Former DOA
| bassist hurt |

Randy ‘Rampage’ crushed by paper
Rohert Galster
News Reporter robert@usnews.com

WITHIN a week of playing a reunion gig at Vancouver's
Starfish Room, DOA bass player Randy “Rampage”
Archibald has been reduced to taking baby steps.

Archibald, remembered for his high wamping stage presence, had an acci-
dent at tlocal port facility which saw his left leg broken aad ankie crushed. He
had been working on the waterfront for more than a decade, bur no amount
of experience could have saved him fam the nvo-ton roll of paper he never
saw coming.

“It would have hamburgered me. Twas lucky it only weat over me toot.”
said Archibald, 38. “Fu know what road kill was.”

A machine operator at North Vancouver's Vancouver Wharves had acc
dentally nudged ‘the massive bundle an: d sent it cascading toward Archibakl.

“There’s so much noise going on it’s really hard to hear danthing,” he said.

Following the mishap Archibald was rushed to Lions Gate Hospital where
doctors performed two surgeries during, his 13-day stay.

“They did a lot of work to pur it back together, a let of plates and pins,”
said Archibald.

DOA, an acronya for Dead On Arrival, blew on to the local music scene
in 1977 with a vengeance. The band featured a saucous sound punctuated by
bouts of civil disobedience during what was quickly turning inte a punk scene.

Archibald met Joe Keithley, the band’s vocalist and founder, through
friends and auditioned for DOA as 4 drummer.

“Twasn’t a very good drummer,” recalled Archibald. “ ‘Then !
them on bass.”

The next thing he knew, he was part of the city’s musical focal point at the
tender age of 17. He found himself touring and playing 150 ta 170 shows a
year.

“fused to love touring. That was one of the best things abour music —
getting out there and meeting the people,” said Archibald who attended both
Sutherland and Handsworth betore joining the band.

_ In recent months Archibald was getting ready to put together a solo pro-
ject.

“Tguess this will put a bit of'a damper on it,” he said adding itt] take many
months before he’s back on his feer again.

North Vancouver's waterfront features heavy machinery that can turn a
human into pulp with ong wrong turn. Nevertheless, Vancouver Wharves
where Archibald got hurt, has seen a steady decrease in the number of acei-
dents scarring its landscape.

jammed with

According to Workers’ Compensation Board data, the toval number of

accidents at the facility has falien from a high of 77 in 1993 to 45 last year.

“They're (waterfront accidents) not a common cecurrence,” confirmed
Rick Rondpre, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse
Union president. “Most of our people are aware of the dangers, but every
once ina while ... it’s unfortunate Randy gor hurt.”

NV man comes
up with unique
software item

Robert Gaister

News Reporter
robert@usnens.com

SCOTT Kirk has taken
an intuitive business of
hunches and reduced it to
~ cold science.

The North Vancouver soft-
ware developer has created a
program which claims to predict
a. proposed film’s box office
results long before its produc-
tion even begins. Kirk believes
that the software would prevent
flops like Ishtar and Waterworld
from ever being made.

Kirk’s software uses criteria
such as choice of actors, director,
studio and total budget and then
blends their statistical histories to
form a prediction.

A trial run indicates that a
Woody Allen directed feature
starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Adam
Sandler with a $20 milfon budget will see box
office returns of $27 million in the domestic mar-
ket. The fearure would also generate a further $5
million in Sweden and $6 million in South Attica.

An advanced version of the software, current:
ly under development, will look at factors such as
Video revenues and television rights to provide a
more accurate picture of a film's future prof:
itability.

While it can be fun to play Hollywood pro-

still in the planning stages.

their jobs.

said Kirk.

NORTH Vancouver’s Scott Kirk has reduced playing movie producer
to simple data entry. He hopes to sell his creation to studios and pro- few
ducers looking to minimize the risk of film making. Using statistical
data, Kirk's computer program predicts the box office take of films it’s got some value.”

ducer, Kirk, 25, is hoping to sell his creation to
studio executives and producers in a position to
ions. He claims it would
save them millions of doliars and occasionally

make million-dollar dec

A self-proclaimed computer geck, Kirk has
been keeping busy computing since he got his
first Commodore 64 at the age of VE.

