High today: 4 Low tonight:-4 Details page 2 TUESDAY, MARCH 12,1996 PRINCE GEORGE Serving the Central Interior since 1916 80 CENTS (HOME DELIVERED: 50 CENTS A DAY) Tougher smoking bylaw snuffed out Citizen photo by Chuck Nisbett GRA D FASHION — Peggy G. traverses the runway wearing a pink sundress from Butterfly Threads during the Duchess Park Grad ‘96 fashion show Monday night. Clothing was modelled from UNBC, CNC, butterfly Threads, Images in White, Morrison’s Men’s Wear, The Gallery Bridal Boutique, Wendt and Phillips and the Skate and Snowboard Shop. ~---------------------------------------------------------------- Parkwood gets go-ahead by BILL SEYMOUR Citizen Staff The latest plans to redevelop the aging Parkwood Mall shopping centre in downtown Prince George got a rough ride from the public Monday night. While city council voted in favor of rezoning the Parkwood land as requested by M.A. Charlton and Associates Inc. members of the public gave the proposal a chilly reception. And at least one city resident asked the developers to put their money where their mouth was. Ihe city’s costs of rezoning the land could be covered by a refundable bond posted by the developers, said Doug Fry. The current Parkwood proposal is just the latest from land owners Cambridge Western Leaseholds Ltd., said Fry. “Cambridge has given us a half dozen dates in the past and has yet to deliver,” Fry said Monday. “My concern is that if the city is going to actually change zoning in the area before anything takes place.” The latest plan is being proposed by Charelle Properties Ltd. A reduced version of the Parkwood Mall building, a supermarket, two large freestanding stores and some restaurants are the components of the current plan, said Michael Burton-Brown, architect of the plan. Burton-Brown presented concept drawings of the new Parkwood. “We’ll end up with a shopping centre that faces east and centres around the lower parking lot,” he said. “I think there will be an opportunity with the revitalized centre for a retail mix that doesn’t exist right now.” A representative of the developers said construction of the project would take place in phases. The first phase couldn’t start before late summer, said Michelle Charlton. “We are hoping we can break ground this August or September,” she said. “Beyond that it would be early spring.” by BILL SEYMOUR Citizen Staff Smokers in Prince George can breathe easier. Plans to toughen the city’s smoking control bylaw were snuffed out during first readings of the new bylaw Monday night. A suggestion that city restaurants provide up to 70 per cent of their space as non-smoking was voted down as the bylaw heads to final reading intact. As it stands, pubs and lounges will have to designate certain areas as smoke free six months after the new bylaw goes into effect. As well, taxi cabs will be smoke free within the same time line. But at least two city councillors wanted to see stricter wording to the bylaw to better represent the nonsmoking profile of Prince George. Councillor Ann Martin tried to amend the bylaw so that there would be further smoking restrictions in restaurants. New health data suggests lung and respiratory disease is worse here than in any other parts of B.C., said Martin. “ It seems to me in light of the information we have now council should amend the bylaw,” Martin said. Supporting her amendment was Coun. Cliff Dezell. Changing attitudes towards smoking are pushing us towards tougher smoking control efforts, he said. “No one has the right to damage the health of other people, and that’s what second-hand smoke does,” said Dezell. “Sure I have the right whether or not to enter a restaurant where there is smoking but employees there don’t.” Concerns on how the amendment would be enforced were among the reasons Coun. Dan Rogers had in voting against it. Rogers said he was in favor of less smoking but it would impossible to enforce tighter rules. “. . .I’m under no illusions we’ll be able to enforce this,” Rogers added. In earlier debates on the bylaw city councillors had said they would work with the local restaurant industry in developing the bylaw. The bylaw would be reassessed six months after passage under its current draft. “To me we are going to be working with the restaurants and there will be movement,” said Coun. Ron Thiel. “To be fair to them I can’t support dictating to them how they should be running their business.” Office closes early The Citizen will be closed today from 3:30 to 6 p.m. for a staff meeting. Our newsroom and production departments will work tonight to get your daily Citizen to you the next day and our front office staff will be back to work Wednesday moaning. Caller hints at fate of Jack family Parents, children disappeared in 1989 KNOW THIS FACE? by PAUL STRICKLAND Citizen Staff Police hope the caller who phoned Vanderhoof RCMP Jan. 28 will phone again to confirm details of a tip he provided about where a missing Prince George family might be buried. At a press conference Monday, police released a tape recording, lasting less than 10 seconds, in which the caller said, “The Jack family are buried at the south end of (.. .)’s ranch.” The caller’s tone indicated he provided the tip and the name of the ranch in apparent good faith, said Const. Paul Strader and Const. Judy Wolfenden, who are assigned to the case. But it is