Samson sentencing set for June 14 A FORMER North Vanceuver teacher found guilty in May of sexually assauiting a student on a field trip has appealed his conviction. By Anna Marie Angelo News Reporter Dary! Wayne Samson. 42. has not yet been sentenced in connection with the Nov. 19,1993, sexual assault of a 17-year-old female student. But an appeal of his conviction is set for Dee. 15 in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver. Samson. a former Whitecaps soccer player. was scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday in North Vancouver provincial court. Sentencing was adjourned until June 14. “The decision is a difficult one. [regret 1 can't make it today,’ Judge Bill Rodgers said on Wednesday. Most of the afternoon sentencing proceedings were take up by Sumson's fawyer. Don Muldoon. who went over a number of previous court cases. Muldoon used the court cuses to support his argument that Samson should not be jailed. Muldoon said the only reason Samson would be sent to jail was for retribution. “We know revenge and retribution play no role in modern sentencing,” said Muldoon. He asked for probation and a suspended sentence. _ Crown lawyer Gillian Parson had asked for a “short period of incarceration” and one to two years probation. MAPLEWOOD MUDFLATS ENVIRONMENT CANADA waited until _national environment week to unveil its new $14 million research laboratory adjacent to the Maplewood Mudflats in North Vancouver District. ; By Bob Mackin Contributing Writer The Pacific Environmental Science Centre was completed last November. It opened quietly in January when 40 federal and provincial scientists, biologists and technicians occupied the 4.000 sq. -m. (43,000 sq ft.) complex. “Clifford Lincoln, parliamentary secretary for federal. environment minister Sheila Copps. presided over the facility's official June 8 opening ceremonies. The complex, on 22.5 hectares (50 acres) of waterfront land owned by the Vancouver Port Corporation at 2645 Dollarton Hwy., replaces three outdated local Environment Canada laboratories. . two of which were in leased warehouse trailers. - “Tt was an issue of replacing facilities.” said lab manager Peter Kluckner. “The old ones reached the end of their effective Jife and so by the time we started looking. the opportunity to move to Maplewood came. We wanted a building that housed our operations and made ita safe, free working environment.” ; Kluckner said one of the major functions of the facility will be to aid the long-term clean-up of the Fraser River and related ecosystems. Nearly all of the site is a designated wildlife conservation area. Kluckner said great detail was made in con- structing the facility to blend in with its surround- ings and minimize the impact on the cavironment. Natural and recycled building materials and fix- tures were used where possible. Computer-con- trolled ventilation and temperature control and cost-reducing energy effictent lights were also installed. The architects designed the building to take advantage of natural fight and heat. She suggested a nul sen tence of JO te OO dis “The tnost important prin- ciple here is general deterrent and the fact that avery strong Imessige tust be sent ot to members af the cones who might: contemplate a like-minded act” said Parson, She said the last thing “like-minded people” should see is a court: that doesn't Miele OUL severe consequences for a sexual assaule when the aecused ts ina position of trust. The sexual assault took place outside the Lower Mainiand. Samson, the complainant, another 17-yeur- old girl and another man reclined on a hote: room bed after drinking alcohol and eating pizza in the teacher's room, Muldoon summarized the sexual assault inci- dent as “a few minutes of inappropriate touching after a day of drinking.” He pointed out that Sumson had since been fired as a teacher at Sutherland secondary school. There was the stigma of a criminal record which Samson did not have before the convie- tion, said Muldoon. Muldoon said Samson had been a teacher for 18 years. He said that Samson, a lifelong resident FORMER NORTH Van teacher Daryl Samson launches sex assault conviction appeal. ol North Vancouver taught at Windsor secandary trons 1O75 to Usd, The defence lawyer sat Samer was oni “ditee: veur hiatus” 0 from teaching between POSO and TUS. Muldoon didi not efabo- rate on Sanisen’s reason for the “hiatus” fron: teaching The defence fawsver said Sanson warked ata Key restaurant durtag the hiatus. Sampon then tuught at Sutherland secondary until 1995, He was fired a few days after being found guilty of the sexual assault. He had been suspended with pay since charges were laid about 1% veurs ago. Muldoon) said) Samson made more than $60,000 a year as a teacher, The defence lawyer submitted 40 character reference letters of behalf of his client. The letters were fram Sutherland staff and teachers, members of focal sports groups. Alcoholics Anonymous, friends and family. “These letters speak volumes of the respect this man has in the community.” said Muldoon, Parson said the Crown did not take issue with Samson's capacity as a teacher and an athlete, She said the court should consider that the let- ter-writers still believed Samson had the most professional of attributes concerning his dedica- tion to young people despite being found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in his care. i NEWS photo Mike Wakefield THIS NORTH Vancouver City townhouse was hit by a blaze likely set by an arson- ist on May 28. The fire caused an estimated $100,000 worth of damage in the 200- block of West 4th Street. Shore bush azes battled A SPATE. of sinall bush and grass fires in’ North Vancouver District and West Vancouver has fire officials het under the col- lar, But they say there is no cause for alarm. By Bob Mackin Contributing Writer The number of minor, con- tained fires in) North Vancouver District has tripled since last year. This year there were 35 fires between May | and June 6. During the same period last year. there were only 12. Fire officials blume unsea- sonably hot and dry conditions during May for creating the hazard. Some of the fires may be arsons and have occurred in areas close to schools in the . British Properties, Lynn Valley and Seymour areas, The police have conducted routine investigations, but no arrests have been made. Fire department officials speculate that students with nothing bet- ter to do may be involved. “A large percentage of them are kids playing with fire,” said Brian Stegavig, manager of fire prevention with: the’ North Vancouver District Fire Department. “We have & series of them we are concerned about in the area of Shavington and Brooksbank. We've had a series of them right around the time that school g¢is out.” Determining the cause of most fires of this nature is dif- ficult. Stegavig conceded. ‘West Vancouver Fire Department assistant. chief Steve Sentes said bush fires on Burnside Road in the British Properties at the end of March and in mid-May caused con- cern. : “We suspect that they were purposely set up in that gener- al area.” Sentes said. Dealing with minor bush fires. coupled with the routine extinguishing of bonfires on Ambleside Beach. has Sentes ' worried that quick response to house fires or medical emer- gencies could be affected. North Vancouver City Fire Department fire prevention officer Gavin Soanes said there is no evidence to suggest bush fires in his jurisdiction could have been arsens, He said some random bush and grass fires. especially recent ones in’ the vicinity of Mosquito Creek and Heywood Park, were probably caused by carelessness. such as errant disposal of lit cigarettes.