From puge F TPovared Vancouver at 37 West Road Andre preps Distr dt. erase MOTE aetah Et 19OYe j hited as oat fit Progeeds vichied Lobe phiced in the boards local capital reserve fund In October P99S. the Ministry or Education approved? the transter of the property, decined surplas to the beard’s present and ruture requirements, to the FEA, “We now have the ability too retire our accumulated operating deticit and allow for the school district to improve its infrastructure,” sceretary treasurer Phil Turin announced at District 44°s Tuesday night meeting. The payments from the provincial government are expected to begin on June 30, 1999, The government will payout the money to the school district over tive years at S$.) million per vear. The district Will receive a S121 mil- lion lump sum from the gov- emment when the property transter is completed. In 1996 the education ministry approved ao deficit retirement plan tor District 44. Starting in the 1997-98 budget year the school district set aside $550,000 and tor the next eight years the school district will set aside $550,000 cach budget year from its operating fund to pay down the deficit. The district is then allowed to spead $550,006 per vear from its capital fund Helps Robert Gaister News Reporter rabert@usnews.com THE West Vancouver police have issued a public plea for help in their hunt for a man who terrorized West Vancouver's Horseshoe Bay last fall. On Nov. Pa man broke into a home on the O800- block or Marine Drive and tied up its S4-vear-old resi- dent before making off with a small amount of money and some jewelry. The same man later had a rain with another elderly man making his way home in the 6500-block of Wellington Avenue. The suspect ordered the man oro. drive him to Vancouver and fired a_ shot into the ground as a warning. The 55-vear-old would-be driver was attempting, a get- away when the suspect tired several shots at him. He was hit by one bullet in the upper chest area but managed to drive himself to a nearby fire hall. He was taken to hospita! but was released the nexe day. Roadblocks set up around Horseshoe Bay for the remainder of that day failed to Net a suspect. West Vancouver pelice department spokesman Sgt. Jim Almas made the public appeal on Thursday morning. He said the department decided to seck the public’s help after interviews of more than a hundred individuals had failed to turn up a sus- Friday. January 29 1999 - North Sho d $6.55m NEWS photo Terry Peters NORTH Vancouver School District Chairman Doug MacKay-Dunn and Trustee Marg Jessup stand at the site that will be sold to the education ministry. Money from the sale wil! eliminate the school’s debt. over the duration of the deficit repayment period. “This is a win-win) situa: tion for everybody” MacKay- Dunn said. “It’s a real vieto- ry.” This week's announced solution to the school dis- trict’s deficit closes a chapter in its history that saw the pre- vious school board fired. In January 1996, then education minister Art Charbonneau tired District 44's seven elected trustees for refusing to retire $500,000 worth of deficit and for being unwilling or unable to deal with the district's $5 million accumulated debt. Former trustees said the school district, way badly underfunded. Vhev pointed to the government's Technical Distribution Report which showed that the school dis- trict was being short-changed $1.5 million a year. ‘Phe board was replaced with govern: ment-appointed interim trustee Bob Smith. Last vear the provineial ombudsman released a deci- an a, NEWS photo Mike Wakelield WEST Vancouver police department spokesman Sgt. Jim Almas holds a bag left behind by a man who shot a Horseshoe Bay resident last November. At left, is a composite drawing of the suspect released by police on Thursday. pect. The department’s most solid lead came trom the shooting victim, who recalled the suspect asking him about a “Reverend Robertson” in a polite manner. The victim recalled that his assailant used no profanities. The subsequent police investigation, which continues to occupy cight officers, revealed that a Rev. John Robertson ran a group home for teenage boys in the area trom 1975-87, However, interviews with both Robertson, who no fonger lives in B.C., and many of his former charges failed to pro- duce any further leads. Investigators are continuing to interview former residents of the now-defunct home. The suspect also left behind a black nylon sports bag containing a siiver crow- bar, red-handled pliers partial- ly stuffed into a blue plastic tube as well as stolen property from the first victiny’s home. The bag’s original shoulder strap was replaced with a leather one featuring an intri- cate braid to shorten it. The suspect is described as being a Caucasian in his mid- 30s, abour 5°10” tall and of a slight build. Ar the time of the incident he had short brown hair and sported a moustache and pos- sibly a goatee. He was wearing a blue- hooded jacket and matching pants with black shoes. Anyone with information is asked to call the West Vancouver police department at 925-7320 or toll-tree at 1- 877-318-8883. sion on a complaint trem the former board that it) was unfairly fired in 1996. The beard argued that it had exhausted all available remedies te address its tinan- cial troubles. Ir alses said that the educa tion ministry failed to provide any assistance even though there had been many requests abs trust Solty Chat weuddh wan elals anal miter school be and then stat abou the pre cedures thar would be unple mented when a selool board asks tor help in managing its financial chailenges. The firing and deticit sue provided heated points. of contention durmg the elec fen campaign fer the present school board in’ North Vancouver, Former fired board mem- bers Pat Heal, Guy Heywood, Barb MacLellan and Margaret fessup were re-elected. The trustees maintained thar they didivt misinanaye the board's $100-million budget. Said Jessup of the school property sales “We've been able to work with the present minster to tind this solution. This has been a really good, cooperative ettort.” Meanwhile North Vancouver schools received a cash donation from BC Felon ‘Fuesday. ‘The $10,000 donation will be deposited into the school board's capital expenditures fund for future improvements to facilities. Said BC Tel’s managing director of learning, Dave Kilpatrick, “We (BC Tel) want to reattirn: our commitment to education and to the North Vancouver School District with this $10,000 donation.” Heavy snowfall preceded slide From page 1 Meanwhile, the fate of the missing man remained in limbo to press time vesterday. “Edon't want to make any assumptions (about the man's fate),” said North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Const. Heidi Hoffman. “We can always hope for a miracle, but it doesn’ look good.” Interest in) the Grind exploded last year with thou- sands huffing their way up a steep 2,800-foor (853 m) mountain climb some like to call “the Yuppie stair master.” The 2.9-kilometre (1.8 mile) trail up Grouse Mountain begins at the base parking lor and ends 3,700 feet (1,127 m) above sea level. McLaughlin said 25 cm (10 inches) of snow fell on the mountain in the 24-hour peri- od preceding the accident adding to the — existing “tremendous amount of show.” A Dec. 23 slide prompted Grouse Mountain staff to post avalanche hazard signs at-the base of the trail. A third sign approximately one-quarter of the way up the trail advised hikers of the need for cramp-ons and ice axes past that point. McLaughlin said closing the trail during the winter has been discussed but entorce- ment of the closure would be difficult. “Indeed the RCMP have used their power to declare that the trail is closed,” said McLaughlin. “To close it is a challenge ... it is an unrestricted area. We at Grouse Mountain don’t have the authority to close it.”