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The Prince George
Citizen
MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1986
40 CENTS
LIVELY ELECTION ASSURED NOV. 15
Hordes seek civic office 1
2
Dog saves infant's life 7
Do or die for Mets, Sox 9
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........15 .........7
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City, B.C........... ........2,3 .........7
......12-16 ........18
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ivic hopefuls off and running
Birthday More than 300 8irls and toys brought their Cabbage nnrfv Patch Kids to a sPfccial birthday party Saturday at
pany pjne centre j^au ^s usuai at birthday parties,
there were treats and entertainment including the Sonia Fabian Dancers and Kelly Road school drama
club. Citizen photo by Dave Milne
WORLD-WIDE TRUCE URGED
'Holy alliance1 gathers
by Associated Press
ASSISI, Italy — United in a quest for peace, Pope John Paul and leaders of 11 major non-Christian religions, from African animists to Japanese Shintoists, fasted and prayed together today.
In a gesture of solidarity and support, several of the world’s warring governments and insurgent groups promised to observe the Pope’s appeal for a 24-hour truce.
The gathering took place under threatening skies at the central door of the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, built where St. Francis of Assisi died.
Moslems, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Jains, Bahais, North American Indians, as well as Protestants and other non-Roman Catholic Christians, took part.
As thousands of onlookers applauded, the pontiff arrived in a motorcade from nearby Perugia and shook hands with the heads of more than 60 delegations representing the spectrum of faiths.
Rick Hansen fund boosted by $1 million
OTTAWA (CP) - Rick Hansen, the marathon athlete who has become the idol of people throughout Canada, wowed them on Parliament Hill on Sunday.
Among his Ottawa fans was Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who handed over a cheque for $1 million.
More than 2,000 cheering, adoring spectators lined the lawns outside Parliament to see the young paraplegic who wheeled around the world on his way home to Vancouver to raise money for spinal cord research.
Hansen arrived in Ontario on Friday night after a tour of Quebec. He rested much of Saturday but got back to work Sunday after brunch with the Mulroney family at 24 Sussex.
His Man-in-Motion tour of 34 countries hopes to raise $10 million and in Ottawa the 29-year-old athlete accepted accolades and awards from federal officials.
With the federal government contribution, Hansen’s tour has so far raised at least $2.3 million, including about $250,000 raised during the Quebec leg of his trip, organizers say.
The first to greet the Pope was the Dalai Lama, the exiled Buddhist god-king of Tibet. John Pret-ty-on-Top, a Crow Indian from Crow Agency, Montana, wore tribal regalia including a feathered headdress.
The Pope, wearing a white coat over his white robes, offered both hands to Elio Toaff, chief rabbi of Rome. The two met last spring during John Paul’s visit to Rome’s main synagogue.
“I see this gathering today as a very significant sign of the commitment of all of you to the cause of peace,” the Pope said in his opening speech.
“Peace, where it exists, is always extremely fragile,” he said, speaking in English. “It is threatened in so many ways and with such unforeseeable consequences that we must endeavor to provide it with secure foundations.”
After a brief meditation the participants, about 160 in all from more than three dozen countries, headed for 12 different places in Assisi for 2Vi hours of prayer.
The gathering was billed by the Vatican as the first-ever ‘‘holy alliance” of leaders and major exponents of all of the world’s major religions for a common cause.
.. .and in tomorrow's Citizen. . .
Communist-ruled Cuba is constructing its first nuclear power-generating complex with the first two reactors set for completion in 1990. Tuesday’s Citizen provides a look at the Soviet-designed project.
Also planned:
■ Complete coverage of tonight’s deciding game of the World Series.
■ Rock musician Billy Idol proves he has more brains under his spiked hair than he has been given credit for.
SYRIAN QUESTION
Europe dragging feet
Southam News LONDON — As Britain tried Sunday to drum up European support in its efforts to isolate Syria, France was on the verge of a major arms sale to the powerful Middle Eastern country.
Only Canada and the United States ordered their ambassadors to Damascus home in support of Britain which severed diplomatic relations with'Syria Friday for its involvement in a terrorist plot to blow up an Israeli airliner.
British Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe will urge the 12-member European Community to take a tough line at a foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg today.
But so far the silence from European capitals has been deafening, despite a recently professed commitment to take stiff and concerted
action against terrorists and those countries which harbor and help them.
Despite the wave of terrorist bombings which hit Paris last month, France is regarded by British foreign office sources as the least likely to agree to British demands that Syrian diplomatic staff be cut, visa regulations stiffened and air links reduced.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Bernard Raimond said during the weekend that Franco-Syrian relations were “normal.”