“Front there it just sort of expanded — fast,”

He later opened a computer store in Victoria

NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge

FORMER DOA bass player Randy “Rampage” Archibald has
seen better days. An industrial accident has left him with a bro-

ken leg and crushed ankie.

under the name Save-on-
Computers. The one soon
turned to four which in’ turn
turned into nothing. He eventu-
ally had to close all four outlets
after making several “bad busi-
ness decisions.” A
break-ins that drove his insur-
ance rates through the stratos-
phere didn’t help either.

His biggest dilemma is decid-
ing whether he should attempt
to sell his creation on a one-by-
ong basis or simply sell the whole
package to a single buyer, ideally
a studio.

Regardless, he has made con-
tact with several possible finance:
ing vehicks including a stock
broker and a bank.

Business Development Bank
o¢ Canada account) manager
Davis Vaitkunas has had several
discussions with Kirk and said
the product has promise.

“i think he’s really ata poinc
where be should go and sel a
units,” said Vaitkunas.
“People paying for it shows us

NEWS photo Terry Peters

aitkunas added Kirk will

likely qualify to receive venture

financing from the bank if he is able to come up
with some inizial sales.

“T think it looks interesting ... it seems to solve
a specitic problem that Pve heard people in the
industry actually have,” said Vaitkanas.

As for the recent boa office phenomenon
Titanic, littl would have changed if Kare Winslet
was replaced with Pam Grier, who is black and a
good 20 years older.

A solid story line is apparently color blind and
age doesn’t seem fo matter.

series of

Report
on WV
to come

Frau pane Wy

received any compensation ay a result
of his leavin.

Meanwhde, the sitmation has dane
little to calm the fears of remaining
parks and recreation employees who
are awaiting the results from indepen-
dent review consultant George Cutt,

All West Vancouver municipal
employees, including senior level
management, have been under Cuit"s
scrutiny as part of the review process.

“1 think everybody is awaiting the
Cuff report with some anticipation,”
said parks director Kevin Pike. “We're
certainly anxious to get on with doing
the business of the people.”

Pike, whe has taken over Lees?
duties, confirmed thar the msnageaoal
position left vacant by Lees will not
be filled until the results of the review
are known,

He said rumors regarding layotts
and restructuring are normal consid-
ering the circumstances.

“There's no evidence that there
will be davoffs, but we haven't
received the report yet,” said Pike.

Cuff was hired as an independent
consultant by council back in January.
He is conducting a corporate assess-
ment and organizational review for
council.

“Our job is ta assess che structure,
number and deployment of positions
at the senior level,” he said.

When asked what he thought
abour replacing Lees, Cul¥ said: “Ir
wouldn't make sense for them (West
Van) to be filling the po.idon prior to
our report which would recommend
a new organization structure.”

Cuff said he is currently compiling
his draft report and expects it fo go to
council on April 29,

He anticipates a review with man-
agement by mid-June.

Cuff said a final report could be
available by June 25. But even upon

ipt of the final report, the public
will only see a condensed, executive
summary. Boname confirmed that
management will see the dratt review
and have a chance to give input. “T
think it’s only fair.” she said.

Fired teacher
faces suit

A sexual assault victim has
launched a lawsuit against
fired Sutherland secondary
teacher Dary! Samson, North
Vancouver School District 44
and the North Vancouver
public school board.

The suit was filed on Aprit 9 in
B.C. Supreme Court,

the plaintiff is claiming damages
arising froma 1993 sexual assault by
Samson during a school field: trip.
The plaintitt was a 17-year-old: stu-
dent at Sutherland secondary at the
time. Samson was the teacher in
charge of the field trip.

The lawsuit states that Samson
was) employed by othe | North
Vancouver School Board and North
Vancouver School District 44.
Samson was acting within tie scope
of his employment duties whea he
sexually assaulted rhe — plaintiff,
according to the civil law suit.

Samson, 45, was semtienc ced to 24
months’ probation fast December
after being found guilty of sexual
assault at the conglusion of a criminal
trial in Vancouver. This was the sec-
ond trial in the case. Samson was
found guilty in 2995 after another
ural, He appealed the conviction and
was granted anew trial.

The phintiMs name is banned
trom publication,