NVC mayor wins her AT VE" point; heroes respond EVERYONE’S a winner, Tales to inspire: JANUARY @ 83-year-old aunt finds her nicce Marjorie Bezanson doesn’t feel so alone anymore. The North Vancouver woman found “her niece. Bezanson’s only sibling died in the Second World War. Her brother Jack was an RCAF fighter pilot and disappeared over enemy terri- tory on July 30, 1942. Bezanson had no children, After her hus- band died in 1999, she believed she had no family left. Bezanson did have one hope about a fami- ly. Her brother had a daughter named Joyce who was born in 1941. Bezansen found out about her niece 20 years ago from Bezanson’s mother. After her husband’s death, Bezanson decided it was time to find her niece, now her only relative. Bezanson called Peter Speck, publisher of the News and an old friend. Speck contacted the publisher of The Villager, which covers Ontario's Russell and Osgoode Townships and the surrounding area, including Metcalfe. ‘The paper filled more than two pages with pictures of Jack and Ma aymie and their daugh- ter Joyce Durkin; the story of his disappear- ance; and the news that Marjorie wanted to find her niece. ~ Joyce Crothers was watching television at home in Ottawa with her mom Maymie when her, half-sister called to tell her that a friend in Russell had read the article and knew exactly who it was about. Aunt Marjorie Bezanson and niece Joyce Crothers connected this year. . FEBRUARY @ Students high rolling to the top West Vancouver secondary Grade 12 stu- dents Robert Jackson, Charlie Liu and Jamil Karim used their business sense to score big on the stock market. The’ boys were in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and members of ‘the school’s Investment Group. .. . After narrowly missing the top slot for sev- ‘eral weeks, West. Vancouver’s IB trio topped i fosers News photo Terry Peters STUDENT traders from West Vancouver secondary school per- formed well In a national competition. 4,999 other schools across North America to post first place in a Student Stock Tournament. The boys ended up second overall in the 12-week competition, in which students track an investment portfolio using only their wits — no monty ever changes hands. They returned over 68 per cent on their portfolio, which included leading Canadian companies Corel and Perle Systems. MARCH @ Marathoner whecls to Guinness World Record Marathoner, Hossein “Nik” Nikzaban logged a Guinness World Record for distance covered in a wheelchair in 24 hours. Nikzaban, a polio survivor, pushed himself around Handsworth secondary’ s track to attain the record. APRIL tl @ Townhouse manager braves fire Gerry St. Laurent can make no promises about running, imto a burning townhouse again, The manager of the Mount Seymour Lions Housing Alliance Plaza did just that at the 27- unit complex. on Apex off Mount Seymour Parkway. After a tenant reported smoke, St. Laurent, 52, opened the door to the black, smoke filled townhouse. He noticed everything melting. He grabbed a garden hose and crawled into the townhouse. “Ye cook about four tries (to put out the fire),” said St. Laurent, “There was a lot of the plastic smell. You just couldn't breathe.” St. Laurent soaked the burning couch. North Vancouver District firefighters were “right behind” him as soon as the fire was put out. A cat was killed in the fire. A townhouse resident was charge with arson. MAY @ Mayor gets taxpayers to cover her legal bills North Vancouver City Mayor Barbara Sharp got the nod from council members that saved the way for city taxpayers to pay her $15,000 legal bill associated with a council member's allegation that she was in a conflict of interest. Sharp was cleared of conflict of interest alle- |, gations by a B.C, Supreme Court judge three days before the municipal elections. Coun. Bob Fearnley accused Sharp of con- travening the Municipal Act by participating in discussions about the city fire department, because her husband was a captain in the department and president of the local fire- fighters union. Fearnley was ordered by the judge to pay $9,000 of Sharp's $23,000 legal costs. - Fearnley didn’t ask council members to pay for his own $18,000 legal costs. JUNE @ Quick-thinking man credited in prevent- ing fuel dock explosion A vessel in Deep Cove exploded i into flames at Seycove Marina gas bar. Mile Tupper hopped on his Sea-Doo and hauled the burn- ing boat away from the fuelling dock, averting a much larger explosion, Tupper, of North Vancouver, was on the dock when he heard a a strange noise and turned According to search warrant infor- is year to see a boat engulfed in flames and three peo- ple scrambling to escape the inferno. Bystanders ran out of fire extinguishers. ‘Tupper jumped aboard his Sea-Doo, grabbed hold of the vessel’s bow and slowly towed it, fearing the whole dock was geing to explode. After hauling the boat out about 18 metres (60 fect), Tupper started to cut hard circles around the boat with his Sea-Deo, trying to douse the flames with the resulting spray. After about five minutes, the fire started to dic down, He then towed the boat ashore so North Vancouver District firefighters ensured the blaze was out. The boat’s three occupants survived. SEPTEMBER @ Kitten miracle Two kittens mere hours old were rescued from certain death after being discovered at Grand Boulevard Park by a tennis-playing cou- ple. Iris and Max Geist heard a crying sound from under a bush in the park. They found a pair of kittens wrapped in plastic Safeway bags. When the local SPCA, who didn’t have a nursing mother cat, were unable to help, the Geists took the infants to their own vet, Jennifer Cooper, at the Lonsdale Pet Hospital. Cooper and her staff volunteered to feed the kittens with a syringe every few hours and