NEWS BRIEFS

Sager boat recovered

A SECHELT man faces charges of theft over $1,000 and
Possession of stolen property in connection with the theft
of a 35-foot sailboat owned by West Vancouver Mayor
Mark Sager.

Sager discovered his boat was gone when he went to
do some work on it Monday afternoon at a West Van-
couver marina.

“ICs my hobby, my second love in life,’ he said.

A description of the missing boat was broadcast by
Police. A man was subsequently arrested at the Lynn-
wood Marina in North Vancouver and the boat was re-
covered.

Added Sager, ‘I can't help but comment but the West
Van Police, North Vancouver RCMP, Vancouver Potice
and the Ports Canada Police were absolutely superb.
They were so quick. They got him just as he pulled in
and it was all over.""

Sager, who has done major renovation work to the
boat, is entered to sail the boat as a participant in the
Victoria to Maui race next year in July.

Video vanishes

A NORTH Vancouver man is appealing to the thief who
stole his video camera and some jewelry to return a
video tape of a friend's wedding.

George Abary said his house was burglarized on Fri-
day and among the items stolen were a video camera and
a bag containing a tape of a wedding that he had shot
for the couple.

Abary said he does not care about the camera or the
jewelry, but would like the thief to return the tape.

“*T feel very bad about this. If they could just send the
tape back. It's not worth anything to them,” said Abary.

He has asked that the person who has the tape return
it to 4390 Prospect Rd. in North Vancouver.

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Arborist will review on
a site-specific basis

From page 3

can quickly block million-dollar
views and cover properties in
shade, leaves or needles.

They can also sicken or die and
become hazardous to property,
power lines and other public ser-
vices.

Under the new tree policy,
problems that arise over trees
located on public property, will be
evaluated by the municipality’s
arborist on a site specific basis.

Hazardous trees can be removed
without recourse to the policy’s
new evaluation and posting pro-
cedures.

But when a resident applies to
cut cr prune a non-hazardous tree
on public property, the arborist
will consider such factors as:

* views;

° neighborhood identity;
screening (of private areas or
from artificial light sources);

© sunlight and shade;

® potential for wildlife habitat;
eand recreational potential and
inconvenience (such as leaf litter)
to residents.

Applicants will pay for any tree
cutting or trimming that is subse-
quently approved.

They may also be required to
replace trees that are removed ei-
ther at that location or at an ap-
proved site.

The arborist has no authority
over trees on private land; and
there is no provision in the
Municipal Act that would enable a
municipality to develop bylaws to

deal with trees on private land.

West Vancouver’s arborist will
therefore take an advisory role,
arranging meetings between citi-
zens in dispute, and attempting to
create a catalyst for resolution of
the problem.

Negotiations would be volun-
tary for all parties, and the solu-
tion would have to be agreeable to
all concerned.

West Vancouver’s tree policy is
being amended to reflect several
of the comments and suggestions
made by various ratepayer groups.

Some argued that the policy too
heavily favored trees over views;
others said it would lead to
wholesale cutting of trees in the
municipality.

Some people agreed with West
Vancouver's decision to
discourage tree topping because of
the visual results and _ possible
health risk to the tree.

But Capt. George Murrell of
the Ambleside and Dundarave
Ratepayers argued that the
reasons for not topping trees vere
*‘balderdash’’ based on research
done in eastern Canada.

He noted that trees topped 50
years ago are still growing safely.

Municipal staff listened to some
of the suggestions made by Roy
Bartholemew of the Gleneagles
Ratepayers regarding the prior
posting of trimming or cutting ac-
tivities, but advised against mak-
ing the posting process more in-
volved and bureaucratic.

West Van sent two zodiacs

From page 1

dock. The society had its members
on scene until 1 a.m. Monday.

The West Vancouver Fire
Department also sent two of its
three Zodiacs to help fight the fire
because the Vancouver Fire
Department does not have any
Zediacs of its own.

When the fire first broke out,
officials initially decided to tow
the Esso barge away from the
area. Two tugboats from North

Vancouver-based Cates C.H. &
Sons and Seaspan International
Lid. were dispatched to move the
fuel barge. .

But officials later decided not to
tow the barge.

“Our call came in at 12:30 p.m.
Our tug operator stayed there and
applied water on the pilings. He
was discharged at 5:55 p.m.,”’
Cates gencral manager Claire
Johnston said.

Sunday’s fire destroyed the
coast guard base.

Summer
Special