US IT’S on to arbitration for former Blue Bus driver Susan Falls. Kevin Gillies News Reporter The three-vear Blue Bus veteran was fired for writing 4 letter that appeared in the Apnl 14 North Shore News. The letter took issue with former West Varcouver mavor Derrick Humphreys’ stand on focal transit. Falls has been an outspoken. critig of fare evasion and had appeared at public meetings on the subject. Kathleen Madden of the Western Labour Group has been representing Falls since the completion of the first stage of her grievance procedure. She took over Falls’ detence frem the Amalgamated Transit Chion when columnist Trevor Lautens revealed a possible union conflict of interest in his June + News criver ti column. “Fm counsel for the union and we're going to proceed to arbitration,” Madden said, confirming Falls had lost the second stunt fatality brings lawsuit Kevin Gillies News Reporter A North Vancouver man and his special effects company have been named in a lawsuit filed by the common-law wife of a stuntman killed during filming in Squamish last summer. Paul Noel, Evolution Effects and Crow Productions Inc. are defen- dants in a writ filed in B.C. Supreme court by Janet Parscns of Redondo Beach, Calitcrnia. Parsons and Mare Akerstream had lived togeth- er as husband and wife from February 1996 until his death Aug. 14, 1998. Akersiream was killed when he: was hit in the head by a battery casing. The object xvas among debris from a special effects explo- sion which Akerstream was watching while working on the set of Crow Productions” TV series The Crow: Stairway to) Heaven near Briuania Beach. Evolution Effects, owned by Noel, was hired by the production company. In ber writ Parsons claims Evolution Effects and Noel were negligent in not taking proper precautions or ade- quately clear the area before “ the blast was ignited. She also claims Crow Productions, who employed Noel and Akerstream, did not advise Noel properly on precautions and danger prior to the blast. Parsons also claims Noel was not certified to carry out the special-effect blast. In her suit she seeks gen- eral damages for the loss of support, guidance, care and companionship; losses from her inability to maintain a joint household and losses on the sale of che couple’s home; special damages; interest on the damages; Jegal costs and any further damages. Susan Fails loses round two of Blue Bus grievance procedure stave of the grievance procedure. “Pve notitied them by phone ... and there’s a letter going out to then’ (management). she said. Arbitration is the ast stage of the grievance procedure in which an independent arbitrator weighs the facts of the case betore rendering a decison. Madden sounded contident. “Ethink (Falls) has a very good case,” she said Thursday, Falls said she expected to fose the second round. “The company had their minds made up before we got there,” she said. Falls’ Mav 19 termination letter referred to the North Shore News fetter rebutting Humphreys’ views. “These comments are deemed as insubordination,” the fet- ter from Blue Bus operations supervisor Brian Beattie stated, seek arbi Friday, June 25. 1999 — North Shore News - 3 ltration adding that the comments were grounds tor nmmediate terms Nathan, West Vancouver Blue Bus manager Tony Lorage abo con firmed the first two erievance stages had been denied. He said arbitration becomes official once he receives a writ- ten advisement from Falls and/or her representative. Falls predicament has drawn comments on the issue trom both media and bus drivers. Fearing reprisals from the compa- ny, Falls’ supporters ralk through the nevdit in anonymity; those supporting the management position speak on the record. “Blue Bus drivers are not disciplined for speaking pubhily,” said Lorage. “But if they speak detrimental to the municipality ” Madden said she wasn’t aware if other drivers had been dis- ciplined tor speaking publicly. An anonymous friend of Falls who is close to the action said, “Her stand on fare evasion, some people may see as a little harsh, but she is doing her job, as she sees it, by the book.” He said another issue was Falls’ desire to pick up bus-stop garbage on her breaks. NEWS photo Terry Peters Highway crash NORTH Vancouver firefighters push a Volkswagen Jetta to the side of the Upper Levels Highway Thursday after a collision with a logging truck and minivan between the Main Street and Fern Street overpasses. No one was injured. Occupants evacuated in fi THE cleanup contin- ued Thursday on the top floor of the Simpson House. The six-floor apartment complex on the southwest cor- ner of Lonsdale Avenue and Sixth Street was the scene ofa fire Tuesday afternoon. No one was injured in the blaze, but the 12 occupants of the top floor were evacuated to a North Vancouver hotel by emergency social services. The North Vancouver City fire department was called at 4:12 p.m. and responded with a pumper truck, ladder truck and eight firefighters. The first on-scene com- mander called a second alarm for back-up personnel, said assistant North Vancouver City chief Dave Burgess. The North Vancouver District fire department sent nwo pumper trucks and cight firefighters to the building across from Victoria Park. NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge NORTH Vancouver City fire department responded to an apartrnent fire at the Simpson House near Victoria Park Tuesday afternoon. No one was injured. “One of the negative things on this was one of the people who discovered the fire earlier had left the suite door open which allowed heat and smoke to leave from the suite of origin into the hallway on the floor and allowed smoke and hear damage throughout that floor level,” Burgess said. Occupants of the other five floors were allowed to return to their suites, though there was minor water damage to suites on the fifth floor. Burgess said fire crews assisted in the cleanup. The tire originated in a suite at the southwest corner of the sixth tloor. North Vancouver City fire investigators continued to pore aver the damage on Thursday. Burgess said the fire wasn’t suspicious, but he was hoping a scheduled Thursday afternoon interview with the occupant of the damaged suite would bring some answers. The suite’s occupant, who recently moved in, was not there at the time of the fire. —RBob Mackin Giri’s call draws cops A 44-year-old West Vancouver man was arrest- ed Monday after police responded to a 9-1-1 call made by a nine-year-old * girl. West Vancouver police Sgt. Jim Almas said the girl told police her parents were fighting and her father had a gun. While no shots were fired, police arrested the man in his Keith Road home and seized the shotgun at around 2 a.m. The man has been charged with careless use of a firearm and unlawfully possessing a firearm, Almas said. “You don’t have to shoot someone to get charged,” Almas said. Alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the incident. — Kevin Gillies WV mom faces charges A 55-year-old woman faces criminal charges after fighting with her teenaged daughter. West Vancouver police were dispatched to a Stone Crescent home after receiving a 9-1-1 call from the 18- year-old girl. The woman had apparently become involved in an argument with the teen which escalated into a physical altercation. The teen’s father intervened while the girl phoned police and he too was assaulted by the woman. While no injuries were sustained in the dispute, the woman is facing assault charges. ~~ Kevin Gillies