Seymour hosts the second jewe! in the Vans
Triple Crown of Snowboarding this week. See page 22.