BCLS GETS NEW VESSEL

Lifeboat to honor drowned woman

THE MOTHER of a Seattle woman who drowned near Pender Island recently said she is touched that the B.C. Lifeboat Society plans to name its new lifeboat after her

daughter.

The lifeboat will be stationed at the BCLS’s North Shore station, and will carry the name Karen Petke.

A mother of three, Petke, 45, drowned Aug. 22 after slipping from a Seattle tugboat en route to Alaska. The BCLS was involved with the search far the woman, after she was reported missing.

“They couldn't find ber but they sure tried,”’ said Petke’s mother, Norene Wieland, of Seattle.

“Torhink it's just marvelous that they're doing this for her. It would have meant a lot to Karen.

“Tm so happy that the boat will be in thar area (where Petke drowned). It might help someone else,"” she said.

Wieland said the family re- quested friends send donations to the BCLS tn lieu of Mowers.

BCLS president Horst Klein said more than $600 wus sent to the organization from Petke’s friends and relatives in Washington.

“We thought rather than spend

the money on general operations, it would be nice to put the money into the boat and dedicate tt to Karen,"* said Klein.

He said the boat, a 20-foat Boston Whaler, will be launched sometime in November.

It cost the BCLS $30,000, which was raised through donations and a B.C. Lottery grant.

Tully Waisman, of the North Shore BCLS station, said the new vessel is better equipped to handle rough sea conditions on the west coast than its current 17-foot life- boat.

“This boat is going ta be fan- tastic.”’ said Waisman.

He said the 17-foot boat will eventually be stationed at Deep Cove, in North Vancouver.

NEWS photo Mike Wakofleld

APPROXIMATELY 350 people attended Wednesday's Arthritis Society public forum at Lions Gate Hospi- tal. Panel members for the forum included Molly Murray, president-elect Arthritis Society B.C.-Yukon Division, and Dr. David O'Hanlon, LGH rheumatologist. For more information about the Arthritis Society

phone Barb at 985-1794.

3 - Sunday, September 21, 1986 - North Shore News

INDEX

Editorial Page Fashion ....

Weather:

Sunny Sunday and Men- day. Tuesday a few showers. Highs near 18°C.

What's Going On. .

NORTH SHORE residents have been warned to watch out for bats displaying unusual behavior.

By KIM PEMBERTON News Reporter

An insect-eating bat was found in the Lynn Valley area and was diagnosed last week to have rabies, said acting North Shore Health Of- ficer Dr. John Garry.

“Rabies is a relatively rare disease in B.C. In fact it has only been found among bats,”” said Garry.

“Because of this, any bats found flying around in a peculiar manner in the day, or trying to attack animals — they are suspect.

“They are ill and have to be handled with caution.”

Garry said the bat from Lynn Valley did not have human contact.

He said it was caught by a resident’s cat, and the cat had to be put in quarantine.

‘It was good that in this case someone had the presence of mind to ring the Health Department.”

Garry said if a bat must be handled gloves should be worn, and if someone is bitten to wash his hands.

He said if a bat cannot be taken to the Health Department immediately it should be preserved in ice.

Garry said it’s estimated that four to five per cent of insect-eating bats have rabies.

GROUSE MOUNTAIN, CAPILANO BRIDGE, ROYAL HUDSON BOOMING

Tourist attractions cash in on Expo

THE NORTH SHORE’S three biggest tourist attrac- tions are reaping a grand Expo 86 harvest.

“This is . ing to be our best year yet,’’ Royal Hudson Society general manager Ron Treend said Thursday. ‘‘We've had about a 66 per cent passenger increase over last year.”’

In addition to the Royal Hudson steam locomotive, which departs daily from North Vancouver's BC Rail passenger station, Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain Skyride are both having boom years. .

BIGGEST YEAR

Treend said the number of pas- sengers carried on the Royal Hud- son this year currently stands at 81,022.

“By the time we are finished, it should hit 86,000. I am_ really pleased.””

In all of 1985, the Royal Hudson carried just over 57,000, according to Treend. Biggest year for the train prior to 1986 was 1977 when

the Royal Hudson carried 68,000 passengers.

The steam locomotive will make its last run this year on Sept. 28. Its 1986 season began May 10.

Treend said revenue for the year should break $1 million. Operating costs over the same period, he said, would be $1.3 million.

TRAIN UPGRADED

He added that a good portion of those costs had gone into upgrading the train. Internal overhaul of five Royal Hudson passenger cars this year cost close to $100,000. An additional $100,000 was invested in upgrading the train’s braking system.

Treend said the exteriors of all

V1 of the train’s cars will have to be replaced over the nest five years ata cost of $100,000 per car.

The Royal Hudson began its service from North Vancouver to Squamish in 1974.

Treend said the inerease in pas- senger traffic on the train was due directly to Expo 86 and better marketing.

A lot of people, he said, use the train as a serene sightseeing break between marathon Expo visits.

The train, which normally runs five days per week, has been runn-

ing every day since July.

At the Capilano Suspension Bridge, marketing manager Wes F ataushk said, ‘‘We are doing re- ally well this year. I'd say we are at least 100 per ceni above last year’s totals."

Rataushk said business at the bridge’s concession stand had doubled over 1985,

A 10 per cent increase in adver- tising for the bridge, he said, had been aimed at attracting more grou's tours and convincing people 10‘ ‘1 sights outside the main Ex- po grounds,

BUSINESS UP

Grouse Mountain Resorts Ltd. general manager Gary Kiefer said Thursday business for the moun- tain is up 80 per cent over last year.

“Of course, we are very delighted with the spinoff from the fair. This will be our most prof- itable summer ever.”

Kiefer said the increase in business involved all aspects of the mountain’s operation, from its skyride to its restaurant and other entertainment facilities.

Grouse Mountain Resorts Ltd. was in receivership from July, 1981 to December, 1984.

NEWS photo submitted

REPORTED TO be the lonpest suspension footbridge in the world, the Capilano Suspension Bridge sways 450-feet across the Capilano River in North Vancouver. Since Expo, the bridge has seen a marked increase in tourist traffic. The same is true of the North Shore's other maia tourist attractions.