Conditions call for
house arrest and
counselling

Katharine Hamer.

Ne tes Reporte r
khamer@asnews.com

KONAAM Shirzad was sen-
tenced to serve uwo years less
a day of jail time by a B.C.
Supreme Court judge on
Monday.

The tS-year-old Nouth Vancous er
resident was abo sentenced to three
years probation and ordered to sults
mit DNA samples to be kept on
record.

Shirzad was convicted of attempt
ed murder in June atter stabbing his
former best friend. Dan Deval, twice
inthe back on July 14. 1999 follow

18-year run
attracted
many visitors
Marcie Good

News Reparter
mgood@nsnews.cont

CHRISTMAS isn’t
quite the same this
year for thousands of
people who won’t
make the Walk to
Bethlehem.

The theatrical production
by the West Vancouver
Baptist Church has become
an annual ritual. This year,
however, it won’t happen.

“Everybody feels the dis-
appointment,” said Tom
Walker, who usually guides
audience members trom scene
to scene. “There are 300-odd
families in the church finding
all this time on their hands.”

The production, which
was held over four days,
involved more than 200 peo-

ple as biblical actors, guides
and hosts. Groups of visitors
would... be shepherded
through seven scenes, set up
in different areas of the
church, showing the _tirst
Christmas. Five sheep and a
donkey also stood in for their

nienced fe

tat a Lato omen an Park and filtorst
Utero.

Dinal seastiend a ponctorcd fare
and aliost dad ton the athad

Shitzad. ehetaas boat rhe br
the anideat. hos been
rventh
months

Hoosgl scryve his nab centynee on

fiw he has already scivedt
reads cand tus rancd fo adalt
veurt, ald bh sentomeuts remanied
ender the qerisdiction of the Young
Ottender's Act Pe will start his sen
tence at the vouth fachity and will be
clyble tor parole atter serving a third
of his sentence,

There were 4 conditions to
Shiraad’s probation order, including:
Bia house arrest: provision. ta be
reviewed after wv months. Shirsad is
to live at his mather’s home following,
his release but is not allowed to five uy
the city, oor adlistrict of North
Vancouver. His mother will therefore
have to anoeve out of the area;

moa
UE SUNT RTA TU os
nm

Cerra, EM entre peer i

wth Phas

art prams

Mov testes ate centaas

hands aot a nanibyr
ase vee ~.
Moho une ottahing oi
Protoreat uid aduaabeny prcgrinis
wide ne carsteedt

Sturzad. woo his been dhapnosed
weitin, Aiteastigae Dates isonet
PADD Tras agtevadd te: ans
recommtcnadedd tredigatnsy

“Phe casei gave a treaenfests
aout oof  cemuderation.” sad
Crow hawver “Ton. Burns. “bE think
Ws awell Considered judgement. it's
arobonable compromike between the

werccise dig.

ahve y

needs of the accused and the aceds at

soviet.”

Shiezad’s defence however, Til
Smart, asked) for }2 months in jar
with (hree vears probation,

He felt che sentence given was fair,
ahhourh he described it ay “avery
significant sentence te ampose ona
ithen) lo vear old who had ne crim:
inal recerd at the ume oof the
offence.”

Friday, December 22,

MEPS vary twulb to put am TS
sear old ante ane asdult
sand Meat oat tlio some out a dot
wore thin hon thes wentin’ Phar’s
what the jade Was trig to avon
Hye has the porcotial to be a proudise
Vive CHisven

Sort sad the house stirred wis
ahora “signiticane” deterrent, Shirzad
will ante be able to deme the house
tor education, counselling, and med
ical emergenvics.

“Het imagine va Get ever go
out te Starbucks in the evening,” said
Smart. “The house atrest could: last
for three vears. [t's up ta KRenaam to
demonstrate that the conditions
should be vaned.”

In a statement te court last week,
Burns described Shirzad as a “salvage
able™ criminal whe could be cehalii-
tated but whe could alse pose a great

Fisk Lo society.

preon he

NEWS photo Paul McGrath

WEST Vancouver Baptist Church won’t be holding the Walk to Bethlehem this year. The production was an
annual ritual for many on the North Shore.

presenting An Evening in

ancestors.

While there was no lack of
enthusiasm for doing the pro-
duction again, Waiker said
that an important picce of the
scene is missing. Craig Rea,
who has orchestrated the walk
for ‘the’ past: several years,

“recently had a kidney trans-
plant and wasn’t able to take
on the work: “There were
certainly lots of willing peo-
ple, but you really need some-

LGH nursing shortage conti

shortage of nursing, staff.
Pekeles said as many nurses were retiring each
year as were hired on in the health region. She said

From page %

emergency visits and hospitalization.
Seasonal funding will help pay for patients who
- would be better cared for at home or in a commu-
nity facility, thereby freeing up much-needed hos-

‘pital beds over the winter.
Pekeles said. the

next year’s budget.

