FRIDAY Apr 12, 1996 emer NORTH VANCOUVER District Council has issued a reward to catch the culprit responsible for destroying new trees planted in Kirkstone Park. By Michael Becker News Editor The Lynn Valley park was kit on the weekend. About a dozen young trees planted near some townhouses were trashed, Six firs were destroyed, according to) North Vanceuver District. parks manager Cameron Cairneross. He said the park supports a “good hemlock forest.” Last month district, workers and Grade 10 students from the Waldorf school in North Vancouver spent a week cleaning the park and then planting approximately 400) young spruce, fir, cedar and big leaf maple trees. The trees were planted near developed seas adjacent Lo the park and along @ streain corridor running through the park. “They did a super job.” Cairneross sitid. On Tuesday, council agreed with a motion championed by Coun. Ernie Crist and authorized a council reserve fund expenditure of SE.000 to post a reward for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the destruction of the Kirkstone Park trees. FORESTRY TECHNOLOGIST Steve Jenkins examines a tree saved after Kirkstone park was vandalized. NORTH VANCOUVER — School District 44 will get more moncy next year aad its $5-million debt will be retired without affecting fulure oper- ating budyets, suid North Vancouver- Lonsdale NDP MILA Pavid Sctireck. By fan Noble sa enurranenirtusonmannensseennnsseraameatnrenennenatniniranttimermnant News Reporter Schreck said pow ermmcnt-appenited tristee Bob Smith wii remain in his post antl a new board isn place mt December. “Pilink the entire package tf good news far North Vancousen? said Schreck Fired board District 44 ciammnan Guy Heywood greeted funding news suith glee, but reproached ihe goverment forty handhng of the district's defient Schreck’s aniounecinicit oF Bis pevernment Beleaguered district gets some goodies 1993 plans comes after parents, students and school district employees fought for more funding for District 44 during heated public meetings and private sessions with Sinith over the past few months. In January, then-Education Minister Art Charbonneau fired the school board and asked Smith to provide a report that would outline recommendations to balance the 1906 97 school year budget and pay back the districe’s deb Smith fter said the distrist was headed fora St nullion shortlall for 1996-97 Ov Phursday, Schreck saad the senool dis tich will receive a “har funding” boost of hetween S15 mitten and $2 anillion for the 1996.97) school year over 1998-960 Tesels. Altiough he could not provide a specific num. her, Schreck said it will be seseral bungred thousand dotlars beyond the $1.8 milhon ree- ommended in the government's ‘Teehnical Distibution Group Report. With the iproved funding and revenue possibilities trom the Outdeor School and Continuing Edueation outlined in’ Savich’s report, Schreck said Smith wall likely have to make beoween dbo25 nuded to $b S mitre adjustments to District 44's $100-million aper- ating, budget However, Schreck added Unit same past spending decistons ie not sustainable sand buildings and maintonenee, a area that fies been squeezed an the past, can ne fopeger he neglected “We have to put spending ona dong-lerm sustammable basis consistent with fair funding” he said. fn bis budget -balancing teport to Education Minister Paul Ramsey, Smith adamantly called Weather Saturday: Clouds and suri High 14°C, tow 5 C. Murder nets life sentence IT WAS a high-stakes double gamble that backfired for Rashida Khan and her lawyers. By Brent Mudrv Contributing Writer The Wes: Vancouver businesswoman will now follow her husband Abdur to pason for the strangulation and beating murder of their daughter-in-law. Naazish a new mother and the 23- year-old bride of Faisal Khan, the Khan's eldest child, was rnurdered in the Khan's British Properties home two_ weeks before Christmas in 1993, it took a B.C. Supreme Court jury one day to reach a unanimous verdict to convict Rashida Khan of second-degree murder on Wednesday. Khan‘s hus- band, 55, who owned the arson- charred Maharajah Restaurant in Gastown, = was convicted ina separate trial last year Both were sentenced to life imprisonment, the standard for second-degree murder. They may be eligible for parole after 10 years. Although the case against Rashida Khan was entirely circumstantial, Crown prosecutor Allan Flanz successfully argued that she helped to murder her daughter-in-law in the family’s home on Dec. 10, 1993. Naazish’s body was found the next morning in a Coquidam cul-de-sac. stuffed in the wunk of a Toyota Camry owned by Abdur Khan, RASHIDA KHAN .» found guilty. See Defence page 3 for more funding for the district. which had argued for years it was underfunded by Victoria. Schreck said furmer trustees will not be reinstated due to what he called the overspend- ing of (rustces during the past few years and their reaction to Sinides report. Smith will stay on as District 4s appoint- cd trustee untibacdes board of trustegs is elect- ed im November and sworn-in in Deceniber. That pears Sith will decide whether to Inplerient the controversial cecommendations contamed: in his report, such as temporarily moving Grade ff and [20 studeats from Seyeeve to Windsor secondary, ‘Turfed trustee Heywood welcomed news of extra funding for North Vancouver. “Thwas worth it. Te was worth petting fired.” he said. See Victerta page 3