Tr CITY DESK: Dave Paulson 562-2441, Local 382 FAX: 562-7453 E-MAIL: pgcnews@prg.southam.ca The Prince George Citizen - Friday, February 4, 2000 - 3 Second Front Anniversary keeps audience laughing The Anniversary, a comedy from the Prince George Theatre Workshop, offers a delightful respite in the middle of a Prince George winter. The audience laughed a lot at the humourous remarks and witty retorts at Wednesday’s opening night in the Prince George Playhouse. It’s one of those events you don’t have to worry about taking your mother or your children to, because it’s clean — no cursing or violent outbursts. The setting is an ordinary living room where Dianne Hart (Glenda A review by BERNICE TRICK Citizen staff Shaw-Garloc) lives. She and husband Tom (Alistair McVey), have been separated for three months and, for some reason, decide to share the spoils of marriage on their 12th anniversary. Tom doesn’t like the idea of separation at all, but Dianne has become involved with the younger, rollerblading babysitter Garth Morton, played by Mick Harper. The play falls a little flat in the first half, but it picks up nicely when the Forresters, a couple from the past, drop in unexpectedly to help celebrate the anniversary. How long have the Forresters been married? “We’ve been married so long we’re on our second bottle of Tabasco sauce,” they say. The Harts must decide quickly whether to pretend everything is as it was, or tell Shirley (Cathy Denby) and Ben Forrester (Keith Brain) the truth about their marriage. The problem is there’s money at stake — money set aside long ago that is to go to the couple that stays married the longest. The community players all do a fine job, although Shaw-Garloc and Harper, being new to the stage, seem a bit less comfortable than seasoned actors like McVey, Brain and Denby. Here’s what audience members had to say: “I love this play,” said Brenda Levesque. “It’s good humour, and you can see a little bit of someone you know in each character.” “They’ve done a marvellous job with the set,” said Melba Holm. “And the lines and the timing are just right,” said husband Bruce. “I like the quips, like the one about the Tabasco sauce, “ said Carla Buljevick. Dolly Hilton found the play “very entertaining,” and Bev Strachan said “its a play every married couple should see.” The curtain goes up at 8 p.m. today and Saturday, and resumes Feb. 9 to 12. Tickets, at $15.50 for adults and $13.50 for seniors, are available at Studio 2880. Man injured A man was injured in a motor-vehi-cle accident just after midnight - Wednesday in the 1800 block of First Avenue, say RCMP. He was taken to Prince George Regional Hospital by ambulance, said police. It’s not known what his injuries were, added RCMP. Suspicious male The RCMP are investigating a complaint of a suspicious male on the grounds of Blackburn Elementary School Thursday at lunch time. The man was observed talking to a young girl, said police. The man ran off towards the Blackburn Community Centre when the student went to tell a teacher, said RCMP. The man is described as being in his mid 30s with darker skin, black or brown hair, and wearing a green toque, black jacket or shirt and blue jeans. Anyone with any information is asked to call the RCMP at 561-3300 or Crime Stoppers at 564-TIPS. If you were wondering... A break-in was reported Thursday to a home in the 5100 block of North Nechako Road. Stolen was a 32-inch Toshiba TV worth $2,000 A break- in was reported Thursday to a home on Six Mile Lake Road. Missing are a Sharp TV and a portable stereo. . . . Another break-in was reported Thursday to a home in the 400 block of Freeman Street. Missing are a TV and $400 in cash and a movie. Home decor seminar set New Look Home Improvement is sponsoring a seminar for people who may be thinking about doing a bit of redecorating. The Room Recipes seminar features Jane Lockhart and Mary Dobson Feb. 10 at the University of Northern B.C. at 7:30 p.m. in the Canfor Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at New Look Home Improvements, 110-1990 Ogilvie St., for $15. For more information call 561-1888. Lockhart will be providing information on the new design project book from Benjamin Moore called Room Recipes — Cooking up Style with Colour, said a press release. Lockhart, who hosts a program on HGTV (cable 35) called 1 House 2 Looks, and has contributed to many books on decorating, is full of great tips and ideas about selecting the perfect recipe of colours for all homes, ' said the release. Dobson is professionally recognized for her talents and knowledge in selecting fabric, and is a contributor to ' several home-decorating TV programs. Citizen photo by Brent Braaten KUB KARS — The 16th College Heights Cubs held their Kub Kar races this week. From left, Nigel Davis, 9, Matthew Aikens, 8, Colin Burke, 9, and leader Alan Weeks watch as the cars take off. The annual Kub Kar Rally will be held Feb. 20 at Pine Centre Mall. Double fatality The B.C. Supreme Court trial continues today for Sean Michael Lansall, 27, charged with dangerous driving causing death and impaired driving causing death. Lansall also faces charges of impaired driving causing death and impaired driving causing bodily harm. The charges arise from a double-fatality accident on Blackwater Road just after 4 a.m. May 24,1997. Lansall has elected to be tried by judge alone. John Sutton is Crown counsel, and Keith