- July hearing ‘date rejected for road link ‘THE PUBLIC hearing on North : Vancouver District’s controversial Montroyal ‘Connector will now not take place until September. NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL By Martin Millerchip North. Vancouver, District Council agreed: June {9 in a §-2 - vote to delay until Sept. 12 the for- mal public input process on bylaws ’that would clear the way for an - east-west roadtink along Montroyal “between Upper Deibrook and north Lonsdale. Following recent adoption of the ‘new “North Lonsdale-Delbrook Official Community Plan, which deliberately contained no mention of the Montroyal Connector, district ~ staff had planned for a July [1 hear- ing on the road link. - But. a. public hearing’ during. summertime holidays on an issue “\ that. appears to have no- middle :ground angered many residents, especially ; those opposed to the cennector. The majority .of council went’ ‘DISTRICT Coun. Pamela Goldsmith-Jones... “I think | more people want a connec-: “Like Caesar's wife. not only should justice be done. it ‘should - appear to be done,” said Coun. Don Bell. The recent council meeting drew . another packed gallery of residents ° looking to. have their say on an- issue that has divided the communi- ty for decades. “can only conclude you have a million dollars lying around not, earmarked in next year's budget,” ’ charged Montroyal Opponent Ralph ‘ Johnstone. But despite sharp, ‘even bitter, speakers agreed that a decision on the connector needed to be made as soon as possible by council. As West: Kings resident: Larry Crosby noted, “It's like being preg- nant. “You are either pregnant or not, you -can't be somewhere in between.” ‘Coun, Pamela Goldsmith-Jones agreed and noted that many of her votes on council had reflected pub- lic opinion rather than her own. Reacting to criticism that ‘the public hearing will debate a pro- connector statement, Goldsmith- Jones suid, “f think more people want a connector. | may be wrong but r Il find out at the public hear- ing.” However, Goldsmith-Jones acknowledged that the peopte who , don’t want the connector “don’t want it more strongly.” Coun. Jim Cuthbert proposed . ‘replacing the pro-connector state- ment with a motion designating the present Montroyal dead-end as Parks Recreation and Open Space with gated emergency vehicle access. But his motion was supported only by Coun. Janice Harris. Mayor Murray. Dykeman described Cuthbert’s motion as a “silly amendment.” He.said that both council and the public had had long enough to col- “Ject information. Dykeman maintained there was no neéd for further deferral, what- ever the reason, and voted in favor NEWS photo Paul McGrath NORTH VANCOUVER. Sistiict residents opposed to the Monritroyal connector protested outside the municipal hall earli- er this month. along with the residents’ wishes. Extradition. case built against pair “THE PROSPECT of Canadian police # being allowed to obtain DNA'samples 4 from uncooperative suspects will have - little.effect_on.a Bellevue triple-mur- “der: investigation whose two: suspects " “Jive i in North Vancouver. : By Anna Marie ‘D'Angelo. 4 News Reporter. fh , , Bellevue Police: Lieut: Jack McDonald ‘said police in.the Washington town were - _ building an‘extradition case against murder suspects Auf Rafay.. 19, and Sebastien Burns, 20. : “The problem is under your system, we are not allowed to come up and obtain the necessary (DNA) samples for comparisons. “At this point 1 don’t believe there is going to be any: ‘net change,” McDonald said -last week. . Rafay’ '$ parents, Tariq’ Rafay, , 56, and Sultana, in her 50s, and their 21-year-old .’ daughter Basma were bludgeoned to death in their Bellevue, Washington, home in July 1994: $ , Bellevue detectives had requested hair and blood samples ~ from’ Atif Rafay and Bums for DNA tests. The pair refused 1 to cooperate; according to police. They returned to Canada “two or three days after the murders. Last week Justice Minister Alan Rock introduced a bill that would allow Canadian police to take DNA ‘samples from uncooperative suspects. : . differences of opinion, most of the’ of a July. 11 public hearing. ‘The bill, which passed the House of Commons and is not “expected to become law until at leas? the fall, would require the police to appear before'a provincial court judge to get a warrant to obtain’samples from crime suspects tobe taken for forensic DNA ‘analysis. The, samples would be obtained through “trained person~ nel” who would pluck hair, obtain samples of blood drops by pricking the skin with a sterile lancet or fj ‘swab’ skin cells from the mouth area, - according to the federal Justice Department. . ‘ In Washington state, the police are allowed to have | _ DNA samples taken from uncooperative . suspects «in homicide cases’ involving arrested suspects. .; McDonald said Bellevue. detectives are working on the Rafays’ case “with other paths to follow” besides DNA evidence. He said the proposed Canadian DNA law relates to . § _criminal investigations “in. § Canada only, . a q Meanwhile, .a: North -§ -Vancouver RCMP serious crimes. section: spokesman said there are current cases the police are working on in which would be of value, . The spokesman -declined, 10 give further details. . : DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) has been described as being the basic building block of life. Each cell in’a per- » son's: body contains DNA unique to that person. Specific sites on the DNA molecule are tested in criminal, investigations. Tiny amounts of biological evidence gathered at a crime scene can be tested for DNA patterns and linked) with almost certainty to a suspect. A suspect may also be. cleared of a crime through DNA tests. The proposed DNA legislation must now be approved i in the Senate and receive Royal Ascent before becoming law. DNA comparisons | §