Lynn Valley parents meet with District A PARENT'S worst pedestrian nightmare is a driving force behind a push for safer intersec- tions near Fromme elementary school in Lynn Valley. By Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter On Nov. 6, 1995, a Lynn Valley grandmother and two youngsters, ages seven and 11, were hit by a car near Shakespeare Avenue and Fromme Road. They were walking to schoo! for morning band practice. All three people have recuperated from their injuries. . Last week, the school’s parent traffic safety group arranged an out- door 8:30 a.m. meeting with munici- pal representatives to point out some of their concerns. Said Fromme elementary parent Bev Thomas, “We've had two kids hit on Fromme this (school) year. Why wait? It’s just paint.” ‘Thomas was speaking to Norm Nikkel. North Vancouver District (NVD) traffic engineering services assistant manager. Thomas said that painting more curbs yellow near heavily-used school intersections might help clear the intersections of stopped cars. _Nikkel said that once a curb was painted yellow “it means no parking for- He said i it is Hlegal to park within six metres (20 feet) of all intersections. “We don’t have to mark it,” said Nikkel. Nine people, including parents, Fromme elementary principal Ian _ McWilliams, District Mayor Murray Dykeman and North Vancouver RCMP traffic section Cpl. Tom Adair, walked to several intersections near the school during the meeting on a rainy Tuesday morning. Parent traffic safety group president Sherry Williamson said there had been ’ five accidents in one year alone at the Wellington and Fromme intersection. Williamson later told the News that parents were concemed about the 50 km-h speed limit in front of the school on Fromme Road when streets around schools usually have 30 km-h speed zones. =. ~ -- She said about half Fromme’s student population gets to school by cross- ing a busy side-street on Frederick Road. Fromme ‘elementary is located at 3657 Fromme Rd. Argyle secondary : school is about half a block away. On Frederick Road on the elementary school" s south side is Cedars pre- oteli A PROMINENT North. Vancouver hotel owner, charged with sexually assaulting three ‘former . employees, opened his defence Thursday ‘by describing .one alleged. sex act as virtually” a ‘physical impossibility. By Brent Mudry Contributing Writer never had course in a Mercedes SL.” under oath. ; : Defence lawyer John McIntyre’ pre- sented the: alleged encounter as a con- tortionistic Hutchinson explained that the ~The testimony came shortly after the Crown two-seater sports inter-- § Hutchinson testified’ ] feat. .& Friday, January * 19, 1996 — North Shore News — 3 safe crosswalk sought NEWS photo Mika Wakefield FROMME ELEMENTARY student Kim Williamson, 8, is bundled up by her mother, Sherry, before they wait to safely cross a busy crosswalk to school. school for children aged three and four. The parent group traffic complaints included: @ cars making u-tums “all the time;” Wi cars stopping illegally to drop off students: S parents in a hurry who were not watchful of children pedestrians. Nikkel said parents’ illegal and unsafe actions could be addressed in school newsletters. He suggested bylaw enforcement and police patrols could be increased to enforce the laws. The problem of cars stopping and parking illegally. he said, was a problem at every school and “will be forever.” Nikkel said North Vancouver District was “fussy” when if came to putting in marked crosswalks. “Unfortunately, there are more accidents at the marked crosswalks than unmarked,” said Nikkel. Thomas later told the News that a request for a crossing guard in front of the school was denied by North Vancouver Schoo! District 44. The schoo! district also nixed a student volunteer program to have cross- ing guards because of insurance reasons, said Thomas. A clause in its contract with unionized crossing guards prevents District 44 from replacing any union members with volunteers. A tall cylinder cone was placed in the middle of Fromme Road at the Croft road intersection to alert motorists to the heavily used crosswalk into the front of the school. ier r opens defence Hutchinson testified that to vacuum the cas, he had to sit outside and reach in, because it was too difficult to manoeuvre inside the vehicle. . Rick O'Bryan of Kamloops, a long-time friend and former roommate of Hutchinson, testi- fied that the hotel owner had serious back trou- bles, which fed to surgery. The two men shared townhouses in Lynn Valley for three years starting in the fall of 1985, after both their marriages fell apart carlier that year. Hutchinson's third wife left him, ending their O'Bryan split with his wife of 10 years, while” prosecutor suffered 2 significant setback when ‘the judge ruled against an attempt to introduce important “similar fact evidence.” Kenneth Hutchinson, the owner of the Avalon Hotel, took the stand Thursday raorming in B.C. Supreme Court. Hutchinson, 48. is charged with four counts of sexual assault. The alleged victims earlier testified that, they continued working at