HE North Shore News presents a sumnia- some of the key events that shaped lite on the North Shore during the second half of 1997, July through December: Drug suit settled @® Former North Vancouver District Coun. . Joan Gadsby loses her lawsuit against her do: tor whom she claimed didn’t warn her of the risks of prescriptions anti-depressants, tranquil- izers and sleeping pills. Gadsby took the pr from 1967 to 1990 wi Roderick MacGillivray. B.C. Supreme Court Mr. Justice Clancy said Gadsby understood that she should not mix alcohol and drugs, but persisted in doing so. Gadsby was extremely disappointed with what she called a “pro-drug” judgement and a “blow to other innocent victims of chemical dependency.” Bravery honored ® Five Seycove secondary students celebrating at a grad picnic ar Cates Park became sudden heroes. The young men, Rowan Gloag, Liam Maynard, Eric Rosenberg, Ryan Griffiths and Roger Altenburg rescued a senior whose car had gone into the water and submerged near the boat ramp. Despite the heroic effort, the woman later died in hospiral as a result of her injuries. The Seycove grads were honored for their efforts in July by North Vancouver District council. Fast-ferry contracts sail ahead @ Construction of two more fast-ferries for the Horseshoe Bay-Nanaimo roure got the go- ahead. Premier Glen Clark was on the North Vancouver waterfront to make the announce- ment. Each ferry costs taxpayers $74 million. Park Royal to grow @ Park Royal announces plans to expand for big box stores including Home Depot, Toys “R” Us and PetsMart. General Manager Rick Amantea said a “carefully worked and well-constructed plan” will sec project completed by October 1998. Park Royal Cinemas, Park Royal Lanes and the Park Royal Golf Center will be levelled to make room for the mega retailers. ; AUGUST .. Park designation desired for Lower Seymour Valley @ The Western Canada Wilderness Committee iption medication n the care of Dr. i Wednesday, December 31, 1997 — North Shore News — 3 wv PART THO —— ¥ NEWS photo Terry Peters A North Vancouver RCMP constable talks to two teens who helped pull an elder- ly woman from a car in the water at Cztes Park. campaigned oto turn othe Seymour Demonstration Forest into a park. The Seymour Valley is home to some of the world’s largest old-growth fir and cedar trees. It is also a place where logging is allowed under the management of the Greater Vancouver Water District which is part of the GVRD. GVRD chairman George Puil said) the demonstration fo yes a_useful purpose and is open to the public. Puil said that the Western Canada Wilderness Committee didn’t paine the picture as it actually is in the Seymour Demonstration Forest. Crossing authority pitched @ West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce president John Clark called for the creation of a First Narrows Crossing Authority which would arrange the financing of a new bridge. The Crossing Authority would include all the stake holders in the bridge including the three North Shore municipalities and the Squamish Nation. Transportation Minister Lois Boone med open to the suggestion. Business group gives a failing mark to North Van @ The Canadian Federation of Independent Business gave North Vancouver City and District failing marks as far as their efforts in providing a hospitable business environment. NEWS photo Cindy Goodman i_ANS to add retail space to Park Royal mali caused much controversy in West : Vancouver in 1997. North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce president Judi Ainsworth said she personally didn’r get a lor of complain peo- nsworth did sav that anyone doing in both North Vancouver Ci and bureaucracies to deal with. Jews welcome house of worship @ The Har-E! Synagogue was officially opened Taylor Way and the Upper Le-els Highway est Vancouver. he 12,000 sq. ft. (1,1 15 sq. m) synagogue is a first on the North Shore. The building was years in the making for the North Shore's Jewish community. Doctors sever ties with Health Board @ The stormy ielationship between the North Shore Health Board and other players in the medical system got stormier with the with- drawal from all personal contact by North Shore physicians. Speaking on behalf of the North Shore does, Dr. Peter Richards said they wouldn’t be talking until “a more amicable working rela- tionship can be achieved.” He added “the cur- rent depth of antipathy between the Medial Staff and the Board is unprecedent The Health Board under CEQ Inge Schamborzki was criticized for lack of mean- ingtul consultation with doctors over medical issues. Murder charges laid ®@ After more than a six-month iavestigation, two North Vancouver men are charged with the execution style murder of Mohammad Mirhadi in a packed Lower Lonsdale movie theatre on Feb. 28, Michael Caster, 19, and Jon Ottelo Moroury, 18, are in custody awaiting a preli inary hearing, set for next year. Trucker charges laid @ Charges under the Motor Vehicle Act are laid against the driver of a runaway dump truck which resulted in the death of a pedestrian a year previous at the bottom of the 22nd Street hill and Marine Drive in West Vancouver. Rajdcep Singh Khosa, 29, of Surrey, was charged with driving without duc care and attention and driving without reasonable con- sideration, He was also charged with a bylaw infraction of excceding the gross weight of the truck ‘having an overloaded truck.) Police earlier recommended Motor Vehicle Act charges that were not accepted by Crown. A public outery and subsequent review of the police investigation by regional Crown resulted in the charges. Man killed in Cap @ A Richmond man died after being swept down the Capilano Ri Gerard Rheal Desrochers, 34, was fishing with a friend near the fish hatchery when he fell into the rushing water at 2 p.m. The friend tried in vain to rescue Desrochers. Auto mall for Fullerton @ A park, hotel, and an auto mall are being contemplated tor a prime 68-acre parcel of land on North Vancouver's waterfront. Peter Martin, Greystone Properties manag- er of industrial relations, said his firm has reached a conditional agreement with the Jim Pattison Group to build a 24-acre auto mall on the Fullerton Fill site. If the auto mall goes in, the developer agreed to withdraw its application for big box retail operations on the site. Nightmarish encounter recounted @ World masters champion cyclist) Larry Zimich said he became the victim of sidewalk rage on the Lions Gate Bridge. He said he was pushed off the sidewalk by more page 5 NEWS photo Mike Wakefield A Richmond man fishing at Capilano River drowned after being swept into high- running water in October. Ube