From page 4 ly received the results Monday. They were negative. Steacy criticized his fami- ly doctor for sitting on the test results for a week when he had waited almost two months for the test. Steacy suid his disease could have been any kind of tropical disease. Not once did doctors say he had to be quar- antined, Said his wife Lynda: “The whole thing is very frustrat- ing to wait two months for blood tests.” Chimed in Archie: “And then when they do come back they are han- died in a haphazard way.” He also resented a policy Stating that if tests are nega- tive, he wouldn‘t be called about the results. “What kind of business is that.” he asked. “I find it completely unacceptable.” Meanwhile, Steacy, who says he's feeling better but has the occasiona! __re- lapse, still wor- ries. about what he may have. According to information | pro- vided by the Victoria (Aus- tralia) Arbovirus “fask Force, Ross River symptoms include rashes and arthritis. [t “can incapacitate an infected per- son for two to thiee months. Symptoms develop in 30% of the people infected. The viral disease is transmit- ted by mosquitoes. Dr. Peter Middleton, the head of virology at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, said the lab sends the samples to Ottawa in pairs. One sam- ple is taken from the patient while acutely ill, and the other when he is convalese- ing. Middleton believes Steacy's sainple arrived at the lab without proper instruc- tions. The provincial lab waited for a convalescent sample. but it never arrived. Steacy wonders why the tab simply didn’t call his doc- tor for another sample. When the second sample didn’t show up. the lab sent the acute sample. said Middleton. Turnaround time for the samples is normally NEWS photo Brad Ledwidg» {right} and submitted (above) NORTH Vancouver businessman Archie Steacy » returned from the South Pacific in May with a dis- “ @ase that caused a rash, headaches, and sore joints. Seniors counter complaints ” BY MARTIN MILLERCHIP i. Coritributing Writer Standard of Maintenance Bylaw for the district. “<“TT’S not a slum!” That was the angry reaction of “ many residents of a seniors’ apartment com- plex to a News story Wednesday chronicling the difficulties some ten- ‘ants said they were facing » with building mainte- nance. _- Several elderly women recount- “ed a litany of complaints to North Nancouver District. Council Monday, prompting a unanimous . vote by council for the creation of a Their complaints included leaky roofs, lack of heat, faulty air-condi- ‘ tioning and appliances and no fire drills. But a News reporter who visited the non-profit complex at 1335 East 27th St. on Thursday was quickly surrounded by a rapidly growing crowd of residents cager to show ' their apartments and defend the rep- utation of their building manager. “This is a well-run, well-kept : apartment block. The people who went to council are not speaking for 86 other tenants,” said Esther Butterfield as she proudly displayed well-kept and pretty gardens, “If something goes wrong you speak to Mr. North (the manager) and it's done right then. Yes, we've LirCare rep ” BY IAN NOBLE Rews Reporter A labor dispute between AirCare workers and employer Ebco- Hamilton will save 350,000 Lower » Mainland drivers $18 each, a trans- . portation ministry spokesman said | Friday. Twenty AirCare workers in North Vancouver are to return to work with employees region-wide reopen has not been determined, but he called July 22 a “ballpark” opening date. Vehicles owners who insured their vehicles dur- ing the dispute won't have to go through an AirCare recall, said Knight. “The AirCare centres don’t have the capacity to handle the large number of vehicles that missed tests over five months,” he said. Knight said Ebco-Hamilton has not been paid during the strike. In a contract between the province and the company, 1.2 million tests for 1995-96, which runs to Aug. 31, were forecasted. Knight said contracts commonly provide guaran- tees when a fim invests millions to provide a ser- as the five-month dispute goes to binding arbitra. vice. tion. On Friday moming, ministry spokesman Jeff Knight said the exact day AirCare stations will But that chiuse was not designed to provide for astrike, said Knight, so Victoria and Ebco will hash out a deal to determine financial compensation for rieve been cold. Furnaces go down when you least expect it.” “I’ve lived here 17 years and never had a beef with the managers. They’ve always bent over