High risk convict is | to return “ALOCAL man convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl here in 1995 will return to Terrace next month, Gerry Allan Taylor, 23, completes his sentence on March 12, 1999 and is believed to have a high likelihood of reoffending. ““He’s been designated a high-risk offender,” said lo- cal Crown prosecutor Brad Tomlin; — Corrections’ Canada doesn’t list Taylor as a. dangerous offender legally - and ‘therefore cannot restrict his movement, “Once he's served his seutence, he’s as free as you _ are,’? “said Dennis Finlay from Corrections Canada. Federal: lawyers - could hake an application to the court and find Taylor a dangerous offender, but no such “application has yet been filed, Most. convicted offenders “are released by law after ‘Serving two-thirds of their sentences but corrections of- ficials. had reason to keep Taylor in jail until bis com- plete sentence was served, ‘We've had some con- cems,’’. Finlay said. He declined to give details. Terrace RCMP Staff Sgt. Bob Solvason said the delachment | has been notified Taylor is coming but said be didn’t know why he is considered high-risk. In order to ward aff. pes- sible lawsuits, the detach- ment is holding off on a warning uutil they’re sure the public risk outweighs Taylor’s right to privacy. Taylor was convicted of allacking a Terrace girl. in his Eby Street home on Dec. 16, 1994, At sentencing, Judge Paul Lawrence —s recommended Taylor attend a regional psychiatric centre. Psychiatric testing determined Taylor was mildly = mentally —_ hand- icapped aud may have, been... a‘ victini.“of ‘fetal alcohol: sjndrome’ ™ The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 17, 1999 - A3 M The nerve centre : ACTING DISTRICT highways manager Shawn McKinley monitors radio traffic Thursday during the biggest snowstorm the region has ever seen. Highways crews went steady trying to keep roads clear, bul were forced to close both Hwy 16 West to Prince Rupert and Hwy 37 South to Kitimat. Volunteers demanding record check refunds RCMP discover they should not have been charging the fees By CHRISTIANA WIENS SOME OF Terrace’s volunteer orga- nizations are saying a clerical error robbed them of thousands of dollars and they want their money back. For years, Verilas School, Terrace Minor Hockey and other volunteer or- gantizalions here have paid criminal record clieck fees every time a new ’ voluntcer wanted to help out. Parents or organizers would fill out paperwork, head to the RCMP detach- ment and pay $20. Now, it turns out, they never should have been charged in the first place. Inspector Doug Wheler at the Ter- race detachment says the RCMP be- gan collecting fees and forwarding them to the city three years ago. Last December, detachment stalf discovered municipal detachments such as Terrace’s are not supposed to collect criminal fees from volunteers. Wheler notified city staff on Jan. 12. and parent-volunteer groups short thousands of dollars they shouldn’t have had to pay in the first place. Frances Nyuten, the principal of Veritas School in Terrace says she only found out about the error when officers refused money from a new volunteer in mid-January. The schoo! is asking for a $1,240 refind on behalf of 62 volunteers at the school since 1997. Her request was discussed at a city council mecting Monday, Feb. 8. Councillor David Hull said organi- zations deserve a fullrefund. “7 think we have to pul il in our budgel and refund all the money,” be said, City councillars decided to get a report from administration detailing how much money refunds would cost the city and how to deal with the problem. They wili also consult with lawyers to decide if the city could force the . > RCMP to pay the costs of the error. “We were told one thing at one time and now we're told something dit- ferent,’? Mayor Jack Talstra said. . Treasurer Keith Norman said if council decides to refund the money, he'll recommend the city return fees paid in 1998, according to the city’s policy of going back one year when seltling tax and utility discrepancies. He expects to return no more than $2,075. That would only account for a third of the $3,000 Terrace Minor Hockey has paid over two years, says the group’s president, Steve Smyith. He’s drafted a letter asking the cily to retum all the money to the organti- zalion so it can be spent on children enrolled in Terrace Minor Hockey. He says the error has disadvantaged minor hockey in Terrace as competi- tor groups in Kitimat and Prince Rupert haven’t been paying the fees at all. - . “We're just looking for a level playing ficld,’” he said. News In Brief Assault charge laid A PRINCE Rupert man was arrested Saturday, Feb. 6 for allegedly assaulting a Terrace woman in her Scott Avenue home, The 42-year-old mau was visiting in Terrace when he allegedly grabbed the woman’s throat causing a minor abrasion. The man was arrested and released. He is scheduled to appear in a Terrace courtroom on Mar, 5, 1999, Degree to be granted THE FOUNDING chancellor of the University of Northern B.C. will receive an honaurary degree at the inslitution’s 1999 convocalian ceremony. Iona Campagnolo, a former Prince Rupert resident, was Libera! MP for the northwest in the 1970s and served as a Liberal cabinet minister. She was chancel- lor at UNBC from 1992 to 1998, **Phrough her speeches. she reaffirmed the founders’ vision, making the whole community aim a litle high- er. She pave soul ta what might have been just a collec- tion of buildings.and programs,’’ reads her nomination: form. : The convocation ceremony takes place May 28 in Prince Gearge. Plane gets gear fear and aborts landing A LIGHT which goes on indicating a possible landing gear malfunction forced a Canadian Regional Airlines plane to abort a landing at the Terrace airport Feb, 8. The Fokker F-28 instead tumed around and returned lo Vancouver, landing without incident, Upon inspec- lion, a landing gear activation switch had to be re- placed, Airline public relations official Dennis Erickson said the pilot noticed (he light come ou just prior to a final approach into the airport, | “The light was indicating that the left, main landing gear had malfunctioned, so the pilot decided to head back to Vancouver as a safety precaution,’’ he said. The plane was carrying 30 passengers and four crew. Local service not needed CITY COUNCILLORS backed away from the idea that Terrace should have its own ambulance dispatch service. Couucillors seemed optimistic at a council meeting- Feb. 8 that problems could be solved through further discussions wilh the B.C. Ambulance Service and by having the new ambulance unit chief, Carl Wassink, report regularly to cily council. “We're still not satisfied with the siluations that have happened,” said Councillor Val George noted of past problems. MALT INTO DWVARG _ With More Hot Deals From Terrace Totem Ford “Your Only Quality Certified Used Vehicle Dealer In The Northwest” Lease or purchase any of these previously owned vehicles and you could be eligible to win one of 25 prizes in our $15000.00. Terrace Totem Ford Sweepstakes. 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