BARRIER MIGHT BE CITY TAXES Hollywood execs eye NV P&T site TWO AMERICAN movie industry executives who toured the Park and Tilford set of the Canadian-made Airwolf I] series agree the property would make an ideal film studio. “These are some major people in the motion picture business who have cast their eye and agreed with my opinion (of the site’s poten- tial),"’ said Steve Ecclesine, execu- tive in charge of production for MCA. In a brief whirlwind stopover Tuesday, Universal Studios boss Sid Sheinberg and Arthur Co. president) Arthur Annecharico toured the production facilities. EXECUTIVE IN charge of pro- duction of MCA, Steve Ec- clesine...site’s roofs would have to be raised. “Yes it does have a potential to become a film facility,’’ Airwolf executive producer Annecharico said in a telephone interview from his Hollywood office. “It involves a lot of money and it involves a lot of thought,’’ he said. Annecharico said he had also been looking at other sites with a | By STEPHEN BARRINGTON News Reporter similar potential to become a film facility. ‘“‘Including one in Pentic- ton," he said. Ecclesine confirmed that repre- sentatives from the Riptide series, producers Stephen J. Cannell Pro- ductions, had also toured the Park and Tilford site recently, After an estimated purchase price of about $12 million, conver- ting the 30-acre site into a movie facility would cost ‘ta few more million’’ dollars, he said. ‘Universal has already made a substantial investment in Canada,’’ Ecclesine said, pointing to the studio’s 50 per cent share of the Cineplex Odeon chain. “We would probably have to raise the roof on several buildings to create sound stages with high enough ceilings for the lights,’’ he explained. Included in the plan are the overgrown gardens, which would be renovated, Ecclesine said. And possibly a scaled-down version of a studio tour could be included. But Ecclesine said one of the barriers to such a movie facility could be the city taxes, and sug- gested the city might offer tax breaks to the new industry. “Apparently the reason why Schenley left here was because of the high property taxes,’’ he said. According to city tax records, owner Schenley of Park and Tilford this year paid $235,496 in No recommendations given at Ron Pryce killings inquest THE JURY in the Pryce murder-suicide commended police and the media, and made no recommendations at the con- clusion of a coroner’s inquest Friday. The five-member jury said they believed North Vancouver RCMP acted in ‘tan exemplary and cou- rageous manner in a unique and volatile situation.’’ They continued: ‘‘According to the evidence the media too con- ducted themselves in a highly pro- fessional manner.’” The jury ruled that father Ron Pryce, 42, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and died of brain trauma at approximately 12:40 p.m. Sept. 10. : They also ruled Pryce’s four young children, Clayton, 5, Kristall, 4, Kendall, 2, and Clin- ton, ti months, died as a result of gunshot wounds, causing brain trauma. The approximate time of deaths given for Clayton, Kendall and Clinton was 12:35 p.m. The jury ruled Kristall died at approximately 1:10 p.m. as an ambulance rushed her to Lions Gate Hospital. During the three-day inquest the jury heard evidence from Pryce's wife Darlene, who asked why police waited until 12:45 p.m. to enter the house. She warned police Pryce would shoot the children if he came home to find her gone. But police testified they followed By KIM PEMBERTON News Reporter procedure and wanted to alert their Emergency Response Team, before making telephone contact with Pryce. Members of the media and North Vancouver Staff Sgt. Tom Hill said they would agree to a recommendation from the jury for improved communications between the media and police. CBC cameramen Ted Huang said he noticed Pryce’s car had returned to the family home before the police, and he wanted to relay that information directly to them. But he said he was prevented from doing so because the radio equip- ment in his van only allowed him to call his head office. Presiding coroner Robert Graham explained the purpose of an inquest is to ascertain all of the facts surrounding the death of a community member. He added the jury is: free to make any recom- mendations on matters arising out of the inquest. Members of the jury were Er- skine Blackburn, Ronald Perring, Mary Wylie, Grainne Murphy and Albert Crittenden. taxes on the vacant site assessed at just over $7.5 million. When the plant was in operation in 1983, the comparable assessment was nearly $12 million. Mayor Jack Loucks, who toured the site last week, said a film stu- dio would likely not meet the pro- vincial government-set standards for tax breaks. **One would have to look into it, but it's my understanding that they wouldn't qualify," Loucks said, calling the proposal ‘‘a very good use”’ for the site. Atd. Elko Kroon, the deciding vote on a planned BCE Develop- ment Corporation shopping centre proposal for the site, said he too thought the movie studio was a good idea. “But until we see anything in black and white, it’s just a con- cept. If someone strong comes forward with a good proposal then who knows,’’ Kroon said. City planner Richard White said a movie facility would conform to the site’s present light industrial zoning. ‘The fact that they're there now means that they meet the zoning,"’ said White. But any changes such as increas- ed roof heights would have to meet the zoning rules. 3 - Sunday, December 7, 1986 - North Shore News Weather: Sunday through Tuesday, a mixture of sun and cloud. Highs near &°C. Reynolds Christmas News Classified Ads..... Doug Collins Comics Editorial Page Fashion Lifestyles Mailbox... TV Listings. . Travel..... What's Going On.... gears up for Speaker's role WEST VANCOUVER-Howe Sound MLA John Reynolds has begun moving into the Speaker's office at the B.C. legislature. Reynolds said he had been notified Monday that both NDP and Social Credit house leaders had agreed to appoint him Speaker-Designate until the next sitting of the legislature. His appointment as Speaker of the House will become official fol- lowing a vote by MLAs at that sit- ung. “I'm very pleased that both sides have agreed on the appoint- ment,’ Reynolds said. The West Vancouver-Howe Sound MLA’s appointment as Speaker was recommended by Premier Bill Vander Zalm during the Nov. 6 provincial cabinet shuf- photo Mike TFHREE Seymour Heights Preschool students take a test run through the school's new playground. Funds for the playground's equipment and construction were raised through a book sale, which brought in $1,000. An additional $1,000 came from a Vancouver Foundation grant. The playground equipment was put together by parents of the school's students .