AUGUST 22, 1999 Bright Lights es 12 Celsbrations eee 2] Classifieds Cresswerd Home & Garden Talking Personals ee 52 HCN Ppicabor: Company, Putinher Peter Soect 128 Lonsdaie Avanue, Noth Vancouver &C VIM 2HE Cansduan Pubmcatanns Mal lakes Produc Agteument! Mo (87236 60 Pages Graffiti Janitor, sanitor, give up hope. We have more ink than you have soap!” — schoolchild- ren’s rhyme; origin unknown Bob Mackin News Regorter THE writing is on the wall for North Vancouver City Coun. Stella Jo Dean. Her wish for a graffiti-free end to the 20th century in the city is just that; a wish. Despite her efforts to crad- icate graffiti, including spon- soring a 1995 bylaw, it’s not going tO go away. “T was just going through our beautiful, new 14th Strees (civic) plaza and would you believe, there’s grattic: there,” said Dean last Monday. Dean, who is retiring from politics this fall, says graffiti is unsightly and intimidates peo- See Public pane3 Bob Mackin News Reporter robert@usnews.com A house on Queens Avenue in West Vancouver was raided at 4 a.m. Friday by police investigating an Internet pornogra- phy and gambling company. Starnet Communications has been probed tar 18 months by the Coordinated Law Enforcement Unit over allegations of ille- gal gambling and distribution of pornography over the Internet. The investigation was kept secret until Friday morning, Search warrants were executed at the residenc tsi pany directors and officers and at the Starnet office ar 425 Carrall Street in Vancouver. : . } West Vancouver Police is involved in the joint operation Gardens 122 Hang your hydrangeas to make semmer iast The Yoice of North and West Vancouver since 1969 Starnet investigation ieads nclice to Queens Avenue with: RCMP Comme ime sections and the RCMP High-Tech Crime: i Jancouver City Poli st Vancouver Police spokesman Craib wouldn’t dis- close the address of the house raided by police or the name of its occupant. The only Starnet director with a West Vancouver address list - ed on company documents is Wolf Bergelt of Telegraph Trail. His son Tony Bergelt said Friday morning that his family had no contact with police. His farher now lives in the West Indies on Antigua, he said. Tony Bergele, who worked as a programmer at Starnet this Unit, Delta Baring, tow in Nelson, B.C. at Crimes and Integrated Proceeds of © Travel 037 secrets 12-page special feature prepares you for September NEWS photo Paul McGrath GRAFFITI writer Ronnie Mejia checks out his “piece” cn the graffiti-covered wall surrounding the parking lot next to the vacant Pier 96 flea market building on East Esplanade at St. Georges in North Vancouver. He says artists need more walis to create their art. id the company has done no wrong: “Unless Canada has decided they’re not going to let Internet gambling in any way shape or form.” He said Starn wrongly perceived as a bad company, because it’s located in a bad part of town: across from Pigeon Park in Vancouver’s troubled Downtown Eastside. ncouver Police Const. Anne Drennan said more than 100 sare involved in the investigation. Starnet’s office was pe Friday and employees were turned away with ted by offi behind police letters explaining that a search warrant was being ex police. “We've been working with American agencies,” she said. She woulda’ confirm whether the Federal Bureau of Investigation is among them. Starnet’s executive offices are in Vancouver, but the company is registered in Wilmington, Del. See Gambling pane 4