difficult to make out exactly what that ranch name is in the recording, which is muffled at that point. Ronald Jack, his wife Doreen, and their young sons Russell and Ryan have been missing since Aug. 2,1989. The phone call to Vanderhoof RCMP was at 8:33 a.m. Since that was a Sunday, that detachment’s front office was closed and the call was rerouted to the Prince George detachment dispatch centre, RCMP said. Police issued a plea through the media asking the caller to contact investigators. As of Monday he had not called back. Through a search warrant issued for B.C. Tel records, police have confirmed the call was placed from a home in Stoney Creek, southwest of Vanderhoof. A subsequent investigation revealed there had been a party at the home the night of Jan. 27 that carried on into the early-morning hours of Jan. 28. Forty minutes after the tipster’s call, Vanderhoof police went to the residence in response to a complaint about a disturbance. At the time the constables did not know about the phone call. It was only after receiving the information from B.C. Tel that police knew that officers were at that house just minutes after the call. Between six and nine people were at the party. Police have interviewed more than half, although they don’t believe the caller is among them. They’re still trying to locate more people who attended the party so they can talk to them. The investigators ask anyone who attended the party or who recognizes the voice of the caller, as repeated over broadcast outlets, to call them directly at the Prince George RCMP detachment, at 1-604-561-3355. Relatives maintain the faint glimmer of hope that the Jack family is still alive somewhere. A UBC professor in Vancouver is analysing the original tape of the conversation to see whether the name of the ranch can be made out, he said at the press conference. The professor has had the tape for two weeks, and reports progress to Prince George RCMP. Citizen photo by Brent Braaten Cst. Paul Strader plays a tape of the phone call for the media. Jacks driven off into oblivion Citizen staff The disappearance of the Jack family is a disturbing mystery that has defied solution for almost seven years. Around midnight Aug. 2, 1989, a relative of Ronald Jack left the Jack residence at 2116 Strathcona Ave. As he departed, the four family members were packing to leave with a white man who was at their home. The relative reported the man had offered employment to Ronald and Doreen Jack, and a vehicle was parked outside the home at the time, RCMP said. Around 1:23 a.m. Ronald Jack placed a call to his mother, telling her Doreen and he had been given jobs at a ranch or logging camp. He was to be a bucker and she a camp cook. He also told his mother there was schooling available for Russell and a day care for Ryan. They expected to be gone for 10 days to two weeks. Ronald, Doreen, Russell and Ryan Jack have not been heard from since. INDEX Ann Landers.................14 Bridge......................21 Business ................18,19 City, B.C..............3,13,15 Classifieds..............20-23 Comics.......................8 Commentary ..................5 Community Calendar 14 Crossword ...................8 Entertainment .............8,9 Horoscope ..................21 Lifestyles..................14 Movies.......................9 Nation.......................6 Sports................10-12,24 Television...................9 World .......................7 5830? 0010G SPORTS ■ Hockey said goodbye to its most famous shrine Monday night as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Dallas Stars 4-1 in the final game played at the Montreal Forum. It was a night to cherish the memories in a dazzling sendoff for one of the most famous buildings in the sporting world. Pages 10, 12, 24 CANADA ■ Parents who default on child-support payments belong on the same social plane as drunk drivers, federal Justice Minister Allan Rock said Monday. Page 6 CRIME ■ Della Sutorius was the marrying kind. Five times she wed, each time to a man younger or wealthier than the last. Four of the marriages ended in divorce, some of her ex-husbands claiming they were lucky to escape with their lives. The fifth ended in a gunshot. Page 2 WORKPLACE ■ Members of Canada’s aging workforce are washing the grey out of their hair, losing weight, shaving off their beards and having plastic surgery to get a competitive edge in the hunt for jobs. Page 17 WORLD ■ China told Taiwan on Monday to abandon dreams of independence if it wants to ease tension that has prompted the U.S. to send warships to monitor the worst crisis in the Taiwan Strait in decades. Page 7 SHOWBIZ ■ Sean Lennon has always been afraid he would meet the same fate as his famous father. “I grew up afraid somebody was going to shoot my mom or me,” the son of murdered Beatle John Lennon said this week. Page 9 COMMUNITY This morning’s top local headlines: Sinking house plagues homeowner /page 13 Nisga’a land deal explained /page 13 School board expects big crowd/page 3 Scouter honored for years of work /page 15 POLITICS ■ Senator Bob Dole looked for signals Monday that his remaining rivals for the Republican nomination for U.S. president will “come on board” and predicted a seven-state sweep in primary elections today. Page 7 SWITCHBOARD: 562-2441 CLASSIFIED: 562-6666 READER SALES: 562-3301 058307001008