take turns keeping them overnight until they were able ro fend for themselves. OCTOBER @ Curtain up at revamped theatre After a lengthy fix-up project, the doors finally reopened at Centennial Theatre. The $2.2-million project included vast improvements to disabled access, with increased seating options, washroom space, orchestra pit access and ramps from the park- ing lor to the entrance and between lobby. lev- els for wheelchair patrons. A lobby expansion, new air conditioning system, and Lonsdale entrance were among other changes made. Theatre users will pay $500,000 of the cost through a renovation seat surcharge over a ten-year period. The City of North Vancouver has committed the remaining funds. Among the first to take the stage at the upgraded the- atre: the North Shore’s new homegrown See Mountain page 5 Crime, ferries i in the spoilight. : some. Tales from the the darker side: Me ployment: Soon to be out of work fast ferry ; construction foreman Scott Simpson talked about how optimistic the project looked back in.1996.", - : ~ Then-premier Glen Clark stood before a media scrum at Vancouver Dry ‘Dock on April Fool’s Day in 1996 to announce the construction of the three fast fersies, “. "The project was supposed to revive the B.C. shipbuilding industry, but it - turned into a financial disaster with the ~“problem-plagued, catamarans proving lnreliable on routine runs between “Nanaimo and. Horseshoe Bay. The ves- __Sels were yanked from use and put up for * sale: The, three ships cost more than $450 million to build. “FEBRUARY - | Dangeroiis offender designations “upheld ; "David Alexander. Snow lost his bid to overturn a dangerous offender designa- tion after years beicre the court. Snow. was. 37’ when he terrorized © - North Vancouver. residents i in the sum- mer of 1992: In.July "1993, North Vancouver . provincia! ‘court: Judge Jerome Paradis “found Snow tobea | dangerous offender Convicted kidnapper and serial rapist . News photo Paul McGrath FAST ferry worker James Stephens posed in the cafeteria area of the last fast ferry bulit in North Vancouver. The three fast fer- iles cost more than $450 million to construct. _and sentenced the Ontario native to an ’ indefinite sentence. More than six years later the B.C.-Court of Appeal dismissed Snow’s appeal of that dangerous offend- er designation. ‘ Snow confined and violently sexually , assaulted: a 21-year-old woman at a makeshift campsite on the Trans-Canada Highway near Westview Drive. He kid- napped another young woman. His last crime took place on July 12, 1992 when he strangled and nearly killed: third ‘woman ‘outside the. Bridge House restaurant on Capilano Road. Snow was facing first-degree murder charges for killing -an Ontario couple when -he was designated a dangerous offender: He was convicted of those murders in 1997... - MARCH | ‘North Vancouver Mountie charged : Suspended North Vancouver Mounte drug cop Paul MacGregor was charged with communicating for the purpose of obtaining the sexual services ofa prostitute in connection with a Nov. 19, 1999 incident in Vancouver. mation, Const. MacGregor, 30, picked up a 21-year-old prostitute at Cambie and Cordova. MacGregor drove an unmarked North Vancouver RCMP SUV. He allegedly drove the prostitute to a secluded spot near the 1500-block of East Georgia. The search warrant states that “they were in the process of engaging in sexual intercourse (in the vehicle) when an unknown female, : thought to be another working girl start- ed throwing objects, {at the unmarked police vehicle).” The driver’s side win- dow was shattered and the windshield cracked. The North Vancouver RCMP vehicle was eventually stopped at 3 a.m. by two Vancouver City: Police. officers who thought the vehicle was stolen. The municipal officers - pepper — sprayed MacGregor before = his arrest. MacGregor was issued a roadside sus- pension for alcohol. He was suspended from his job. APRIL &¥ Vandals cause hatchery fish deaths A year’s worth of coho went down the drain near Lynn Creek after vandals tampered with the water supply to a hatchery. About 28,000 tiny coho salmon and 7,000 of the hatchery’s 37,000 chum fry were killed. Alchough about 20 coho. survived, the fish kill set back work for one life cycle at the Morten Creck Salmon Project. The fish kill was a blow to an 1]-year project to restock Lynn Creek with salmon. Vandals cut off the oxygen supply system for the hatchery causing the fish to die. The hatchery. wailer is located _ hear the old Premier $ Street landfill site. BPub frequented by thieves - Pemberton Station Pub was twice targeted by criminals in}one week. A robber armed with an apparent auto-" matic handgun held up the. North Vancouver Brighbourhood pub one: evening. Three nights fater, a burglar smashed through a skylight and got into ‘the fiquor establishment. The burglar used a metal cutter to break into a cash machine. and pry it open like a sardine can. ! Pub: management ‘were frustrated and unnerved about the brazen crimes. Thieves got away with money on both occasions, JUNE 4 i Former North Shore man removed from Canada Aman acquitted of first: degree in mur- der was forced to leave. Canada. Jon Moroury, 21, was escorted onto a ‘plane by immigration officials after it was determined at a hearing that he was ille- pally in Canada. Moroury and his family were under a’. removal order from Canada in 1997. when he was charged with allegedly helping convicted .shooter Michael Caster in the North Vancouver theatre shooting of Mohammad Mirhadi. _ Moroury was acquitted of the crime.” in December 1999, He left Canada on March 30. Less than three months later, Moroury was allowed back’ into the country and had a valid Canadian visi- tor’s permit. Ani immigration warrant for, See Hothends age 8)