The health region | is hoping to get approval for

indications “are that the
province would be funding home care support in

one to captain the ship,” said
Walker. “Pd say for the main
person, it’s a full-time job for
several weeks.”

The Walk to Bethlehem,
which last year attracted
approximately 6,000 guests,

~ began small 15 years ago with

a Nativity play by Sunday
school children. The follow-
ing year adults joined in, and
the play gradually took on a
life of its own,

a proposal to fund after-hours community support,
including home care nurses and outreach workers,
The proposed cost for this is $200-300,000 a

year.

well as criti

Walker said the production
was meant as a gift to the
communiry. But when guests
insisted on making donations,
a box was set up.

While fast year the expens-
es totalled about $12,000,
almost exactly that number
was given as donations.
“Virtually every year it has
worked out almost to the dol-
Jar,” said Walker, “It was
amazing, it was really unex-

‘The region is still seeking increased funding for
cardiology, neurology, and orthopedic services as
cal care beds. Like other health reg
in the province it is also suffering froma nursing
shortage.

Thirty one general medicine beds at Lions Gate
have been closed since the summer because of a

pected.” In recent years, the
church has organized two
casts of actors. Sill, having to
do the same scene 25 times in
a three-hour period can take
its toll, Walker recalls one
guide telling a group of visi-
tors that they were in
“Nazareth, 150 kilometres
north of Bellingham.”

Not willing to let
Christmas go without some
kind of event, the church is

Bethlehem on Dec. 24 at 10
am., 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
But many are hoping to take
the full walk next year.

One of the longest-serving
shepherds in the production,
said Walker, put it the best.
“He said, ‘I jist want you fo
know that my heart is in the
big production, but let’s
make this one great.” [like

nuUES

NSHR is competing with other health regions in

nursing duties.

the province for nursing staff.

Pekeles said the province had recently brought
in innovation grants to help with mentorship pro-
grams for nurses and to help felieve them of non-

“It’s a good beginning,” she said. “I think i it’s a
strategy in the right direction.”

2000 - North Shore News ~ 3

NV senior
killed

WEST Vancouver Police
were already searching
for Wallace Corson when
he was struck and killed
by 4 vehicle Saturday.

Caron, who had lived
onthe North Shore aif of
bis TO vears, was a regular
at Chesa Restauraat in
West Vancouver. Because
he suttered from conta
sion and diortentatan,
the restaurant's propri
etors always called hima
Lavi to get hin sately home
to his: North Vancouver
apartinent. Sometimes he
wandered put onto
Manne Drive while wait-
ing tor the cab.

“This time be wan-
dered out and when they
went out to look tor hin,
they couldn't find: bin,”
said’ media liaison. officer
Sgt. Jim Almas. The
restaurateurs immediately
called police. It was 7:30
pm.

“They searched from
the restaurant to 23th, co
Capilano Road, te his res-
idence, up te the suspen
sion bridge, said Alinas.

At 8:25 p.m. police
received a call about a
pedestrian struck at the
north end of the Lions
Gate Bridge. Corson was
killed by a Ford Explorec
driven by a Vancouver res-
ident. No charges have
been laid.

— Deana Lancaster

Police
seize pot

WEST Vancouver Police
sniffed out a marijuana
grow operation in the
British Properties last
week,

According to media
liaison officer Jim Almas,
police received an anony-
mous tip on Dec. 14 that
there was an odour of mar-
ijuana coming from a
home in the 400-black of
Southborough Drive. On
Dec. 15, police obtained a
search warrant and execut-
ed it at 5:35 p.m.

. The 29-year-old male
who has been renting the
house for two and a half
years was arrested, as were
four other individuals who
had left the residence
immediately before officers
executed the search war-
rant.

“They had j | just harvest-
ed 190 plants,” said Almas.
“They were located in a
drying room, sail wet.”

Police confiscated .55
pounds of marijuana.
Almas said the value is
unknown at this tme.

The ‘home - suffered
extensive damage because
of condensation... “The
evilings and floors are rot-
ting,” said Almas. “There
were holes in the floor and
the. ceiling. is — falling
because of the rot.”

The occupant, along
with a 25-year-old woman
from Chilliwack, a 27-year:
old woman frorn Surrey, a
34-year-old) man from
Surrey, and a 31 year-old:
man from Burnaby, | face:
charges of production ofa :
controlled substance and |
possession of a controlled |
substance for the purpose
of wafficking. The. occu- -
pant also faces a charge of :
theft of hydro.

— Deana Lancaster