Ether removed from home Jan-Christian Sorensen News Reporter Horensen@nsnews.com NORTH Van District firefighters were called on to dispose of a suspi- cious chemical Sunday. A woman living in the 3300-block of Mahon had dis- covered a one-gallon bottle of a clear liquid identified by an attached handwritten note as ether. Ether is a highly-flamma- ble, volatile liquid used asa sol- vent and anestherie. North Vancouver District assistant fire chief Malcolm Dickie estimated that the bot- tle was about 20 years old. Dickie said the homeowner's late husband was a lepidopter- ist —a collector of buttertlies -~ who used the ether to anes- thetize his specimens. After consulting the emer- gency response guidebook to determine the properties of the cheniical, firefighters carefully removed the bore from the home. “The higher the concentra- tion of molecules in ether the more explosive it is,” said Dickie. “If there are any crys- tals (in the ether) and they're disturbed, it could explode. We looked and didn’t find any.” The RCMP Explosives Disposal Unit was called to the scene about an hour after the ether was removed from the home. The unit packed the bortle ina metal case lined with vermiculite and transport- ed it to their disposal range in Coquitlam. “The ether was in very good condition. Basically, we treated it just like it was a can of gasoline,” said Dickie. aaa : . NEWS photo Cindy Goodman NORTH Van District firefighter Greg Roberts carefully cordons off a one-galion bottle of ether, a potentially explosive chemical, removed from a North Van home. Pedestrian safety month begins ICBC is teaming with the City and District of North Vancouver and the District of West Vancouver to proclaim September Pedestrian Safety Month on the North Shore. In the last five years, close to 610 pedestrians were injured in 585 pedestrian- related incidents on the North Shore, including 11 pedestrian fatalities. Of the reported injuries, 15% involved seniors (65 years or older), while 44% involved those age 25 and under. Children and _— seniors often face the greatest risks as pedestrians. Children, for example, only have one-third the peripheral vision of adults, while seniors’ eyesight is usu- ally not as reliable, so their reaction time tends to be slower. Children also have diffi- culty locating the source of sounds (car horns} and seniors’ hearing is no longer at a standard level, so some- times they have problems hearing cars backing out, especially in) busy parking lots. - “The public should be reminded that police have a tendency to increase their presence in. school zones during the first few days of September. ‘ “During the first few days of school, children can be preoccupied and tend to for- get pedestrian satety rules. “Motorists need to be aware of this and prepare for the unexpected,” said Sgt. Bob Beaudvin, with the North Vancouver) RCMP traffic section. Drivers and pedestrians share responsibility — for Pedestrian safety. Pedestrians should always look left, right and then left again before stepping off the curb, while drivers should always vield for pedestrians crossing at road intersec- tions. For best protection, pedestrians should always wear or carry reflective arti- cles or wear bright clothing and always make eye contact with drivers. Drivers should use a hands-free cellphone while driving and always allow enough time for stopping at crosswalks during periods of severe weather conditions. During the month of September, ICBC and the North Shore municipalities will be embarking on various pedestrian safety education and awareness _ initiatives aimed at reducing the num- ber of pedestrian incidents occurring on the North Shore. Ongoing initiacives include identifying busy pedestrian and vehicle traffic locations and installing high- ly-visible (strong a ee é yellow/green) bright (dia- mond grade) warning sig- nage. Furthermore, ICBC and some municipalities and working with community: based organizations to pro- duce and distribute safety brochures aimed at parents and elementary school chil- dren. The top five contributing pedestrian factors in’ colli- sions on the North Shore are: & pedestrian error/contu- sion; & failing to yield right of way; @ alcohol involvement; @ ignoring traffic control devices; B weather. The top five driver factors in pedestrian collisions on the North Shore are: Driving without due care; @ tailing to yield right of way; ® pedestrian error/confu- sion; @ backing up unsately; B unsafe speed/driver expe- rience. Toastmasters can help. Supportive, safe, fun atmosphere * Cost effective training * Increase self-esteem and confidence * Self-paced * Personal and professional development North Shore meetings at lunch (990-2308) or early evening (980-5644). Call for Information CAR ANG TRUCK RENTALS co a Wednesday, September 6, 2000 — North Shore News - 5 Mix up over car licence plate Deana Lancaster News Reporter dlancaster@nusnews.com A West Vancouver Police officer who drew his weapon and arrested a motorist he suspected of stealing a car, acted correctly, says a spokesman for the detachment. “We're only as good as the information in front of us and our information was that those licence plates were attached to a stofen vehicle,” said media liaison officer Cpl. Janis Jean. The incident happened Aug. 27) on the Sea-to-Sky Highway. Coquitlam resident Tony TJuzzi was out for a drive in his 199) silver Mustang with his virlfriend and their three- year-old son. The personalized licence plates on his car, which read SEE YUH, are the same as the plates attached to the 1994 red Mustang he reported stolen in 1996. “Six months ago ICBC te-issued the plate to him without telling police,” said Jean. In the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) —where information — is stored for police forces across Canada — SEE YUH was still attached to a stolen Mustang. “Granted, it was a differ- ent colour,” said Jean. “But Pye been doing this long enough to kaow that people change colours. That's part of the game.” Const. Todd Mosher drew his gun, closed the highway and called for back- up. Tuzzi was arrested. According to media reports fast week, he was consulting a lawyer over the incident. “It seems like everything went according to how we are trained,” said Jean. “We have serious crimes — in Vancouver that take place with stolen autos, We have to be very, very cautious.” She said once officers at the scene ascertained that Tuzzi was the legal owner of the car, Mosher apologized ccint to him. The West Vancouver dis- patener then sent 2 message to correct the information in CPIC, and then rans the plates again tater the same day to ensure they no longer appeared as stolen. “To don’t blame (Tuzzi} for being upset, but we have to respond in this manner. If the driver is the rightful owner of the car, let us figure that out when we have con- trol of the situation.” ‘La, BLO eS i flo a> | We specialize in custom designed jewelry. 2435 Marine Drive Wast Vancouver (a4CK LANE) 4 REFILL RATES: 5 gal. 3 gai. AND BELOW... © Water coolers: * Botles/Dispensers ¢ Shower filters * Filtration Systems ° Filter Cartridges * And more...! |) WATERLAND| 1266 Marine Dr. (Remberton Plaza) Neth Vencouver A special feature every Wednesday in the News lat. onsdale). 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