back- wards to help us,” added Jack Sader. “I’ve got the best suite in the place and pay:only $372 a month. Where would my wife and I be without this place.” But Paul Clairemont of the Tenants Rights Action Coalition told the News that just because many tenants are satisfied it doesn’t mean that some residents are not having problems. “Those women who went to council] were not saying everybody in the building was having prob- lems, only that they were having uouble getting anyone to listen to issued the fiscal year in the fall. ' Approximately 350,000 AirCare poilution-con- trol tests were missed by Lower Mainland motorists during the strike, he said. Of the $18 fee charged to motorists for AirCare, $15.34 goes to Ebco-Hamilton, $1.48 to the provincial govern- ment, and $1.18 to the feds in the form of the goods and services tax, said Knight. Before the dispute, employees made between $7.75 and $11.25 an hour. They are seeking better wages, work hours and medical and dental benefits. The North Vancouver station tests 400 to 450 vehicles a day, said Knight. AirCare workers agreed Wednesday to accept them,” said Clairemont. Florence Gaye, one of the resi- dents who spoke to council on Monday, says she is not a complain- er by nature but felt compelled to act after the board of directors of the building ignored her written requests for repairs. “| just wanted others not 0 go through what | went through,” said Gaye. “We shouldn't have to be phon- ing the fire department to get extin- guishers on the second and third floors.” Gaye was promised a new carpet and fridge Thursday as well as an inspection of her stove. But she is more pleased with the prospect of 2 new tenants committee that will handle issues of concem to the residents. binding arbitration to settle the contract dispute. The British Columbia Government and Service Employees’ Union represents 250 workers at 12 Lower Mainland AirCare stations. Trial set in drug case BY ANNA MARIE DANGELO News Reporter WILLIAM John Keider is not going to be late for his trial on Dec. 2. He'll be in jail. Kelder agreed to go to jail on Nov. 29, three days before the scheduled start date of his prelimi- nary hearing on a string of cocaine and marijuana narcotic charges. The charges date back to March 1995. “Kelder, 36, was in custody in North Vancouver provincial court on Wednesday. He was in jail after. a warant was issued two days before. Kelder showed up late for a preliminary hearing which had to be cancelled. Police witnesses for the hearing had come from as far away as Prince Rupert at taxpayers’ expense. Kelder’s court cases have been delayed on a number of occasions becatise the accused has been late or did not have a lawyer. On Wednesday, . North Vancouver provincial court Judge Jerome Paradis required Kelder to pay $3,000 bail before he was released from jail. Shortly after walking through the prisoner's door, Kelder mouthed the words “I love you" to his girlfriend and co-accused Arleigh Belle Ross. Ross, 39. was making a first court appearance on a new drug charge. She is charged with Kelder with possessing marijuana for the purposes of trafficking on April 10 in North Vancouver City. Ross was also appearing in court for the first time on a charge of possessing a stolen car on the same day. The judge adjourned the stolen property charge to July 17. Rass said she didn’t know if she could make that date. because she was appearing in Victoria on July 16 for a trial. Paradis adjourned the stolen property case to July 24. Kelder’s outstanding © drug charges date back to March 8. 1995. ' He was charged with possess- ing cocaine for the purpose of traf- ficking when he lived in a house in the 1500-block of Rupert Street. He was also charged with pos- sessing marijuana. Kelder was charged with two bail breaches less then two months later. On May 8, 1995, Kelder allegediy possessed cocaine for trafficking purposes in North Vancouver District. He was also charged with pos- sessing marijuana on May 8, 1995, Kelder was charged with traf- ficking cocaine in North .Vancouver City, this time on Oct. 27, 1995. - His Oct. 27, 1995, charges also included: @ possessing cocaine for the pur-, pose of trafficking; @ possessing marijuana. Four months later, Kelder and Ross were charged with possess- ing marijuana and cocaine on Feb. They were charged with anoth- er narcotic offence two months later. 7 Crown lawyer Jay Straith has decided to deal with all of Kelder’s drug charges at one time.