- “pieces with a metal chop

Amnesty pulls in

TERRACE RCMP collected
a bounty of firearms from
Terrace-area residents in the
past five weeks,
_ ,One hundred and nine

firearms, five rounds of am-
munition,’ one butterfly
knife and four prohibited
items were turned in as part
of the latest weapons am-
uesty. ;
“The aita of the program
was to encourage people to
"bring in unwanted weapons
without fear of prosecution
for possession.

‘RCMP Constable Ray
-, Griffiths’ reaction to the
:' amnesty was mixed.

- .**We would have accepted .
~ aly of the weapons anyway |
without charging any one,’’
he said,
7 Griffiths suspected 1998
- Counts were higher than Last
year because 98 rifles were
_ lumed in by one local col-
~ tector. - :
“All weapons are cut into

- ShW upon receipt, .

The total firearms and
rounds of ammunition col-
‘lected province-wide as of |
June 19 totalled 32,660.

Vermette reward draws only tips

Vigil marks anniversary

of Kitimat triple murder

THE ANNOUNCEMENT of a $17,500
reward for the arrest of Kevin Vermette has
skaken loose 40 new tips to police.

So far, however, none have been definite ;
sightings of the Kitimat tiple murder suspect.

Kitimat RCMP Staff Sgt. Greg Funk said the
tips came from as close as Kitimat itself to as
far away as Regina, Cormwall Ontario, the
Lower Mainland and South Carolina.

He added the Kitimat tip was ruled out quick-
ly and others were made after the announcement
of the reward jogged memories about possible
sightings people made a couple of days or a
couple of weeks ago. Funk said the latter tips
are hard to follow up but they don’t discourage
anyone from reporting anything,

“Tf someone reports seeing him in a particular

area, We are canvassing that particular-area: ‘But: vs

(Vermette) i is not in custody yet,’’ hé added:

‘Vermette has been at large : ‘since last July; 1 12,
when he allegedly followed a car with four’ male
passengers into Hirsch Creek Park and gunned
them down in a hail of shotgun fire.

| Is time

’s Time

To Start
| Your

-|Enginest

me to dust off the tackle box.
It’s time to practise your casting.

uns

Mark Teves and Michele Mauro - both 20 - -

and David Nunes, 21 were killed in the attack.
Donny Oliveira, also 20, survived and has since
recovered.

Family and friends have planned a candlelight
vigil for 9 p.m. on Sunday in Hirsch Creek Park
to mark the one-year anniversary.

Police searched the Kitimat area extensively
over three weeks last summer, and investigated
more than 500 tips and possible sightings in the
ensuing months,

So far none have tumed up their lone suspect
for the crime.

This is encouraging,’ Funk added of the
response since the announcement of the reward,
‘It means our press release was observed and
our efforts to bring this to the public attention
has obviously been accomplished somewhat.”’

Funk added if someone thinks they have seen
Vermette police ask them to call right away.

‘. The: RCMP believes Vermette could still be:

"armed and dangerous and if anyone sees s him,
; are advised not to approach,

He is described as a Caucasian male, five-feet
eight-inches tall, 177 pouads with blue eyes and
brown hair.

RCMP CONST. Ray Griffiths shows Just a few of the 109 guns turned in here for a provincial gun amnesty that
ended Priday. Most of tha weapons were rifles turned in by one Io

cal collector,

~ He wears glasses and has some distinctive tat |

toos — one of a cat on his upper right arm, with
‘the word “lucky” inscribed below. The others
on his left upper
arm are of a
coyote and the
moon, and a dag-
ger through = a
tose.

He is and cx-
cellent carpenter,
has good me-
chanical knowl-
edge and . has
worked as a truck
driver. Vermette
is known to pre-
fer temporary
employment,

He is a loner,
police describe

Kevin Vermette - hot tempered and
meticulous in cleanliness and organization.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts
is asked to call the Kitimat RCMP at 632-7111.

him as antisocial, |

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 8, 1998 - A3

News In Brief

New school planned

PLANS HAVE begun to build a new elementary
school in the bench area to help reduce primary school
class sizes.

Coast Mountain School District received $121,000
last week to plan the construction of a new $3.6 million
elementary school in a new subdivision. It was one of
16 school planning grants announced last week.

Education ministry spokesman Karen Johnson said
the school should be built in two years time.

Once. complete, it would help ease pressure ‘on
Uplands Elementary, which relies heavily on portables
to handle demand there.

Terrace trustee Stew Christensen said three potential
sites are being considered. One’s on Halliwell kitty-
comer across from Uplands. Another is south of Dairy
Ave. between Eby and Munro. And a third possible site
is west of Bailey St, between Soucie and Mountain-
vista Ave,

Coming up. empty

KINGFISHER REISEN, Europe’s biggest tour oper-
ator for-angling trips to. North America, is demanding
compensation for cancelled bookings to fish the
Skeena.

The company — which had booked nearly 1,300
visitors to. B.C. in 1998 at a total cost of $5.6 million
— says 70 per cent of those bookings come after sal-
mon fishing dans take effect July 26.

“Sixty per cent of our customers have already cain-
celled their tips to the Skeena River region,’ manag-
‘ing director Herbert Lochel said in a letter to fisheries
minister David Anderson. ‘‘Further cancellations will
follow.*?

Lochel estimates the company’s loss at at least $3
million because he’s unable to offer customers alterna
live tours to Alaska on such short notice,

More firefighters leave

AREA FIREFIGHTERS have once. again returned
from northern Alberta, where they helped fight the
latest outbreak of blazes, ;

Two unit crews, with 20 firefighters cach, two sector
bosses and one liaison officer were all sent from the
region,

Meanwhile, four initial attack crews, including one
from Terrace, were still in Ontario as of! late last week,

Lane change

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL has approved a plan to ex-
tend the westbound, right hand lane of Highway 16 to
the Canadian Tire entrance,
The Ministry of Highways will be putting up $5,000
for the project, which involves moving a hydro pole.
The city will cover the remainder of the $12,500 cost.

‘Bus runs adjusted

BUSES are running on their reduced summer sched-
ule until Sept. 5.

Terrace Regional Transit System manager Mike +
‘Docherty said the change reflects school holidays aiid*
lower trip demand by area residents, The new'schédtle
can be picked up at city hall, or call transit information
at 635-2666.

Leona Klein
638-6025

GEANADSA
“GORPORATED

Telephone/Voice Mail Systems

638-6090
1-800-893- 5033

Official Suppliers of Norstar, Mitel, Lucent Technologies
Formerly Tolsec Telecommunications

te

Charlie Graydon
638-6024

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Engine In Stock Is
Now On Sale At

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EVINAUDE=
OUTBOARDS

FIRST IN OUTBOARDS

AN
- IMPORTANT |

NOTICE

UNPAID
TRAFF i¢ FINES

if you have forgotten to pay an outstanding —
traffic fine, this notice is for you.

Motorists with unpaid traffic
fines are now required to pay
those fines before purchasing
or renewing Autoplan vehicle
insurance.

This new enforcement
measure will help make fines a
stronger ceterrent to dangerous
driving. It is part of BC’s
continuing drive to prevent
injuries and crashes, and keep

ne ee to Save ee

ABOUT |

insurance rates affordable.
For your convenience, fines |
can now be paid at any Driver
Service Centre, Government
Agent, or Autoplan broker.
You can also inquire at these
offices if you are unsure |
whether a fine has been paid.
All revenue from motor
vehicle fines is forwarded to --
the provincial treasury... ~

4