Aartsen is the defence lawyer. Proceedings during most of Thursday were devoted to voir dires, or trials within a trial to determine the admissibility of evidence. The trial continues today, Mr. Justice Eric Chamberlist presiding. Sex charges After a brief court appearance Thursday, Ryan Arnold Schnepf, 20, charged with living off the avails of child prostitution, was remanded in custody until today. Other charges Schnepf faces include sexual assault, common assault, uttering threats, procuring, sexual touching of a person under 14 and inducing someone to become a prostitute. A co-accused, Than Anh Vu, 25, charged with living off the avails of child prostitution and making threats, appeared in court earlier this week. His case was adjourned until Feb. 9 for a bail hearing. Police arrested two men at two homes in the city Jan. 12. The investigation continues. Threats, weapons Robert Kevin Calkins, 26, who faces two charges of making threats and six weapons-related counts, is scheduled to return to provincial court today at 1:30 p.m. Don Kennedy is Calkins’s lawyer. Alex Schmeisser represented the Crown during Calkins’s brief appearance before Judge Vince Hogan by means of videoconferencing technology. The weapons-related charges are using a firearm in a careless manner, possessing a firearm while prohibited, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace and two counts of pointing a firearm. Bargain ends for dog owners The grace period has run out for dog owners to save $5 on the purchase of a licence for their pet, says the city’s bylaw services division. If your dog is found without a I licence for this year, you will be *• liable for a $50 fine. Animal control officers will try to bring your dog home if it’s wearing a current tag, said Judy Sharp, administrative assistant with bylaw services. “That’s one of ' the advantages of having a li- • cence,” she said. Dogs that aren’t licensed are • impounded at the SPCA shelter on Lansdowne Road and the cost to you rises to $125 — a $75 impoundment fee, a $50 . fine for no licence — plus you have to buy a current tag, which is $20 for dogs that are neutered and $30 for unneutered dogs. Sharp said the “ride home” policy for licensed dogs doesn’t apply if the dog is picked up at a schoolyard. Sharp said about 4,000 year 2000 dog tags have been issued to places where they’re sold, but she’s had no indication how many have been purchased so far. The city sells between 5,500 and 6,500 tags a year, but this certainly doesn’t cover all the dogs in town. There’s no estimate of what percentage of dog owners buy.tags, she added. Licences are available at the service centre of city hall; at Total Pet, 1617 Victoria; Petcetera in Spruceland Shopping Centre; Ospika Pet, 2392 0 BARRY YIP CALL MM 561-6448 Onfu^i Doucette Realty Gov’t delays complicate school district’s budget South Ospika; Norwolf Pet Mart, 4162 Cowart Rd, and the SPCA, 4011 Lansdowne Rd. by ARLENE WATSON Citizen staff Planning next year’s School District 57 budget is a complicated job that has became more difficult now that the education ministry has delayed releasing information to the school board until March, says school board chair Shirley Bond. The board normally receives budget details from the ministry by the end of February, said Bond. A budget plan for the 2000-01 school year must be sent to the ministry by May, she said. The district’s budget for the 1999-2000 school year is $116.3 million. Because this process takes a few months to organize and negotiate, the board will have to start estimating budget issues like declining enrolment and come up with a plan before the ministry guidelines even arrive, said Bond. “What that does is make an already difficult process even harder. We’re trying to guess what the government is going to do.” The problem is magnified because the board has yet to receive final word about grants available from the min- istry regarding the $750,000 loss of revenue the district faces due to declining enrolment realized in the 1999-2000 budget. School District 57 received compensation last year and Bond said she was confident the same assistance would be provided this year. Bond said the board is starting to feel as though the ministry’s response to the board came quicker in past years when Prince George North MLA Paul Ramsey, was education minister. Ramsey is now finance minister. In past years, Bond said, the outlines for budget negotiations have arrived as early as February and sometimes, like this year, as late as March. “When you have a date that keeps changing, it gives the board another challenge.” If the board is faced with a great reduction in funding, staffing adjustments need to be made. “There are all sorts of processes tied to that and we’re going to have to do it in a shorter process (if that’s necessary),” said Bond. Schools in the district will be asked to estimate their enrolment and other details during the next few months. “At that point we’ll know the magnitude of the problems we’ll have'to face.” Bond said the board sent a request for compensation regarding declining enrolment in October and she doesn’t know why there’s been no word yet. At this date, there will be no major changes in schools to compensate for the loss of revenue, said Bond, no matter how much or how little the grant might be. “More than anything it’s disappointing. 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