tk hae WEATHER: Mostly cloudy with a few showers, Sunday. Monday and Tuesday, isolated showers. STORE WARS: 17 Super Valu blames closure on Save-On Foods LIFESTYLES: 43 New park proves ta be wilderness bonanza action NEWS photo Terry Peters SENIORS PROTESTED outside the offices of North Vancouver-Burnaby MP Chuck Cook F riday afternoon. The seniors are protesting the federal governments plan to de-index old age pensions. Above, Betty Griffith talks to a young observer while a petition is signed. SPORTS: 45 Up-to-date North Shore Business ......... 32 Entertainment ..... 22 Fashion.......... 17 Lifestyles.........43 Mailbox...........7 Sports ........... 46 TW eee e eee eee OS What's Going On. . .26 A NORTH Vancouver resident says rats are run- ning rampant in the embankment in front of his house. | By BARRETT FISHER | Jack Hartley, who lives on 17th Street above the development where the old Wosk’s furniture store used to be, says there has been a rat problem in the bank for a long time, because people throw garbage there. “People throw their old tires, garbage and clippings in the bank,’’ Hartley said. “Naturally it’s a rat haven. There are quite a few rats, ('m not very happy.” Hartley said one rat, hit by a car, was left in the middle of the road. “It was just left there,”’ he said. ‘‘It’s crazy. That's what we pay taxes for. I just get disgusted.” Bastion Construction is building a shopping centre complex on the old Wosk’s site, so Hartley said he went down and discussed the rat problem with the construc- tion supervisor. But Hartley said the supervisor said it was not the company’s responsibility to clear out the bank, and that it wasn’t part of the con- tract. “tT wouldn't think the rats would be very condusive to a restaurant or shopping,”’ Hartley said. He then called Phil Har- rison at North Vancouver District’s engineering department. “Tl phoned the District and spent ail morning on the thing,’’ Hartley said, ‘but I just got turned around in circles. If | did that on my property, the District vould be up in arms, but they seem to be able to get away with it.”’ Harrison told the News he suggested Hartley call the Health Department, since it is their jurisdiction in in- vestigating such matters. ‘It relies on what the Health unit says should be done,” Harrison said. “If anything, the work would go to the appropriate depart- ment, depending on the report.”” As a result of Hartley's complaint and a call from the News , Vector Control Officer Bert Engelman from the North Shore Health Department jooked into the rat problem Monday. Engelman said he would make an on site inspection to see whether a municipality or private owner was responsible, and would then advise the responsible party to clean-up the area and to discourage further rodent at- tractions. Engelman reported Tues- day that both the District and City were responsible - - the District for the em- bankment which is part of the road allowamce, and the City for an empty lot east of the bank where dumping oc- curs. The Vector Control Of- ficer said he recommended to Harrison and maintenance coordinator Ken Kerr that the District clear the embankment below 17th. Engelman also contacted Street superintendant Bill Hughes from North Van Ci- ty, who said he would put forth a recommendation for cleaning up the lot to his su- periors, and also recommend to the land agent that the lot be sold. “So far | haven’t heard back,”” Engelman said. ‘‘It’s in the works, but these things take time. Hopefully it will happen soon.’ Escort operator to face council NORTH SHORE escort operator Carol McNeill may have to go before council to show cause for why her business licences should not be revoked. f Stella Jo Dean, who said if By BAKRETT FISHER escort Services are a front for This was the proposal by prostitution, they should not be permitted to operate, North Vancouver City Ald. Dean said the operator of Interlude Escorts had assured council October 29, 1984 that she would recognize and not hire pro- Stitutes. Dear. said in her notice of motion that McNeill’s prom- ise caused council members to vote in favor of issuing her a business licence. But with recent publicity about escort services being a front for prostitution, name- ly Interlude Escorts, Dean proposed that the repre- sentatives of the company meet with council to show why the business licence should not be revoked. Reconsideraton and final adoption of a stricter escort service business bylaw was deferred so it could be discussed at a policy and planning meeting in July, and then referred to a coun- cii meeting in August. The motion to defer the new bylaw was introduced by Ald. Ralph Hall so that the issue could be discussed in detail before any final decisions were made, he said.