WEST VANCOUVER hosted one of the highest per capita Harley Davidson populations in Canada on Fritay as 500 peo- ple attended a funeral for a West Vancouver man. By Auna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter Richard Davie, 33, a top Harley Davidson mechanic, died recently in a motorcycle drag racing accident in Sacramento, California, Davic was in a qualifying run when a part of his Harley Davidson's “engine flew up and struck him in the chest, killing him instantly. Suid friend Errol Hannigan, “He was a unique individual.” 1 “It Chis death) was very much a shock. Part of his life was that he was a cub scout leader, kid's hockey coach. He had a thing for kids and ani- mals,” | Hannigan is a North Vancouver resident and provincial coordinator of ‘the B.C, Coalition of Motorcyclists. Hannigan said Davie was a devoted step- parent of three children, He was fiving in Langley at the time of his death. Davie was also a founding member and director of the Canadian _ Motorcycle Drag Racing Association (CMDRA). The CMDRA was formed approximately two years ago. Davie was attempting to earn his licence to professionally drag race: : Top Fuel Harley Davidsons at the time of his death, The lightweight | ‘motorcycles with “enormous” engines run on nitro-methane fuel. : The powerful motorcycles. can travel 200 m.p.h. (322 km-h) in the quarter mile, said Hannigan. “Nitro-methane is a very potent fucl. k's like putting a stick of dyna- mite on top of your pistons,”-said John Andres, who attended the funeral. Andres knew Davie as a member of the relatively small motorcycle .drag racing community. _ “He'd always helped people out,” said Andres. ‘The News received calls on Friday inquiring about the motorcyclists, including Hell’s Angel members, in West Vancouver. ‘Said West Vancouver Police Const, Harry McNeil, “It was just a funer- al.” MeNeil said that West Vancouver Police had no information about Davie or the bikers, but assisted with traffic. control. “~The funeral traffic included more than 100 motorcycles travelling “in formation” along Marine Drive and up 21st Street in West Vancouver. A witness said police stopped westbound traffic to accommodate the lengthy motorcycle procession. ..« ./MeNeil said Hollyburn Funeral Home had asked the police to assist - with traffic. ; . Police made patrols : and* ‘no further action was required,” said McNeil. North Shore residents told the News that dozens of Hell’s Angels ‘ wearing biker. jackets: zoomed passed them on motorcycles along the Trans- Canada Highway early Friday afternoon. Motorcycles. were’ parked “up and down” Marine Drive in West Vancouver near the funeral home. Following the funeral, the Harley Davidson motorcyclists gathered at the Coach House fon i in North Vancouver. . THE, NORTH Shore’s annual +. Together Against Violence “(TAV) campaign kicks off this &5- month with a full calendar of events. mi . By Layne Christensen Community Reporter Project coordinator | Franca Bertoncin said that so far response to this year’s campaign has been overwhelming. “(The initiative) has really | infil- trated the, whole community,” said Bertoncin. TAV was established in 1992 to raise’ awareness and mobilize the community to take action against =, violence. November has becn proclaimed * Together Against Violence month by the mayors and council of the ‘three North: Shore municipalities and by the board of trustees of the — “North and West Vancouver schoo! districts. “The focus of activities is in - November but it’s a year-round ini- tiative.” said Bertoncin. Over 60 organizations and groups are hosting events this “month, including the North and _ West Vancouver school boards, the Narth Vancouver RCMP. North VIOLENCE Community ‘Attorney General Justice Branch. The number of public events during the month of November has grown from 11 the first year to 14 in 1994 and 29 in 1995, : Bertonein said the role of TAV Shore.Community Services and ! numerous churches and, business- _ Primary funding for the initia- ; - tive comes from North Shore: Health and the Ministry of the’ HEWS photo Paul McGrath CHARGES ARE pending against three mates following a purse snatching that resuited in a high-speed police chase. North Vancouver police say a 56-year-old woman had her purse stolen while she was walking with her sister in the 1800-block of Purcell Way at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. She struggled with the thief, but the purse strap broke and he escaped In a Honda. The victim advised the police of the llcence plate number. The police confirmed the car was stolen in Vancouver and used in three purse snatchings in Vancouver earlier on Oct. 29. A police offi- cer spotted the car on Lonsdale Avenue and gave chase. The suspect car drove at speeds reaching 100 km/h during 4 13-block pursuit. The driver of the stolen car struck three cars dur- ing the chase. The incident ended abruptly in the 200-block of East 6th Street when the stolen cer collided with a police cruiser. There were no injuries as a result of the collision. The police arrested three suspects at the scene. The driver managed to flee and escaped on foot. Roche Pt. link not settled Question of process raised A NORTH Vancouver District staff letter niay put council's rejection of a Roche Point Drive access road to a Burrard Band development in jeop- ardy, said Coun. Ernie Crist. By lan Noble News Reporter He points to a May 3 letter from mayor's office administrator Fred Sigurjonsson to Windsong project manager Harry Wong that states the Roche Point Drive extension “is acceptable to the district.” That, said Crist, is virtaily an agreement made by staff behind the . backs of counci} members. “How do we get out of this’ is as a catalyst for commu- nity action. a “We set the atmosphere, / then people have to take. responsibility. “It has to come from the community members to do their part.” said Bertoncin. Organizations that have picked up the ball since the campaign’s inception include the West Vancouver Kiwanis Club. The group provides finan- cial support for conflict resolution and peer coun- sellor training in West Vancouver schools. Another offshoot of TAV is the Violence Prevention Awards, estab- lished in 1994 and spon- sored by North Vancouver City and District and North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce. The annual awards rec~ ognize individuals as well as groups for their efforts in helping to make the North Shore a safer community. ‘TAV also sets the climate in the community, said Bertoncin, She points to the District of North Vancouver's “zero tolerance poli- cy” towards violence. against spon! Crist asked, “It’s a difficult issue. We may not be able’ to get out of it.” Initially, access to the Windsong development) was, to be off Dollarton Highway, but costs of the toad —~ estimated by project mun- ager. Harry Wong at between $2 million and $3.5 million — led the band to seek permission to extend Roche Point Drive. ‘In the official community ‘plan, Roche Point Drive; is shown as.a collector road that will eventually connect Dollarton Highway to Mount Seymour Parkway. However, when Roche Point residents discovered that their road was going to carry traffic to and HOLLYBURN ELEMENTARY students, assembled purple lapel ribbons to recognize Together Against Violence. women, adopted in June 1994, The success of the TAV cam- paign has led it to become a model for anti-violence initiatives in other communities. This month a campaign kicks off (in the ‘Tri-City area. of Coquidam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody. and the viflages of Anmore from up to 500 planned housing units on band land, they balked. - Residents argued, successfully, that. development traffic would overload the already jammed rush- hour traffic at Roche Point Drive and Dollarton Highway. Crist is upset he was not kept informed of talks between staff and developers until council was asked to. approve the extension on Aug. 23, when it was. a fair accompli. But Sigurjonsson said the term “acceptable in the May 3 letter sim- ply referred to the fact that the / band's request fell within the official’ ” community plan and was OK from a See Phases page 5 NEWS. photo Mlke Wakefield including Chris Thureau, recently and Belecarra. Project. coordinator — Vince Stancato said? that Tri-City. has modelled its janti-violence cam- paign “almost 100%" after the North Shore initiative. “They've done an excettent job in reaching the community,” * said Stancato,