the Avalon following the alleged incidents. Justice Howard Catlaghan heard earlier this week that one complainant had been convicted of a drug offence. The women’s identities are all protected by a standard publication ban. One complainant told court she had sex with Hutchinson in the front bucket seat of his car. “J iow to reach us Andrew McCredie Sports & Community Edilor 985-2131 (147) COMPUTER BBS 980-8027 Michael Becker News Editor 985-2131 (174) LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, full address and telephone number. Via internet: trenshaw @ direct.ca Password: /etiers Further instructions in News conference. ‘coupe has a raised automatic gearshift consale between the seats and an ovet- sized “old-style” steering wheel. “itis very tight.” Hutchinson said in describing the car's interior. Three of the hotel owner's courtroom supporters suppressed. snickers of disbelief over the alleged incident, after he told the court he stands 182 cm (5°11.5") and weighs 92 kg (208 Ibs.). McIntyre asked if his client was ever able to squeeze under the stecring wheel to move around in the cramped interior of the Mercedes. “It is impossible.” Hutchinson told the court. North Vancouver hote- lier Ken Hutchinson counters. A PROPOSAL life. By Richard Ostler User ID: mailbox for a recre- ation centre in the Seymour area may be coming back to two-year marriage. Hutchinson's first marriage, when he was 21, ended after 1.5 years, while his second ended in 1980 after eight years. Prosecutor Allan Flanz closed his case moments after Justice Callaghan dismissed the | Crown's attempt to use the evidence of three other women. The women, all former employees, claimed that Hutchinson made strong overtures. which stopped short of any sexual touching. Flanz claimed the stories were “similar Fact evidence,” as the women were all employees, Hutchinson was allegedly the initiator and he had an alleged history of ignoring protests. After con- sidering the argument overnight. the judge threw out the motion. The trial continues. council to develop a Parkgate recreation centre task force to “examine funding options and review recreation needs.” The need for a recreation centre in the Seymour area was identified in the mid- 1980s. Since then, stud- ies and surveys were conduzte2 by READ THE WEWS ON THE INTERNET AT http://Avww.nsnews.com 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 284 Submissions are welcome but we cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited materia! including manuscrips and pictures, which should be accompanied by 2 stamped, self-addressed em elope. Contributing Writer The North Vancouver Recreation Commission will be joining North Vancouver District North Vancouver District. Designs were created and architects final- ized plans, but the biggest delay has been the price tag. The project April inquest set for truck deaths Air brakes didn’t work A CORNER’S inquest is | set for April to investigate the circumstances of two } deaths resulting from a 1 semi-trailer truck crash on | the Cut five months ago. By Anna Marie D'Angelo | News Reporter f Truck driver Baljinder Singh, 37, of Surrey, and ' Burnaby motorist Wayde . | Police, 34, were killed in the six-vehicle crash on Aug. 16. Singh’s semi-trailer unit lost its brakes going down the steep Upper Levels Highway | hill. Vancouver regional coroner. | Larry Campbell said Thursday | i that the inquest is tentatively set for April 9 to April 12 at the: coroner’s head. office. in } Burnaby. | Meanwhile Port Mann {| RCMP highway patrol police recommended a charge against | | the owner of the truck. Marr § Contractors. a j ..Cpl..Bob Nordlund said the : recommended. charge: against .§ | the truck owner falls under the : Motor Vehicle Act. TV: The charge alleges that the, truck’s registered owner, failed! to maintain the truck.. Police also recomimended a’ charge of criminal negligence: | causing death against the |. { inspection ‘facility which ‘last: mechanically, : checked: the’ : truck. The charge is recommended ; under the Criminal, Code f Canada. Nordlund said the harges} were recommended in’ October: i and November. ! ‘ He said that no. one from f North Vancouver ; Crown’ Counsel office has contacted * : the police about the recom-* mended charges. Meanwhile Campbell said’ ; the inquest will be postponed | j if there are. related charges. before the court.” - The trick rumbled out. of. 1 control down a steep section of ; the Trans-Canada’ Highway | causing a series of accidents. f that left two people dead and: five injured. ; . A motor vehicle inspector said in an earlier :News report | that the Singh truck's. emer- } gency air brake lines were dis- J connected. Parkgate centre options eyed is expected to cost $8.9 million. “Council wants to get it back.” said Commissioner Roger Nelson. “They" ve indicated to the commis- sion that they're serious about the project, but short on cash.” The task force may provide the catalyst to revive the project. Options’ include a joint develop- ment-with the North Vancouver school board, native bands or pri- vate developers.