Warrant issued for local fraud NV man faces seven charges POLICE ARE looking for a 38- year-old North Vancouver man who is charged with defrauding @ Bright Lights. @ Classifieds............25 & Crossword............ wn 2D @ Heritage.. @ insights........................ 6 8 Lautens.......... ee | BF A ailbox.... ne 8 the Canadian Imperial Bank of @ WN. Shore Alert. ‘@ Portside........ Real Estatoe......33-68 Commerce in centra) Lonsdale of more than $82,000 By Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter @ Talking Personals..23 Tax tales........... een > STV Listings.............20 A Canada-wide warrant issued for Shahram Asgari’s after he was charged in connection with the fraud investigation earlier wis arrest this week, according to a North Vancouver RCMP spokesman. Asgari has been charged with six counts of fraud and one count of theft in connection with incidents alleged fraud charges. to have occurred just over one year ago. bank suspect SHAHRAM ASGAR! ... wanted in North Vancouver on bank Police claim Asgari deposited three cheques totalling $131,000 into his personal chequing account. The cheques were drawn on an account from a Quebec trust company. The loca! bank put a hold on the funds, but did not know the Quebec 1: i New Youth Views f reporter Paul Soukup | reviews From Dusk |. 2! Dawn: account had been closed, Police said the bank didn't know that the trust company no longer exist- ed when Asguri allegedly began to make withdrawals. The bank was finally notified, but not until after Asgari allegedly man- aged to take out more than $32,000 from the bank. Anyone with information concerning Asgari's whereabouts is asked to NEWS photo Mike Viakefield NORTH VANCOUVER seniors were treated to an authentic Chinese Lions Dance earfier this week during a Chinese New Year celebration at St. Martin’a Church Hall in: North Vancouver. Capitano Community Services Society sponsored ; call the North Vancouver RCMP's Economic Crime Unit at 985-1311. THE NORTH Vancouver Bicycle Master Plan. was. finally. wheeled before both North Shore councils Monday night, over -- four years after it was first conceived. -NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL By-Martin Millerchip “But opposition by local walkers to the use,of ‘the Mosquito Creek vail system by bikers ‘deflected debate of.the plan by North Vancouver City council and created even mere confusion at ‘the district. City council - failed to table the _ Motion endorsing the. plan at all. Instead it referred letters of complaint "toy the North -Vanecouver ?'vele Coordinator ior a report. The coordinator is a joint city/district planning position that was approved for a two-year period in X May 1994. | Meanwhile the district attempted to COUNCILLOB JAN- ... Separate the bicycle ICE Harris joined “J: plan“ from the Mayor Dykeman in . Mosquito Trait con- endorsing bike pian. ‘flict on its agenda. But Coun. Ernie Crist insisted that he could not approve the plan as long as it contained mixed-use trails. Crist said he wanted to promote bicyctes as an alternative to cars but maintained the risks involved in allowing bikes on walking trails could result in court cases. Coun. Pam Goldsmith-Jones categorized the size of the proposed bicycle plan as “surprising” and suggested that commuter bicycle routes rather than recreational trails should be the major ’ focus, “des dards arid ‘roadway 'improverseats to. protect’ cyc lists ‘e.g.'s < aoe actuated | raflic Tigh bike lanes and standerd i city/district § Signage promoting a “share-t “Levels Highway and both Sides 7 A work-Wwith the Gréater Vancouver Recional District to. create a » bike trail Hetwee Liais Bridge and the Upper Levels Highway; |’ - ‘ work with the Squamish Indian Band to develop : a bicycle route between Welch: Street and Esplanade through the’ band’s Mission Reserve; : $8 work with BC Transit for ‘a six-month trial of bike-carrying buses on n Routes #229 and #28 and : ‘the instailation of bike lockers at the SéaBus terminal and Phibbs' Exchange: |: : :@ install bike. racks at all municipal centres and parks. 724, . : A | develop employee bicycle commuter programs in conjunction ‘with’ major employers:.' ‘: Gi encourage developers to include end-of stip facilities in new developments (bike, Storage, show- “ers and lockers)...” Implementation proposals attached to the bicycle plan give a priority to 1996- 98 projects totalling $1,275,575. “Proposals for 1996 total $412, 000, including $320, 000. for a bic ycle/pedestrian bridge over. ‘Lyon Creek at-Inter-River Park, The bridge is intended to provide 2 southem connection between Lym y Valley and Capilano College and reducé conflict on the. Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge. The $320,000 price tag is bosed on the salvage and reuse of the Jories Street Pedestrian Overpass: (to be ‘dismantled as part of the Westview Interchange project) and a $180,318 provincial grant. Proposals for. 1997 total. $613; 950, including $422, 400, for tne. Cotton -Road/Esplanade path. icycle Proposals for 1998 total $248, 675, including $156, 500 for the, Lions Gate Bridge/Upper Le conneétor trail. The plan makes no costed proposals with regard to bicycle safety on: “Capilano Road between Marine Drive and the Upper Levels; - & Marine Drive between Capilano Road and Keith Road;: @ Lonsdale Avenue between Esplanade and 23rd Sireet. . ; Instead, alternate bikeways are earmarked for upgrading. . Bicycle safety on Lions Gate Bridge and Second Narrows Bridge i is seen as a a provincial responsi- ’ bility and i is not covered by the Plan. : The majority of council finally sided with Coun, Pat Munroe and referred the 70-page plan and its additional 40 pages of implementation proposals to a shirt-sleeve discussion. Only Mayor Murray Dykeman and Coun. Janice Hastis voted to endorse the plan and its 1996 budget of $412,950. “My gut feeling is that the amount of money needed to enhance opportunities for cyclists is relatively small compared with the money we spend on other forms of transportation.” said Harris. Council also voted to ban cyclists from using the Mosquito Creek trail in a downhill direction and asked staff to report on how that prohibition could be implemented. Meunwhile, a joint committee of cyclists, res- idents and staff will examine long-term solutions and staff will report on the cost of developing a bike trail on the east side of the creek. the event, which included a martial arte demonstration. LOCAL BARGAIN hunters and: businesses ‘now. have a new ‘information vehicle with the rebirth of the North. Shore Shopper. The Shopper, relaunched by the North Shore News on Dec. 8, 1995, after a 20-year absence, has caught the attention of many. new advertisers and brought back advertisers to the News. fold with its low cost, said North Shore News sales and- marketing director. Linda, Stewart. A search for innovative ways to allow more. businesses: to advertise led to the Shopper's: recent revival. © “In today’s market, we have to branch out-and look at other. alternatives and we will continue to do that,” said Stewart. “That could mean adding new products throughout the year, this just being the first step.’ Stewart added that the Shopper gives businesses seek- ing lower cost advertising a way to get their message out to North and West Vancouver residents. Delivered to. every North Shore doorstep Friday in the News, the Shopper kick-starts shopping on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, she said. The Shopper's circulation of 65,000 ..also takes it to more locations than the News itself. The Shopper can be found in Lions Bay, on the Bowen Isiand and Langdaie ferries, as well as high traffic areas like malls, recreation centres, coffee houses ; and libraries. Advertisers say the: Shopper has provided good results and led to increased busi- ness, said Stewart.