Camera sees ba

New thermal imaging system used to check trucks in West Van

News Reporter jian@nsnews.com

A white van sitting beside the 21st Street exit ramp by the Upper Levels

- Thursday morning was distinguished only by the spinning black sphere on its roof.

But inside the vehicle, $350,000 worth of video and thermal imaging equipment was being used to spot trucks with problems.

Joe MeLean, who was sitting at the van’s con- trols, said the thermal imaging camera — made by the same company that outfits cruise missile heads

cameras — reas that glow white hot.

With a glance at the video monitor, he can deter- mine if there are problems with a truck’s brakes, tires, and bearings, or ifthe truck has a fluid leak. But he said the high-tech equipment cannot replace the motor vehicle inspector.

“This is a tool for inspectors to eliminate them pulling over trucks thar have nothing wrong with them,” Mc¥ can said.

That, he continued, saves inspectors dine.

McLean explained that if a truck’s brakes glow 2 consistent white on the sereen, they are working. MeLean added that if a truck’s tires are underintiat- ed, they will probably glow hotter and appear white. Iftires are not inflated properly, blow-outs cart occur.

tn addition, worn wheel bearings are warmer and glow brighter than well-oiled ones. Worn wheel bearings can cause tire separation and the tire to fall

id McLean.

"MeLean’s van also includes a standard video can era mounted under the thermal imaging camera for vehicle identification. If che police need documenta- tion to lay charges, everything Mel ean’s cameras see is r

Melgan’s Vancouver company, [RiSystems, is trying to sell the devices to the American and

Canadian governments, including the B.C. govern: neat. Victoria has come up with a number of mea-

Foreign cash

WES cign cash within the last 30 d: West Vancouver Police Const.

Vancouver Police are asking anvone who may have been missing tor- fo contact police. fan Craib said an amount of foreign

NEWS photo Mike Wahefieia iRISystems'’ van and its thermal imaging equipment perform a quick check of truck brakes, tires and bearings as the trucks drive by on the 21st Street exit from the Upper Leveis Thursday. ff the brakes aren't working, they won't glow.

brakes

NEWS pnoto Mike Wakefield

PERRY Dennis and other provincial motor vehicle inspectors checked commercial vehicles on Skilift Road Thursday morning. Five trucks were taken out of service.

sures to prevent truck tragedies such as the fatal crash at 22nd and Marine Drive in West Vancouver on September 1996.

However, those measures have met with limited

Just last month, a truck lost its brakes on 21st Street and caused a three-vehicle accident that sent two to hospital.

As one truck moved down 2] st Thursday morn- ing, heading under the Upper Levels overpass, McLean spotted darkness around the front wheels of the truck. Melean added that as far as he could there was no heat coming ftom the front brakes That means, he said, there is something wrong with the brakes

“Tr could be the brake is not adjusted properly or

not working at all,” he said. s anand his equipment wi working in conjun ion with che West Vi Police and provincial motor vehicle inspectors. Trucks were routed past McLean and the imaging eve, then provincial inspectors pulled the trucks over and yave some of them a full inspection.

money was found in

Police do not beli

grab

Craib would not say what countr

West Vancouver Police Set. Mike Rartra police and provincial inspectors stopped a mately 30 vehicles Thursday over a 4.5-hour Thirteen of the commercial vehicles were st wa full vehi i

ve made repairs a repair facility. E

vi

MeLean said that his firm and the provincial gov- ernment finished a pilot project in late November to determine if it is feasible for the provinee to buy one or more of the [RUSystems units.

: r y should be released at the end of January by an independent engincering tirm, said MeLean.

“All the major pla States are aware of it and now it is them buying it,” he said of the system.

He said thermal imaging has been around for 25 years, but the year-old [RiSystems is the first firm to

sin Canada and the United

ion on Jan. 6 during a routine check

by police in the municipality. ¢ the man is the owner of the cash.

the money is trom or how much

money is involved. He declined to go into details regarding the discovery

of the cash.

Anyone with information is asked to call West Vancouver Police Const. Edward Pearce at 925-7300.

-- Anna Marie 1D Angelo

just a matter of

get more support

News Reporter jan@nsnews.com

A West Vancouver family’s

child support payments hav jumped thanks in part to a large dose of horse cents.

The decision concerning increased support was handed down in B.C. Supreme Court on Dee. 30, 1997,

Dr. Louis Metzner, who runs an orthodontist pract in West Vancouver and has an income of more than $1.2 million a year, must now pony up $12,800 a month for child support for his two children, 2 }4-vear- old daughter and a 12-year-old son.

Part of the $10,248-a-month hi comes under “extraordinary exper es,” most of which is due to the da

s burgeoning equestrian skills.

‘ording to the reasons for judg- ment by B.C. Supreme Court Justice “Mary Saunders, Louis is pre pared to recognize his daughter's achievement and interest in the sport by buving her an elite hore tor $50,000. Louis had been responsible for the equestrian expenses, which top $3,000 a month, but he had only cov- ered about 45% of the expenses, aid the judgment.

Under a 1993 court or der, Louis paid our $1200 monthiy for cach of the nyo children he had with his wife, Martha Merzner, who reecived $84,000 a year in spousal suppor

Custody and financial control over recreational, educational, medical, den- tal and clothing expenses were assigned to Louis, while the children’s primary residence was with Martha.

In June 1996, Martha argued in court that the deb sustained to pay

_ her substandal legal fees from litigation

over the original court bartle warranted more moncy from her

The application was dismissed, but the judge bumped the payments fcr spousal maintenance to $89,318 and child support to $1,276 per month

October 1997, Martha argued for an increase in court-ordered child support based on the new Federal Child Support Guidelines.

Since the original order, Martha

's income has shor up trom the substantial $666,000 a vear he carned earlier in the decade.

As Saunders recognized, the new

idelines set monthly pport for ovo

on an income over $150,000, at $1,717 a month plus 0.99% of the remainder over $150,000. For the wo Metzner children, that computes to $12,359 per month based on Louis’ income of $1.225 million per year.

The court considered the guideline amount and the appropriateness of the amount. The judge also took into account the “condition, means, needs and other circumstances” of the nvo children. The judge awarded an amount of $9,500 tor basic child sup- port and added $3,300 in the extraor- dinary expenses, for a total of $12,800.

Martha estimates that without allowing for equestrian expenses, the son’s sports activities, tutoring, or the

al trust fund, she sper $9,136.76 per month on her owe chil dren. Deleting a portion for RRSPs and another minor expense brings Martha's estimates for the two children to $8,416.76 per month.

Said Saunders: “While this ma seem high compared to monics alloca ed to most children before the court, these expenses reflect housing costs, automobile expenses, household

5) a reserve for vacations, and on behalf of the children for school activities, some clothing, an allowance, gifts and) some medical » Hone of which is our of the unistances of consider: income.”

Louis has remarned and has nwo

new children, aged one and three.