And France was reported close to signing a $400-million deal to sell missile-armed helicopters and armor plating for tanks to Syria.
West Germany is expected to resist taking any action against Syria until Hasi Hindawi goes on trial next month. He is accused of
II have two eggs and some b-a-c-o-n."
bombing a friendship centre and West German police suspect he was involved in the discotheque bombing in West Berlin that killed a U.S. serviceman and led to the reprisal bombing of Tripoli by the United States in April.
The police also suspect that Syria, rather than Libya, was behind those attacks and that the Syrian embassy in East Berlin may have secreted explosives through the Berlin Wall.
Hasi’s brother, Nozar Hindawi, was sentenced to 45 years imprisonment Friday for secreting a bomb in the luggage of his unsuspecting and pregnant Irish girlfriend. The bomb was discovered by El Al security agents at Heathrow airport April 17.
After Nezar Hindawi was convicted, Howe said there was overwhelming evidence linking the Jordanian journalist to Syrian officials. Hindawi was travelling under a false name on a Syrian passport. His visa applications had been backed by notes from the Syrian foreign ministry and after the plot was foiled, the Syrian ambassador in London, Loutof Haydar, met with him and arranged for a safe house where his hair was cut and dyed.
Haydar and his government have flatly denied the accusations. Syria ordered Britain to close its embassy in Damascus within a week and closed its airspace and ports to British aircraft and ships.
On Saturday, Britain halved the original 14-day period given Haydar and his staff to pack their bags and leave.
Analysis, page 7
by BERNICE TRICK Staff reporter When the nomination deadline passed at noon today, Prince George voters were assured of a lively civic elections race Nov. 15 with three candidates vying for the position of mayor and 10 candidates seeking four aldermanic seats.
However, voters will not see the familiar name of Elmer Mercier in the mayoral race this year. After eight years as mayor and several terms as an alderman before that, Mercier bowed out of civic politics this year.
Despite speculation around town that the mayor was considering seeking a fifth term in office, his name was not among those filed today.
In September, Mercier announced he would not seek another term as mayor when he sought the Social Credit nomination in Prince George North. However, the mayor was unsuccessful in that bid, losing to Gordon Springate.
Prince George voters will be choosing a new mayor from a slate that includes both current and former aldermen:
■ John Backhouse, 46, is a six-year alderman who topped the polls in the 1984 aldermanic race. He is the director of community services at the College of New Caledonia and has arranged a leave of absence from his job if elected.
■ Brian Brownridge is attempting to return to civic politics after a year’s absence on council. The 36-year-old, who served as city alderman from 1977 to 1979 and from 1981 to 1985, is managing director of West-Hill Lumber.
■ George McKnight, 45, is seeking the mayor’s position after serving six years as alderman on city council. McKnight, who claims much political support from local church congregations, is the manager of the Mohawk service station on Range Road.
Last year, there was no election for mayor, but 10 candidates ran for five aldermanic seats in an election where few major issues dominated the scene.
Aldermanic candidates are:
■ Aid. Pat Brady is an incumbent who’s completed one year on council. He’s a 49-year-old school teacher who instructs a Grade 7 class at Gladstone elementary school.
■ Aid. Richard Godfrey is one of four incumbents seeking re-election. The 41-year-old businessman with Godfrey Appraisals has been an alderman for eight years.
■ Bob Harkins, CJCI Radio broadcaster, is seeking an aldermanic position for the first time. The 54-year-old believes his multiexperiences in the community will allow him to make a positive contribution to city hall.
■ Jean Hobbs is a newcomer to civic politics who wants to promote a more positive attitude about the city. The 50-year-old businesswoman is co-owner of Hobb’s Furs.
■ Judy Jackson is a newcomer to civic elections although she’s been involved in both both federal and provincial politics. The 46-year-old is sales manager at CKPG radio and television station.
■ Aid. Phyllis Parker has completed two years on city council and hopes to be returned to continue her pet projects. The 59-year-old, who was born and raised here, is an alcohol and drug counsellor at Nechako Centre.
■ Steve Sintich, 47, is a former
Trustee ballot fills up
Last-minute decisions by eight candidates mean taxpayers will have an opportunity to decide Nov. 15 who will fill the four vacancies on the board of School District 57 this year.
Earlier today, when only incumbents Adrienne Radford and Gordon Ingalls had filed nomination papers, it appeared the two other vacancies would be filled by political appointment.
The School Act allows the minister of education to make such decisions.
The late filing of nomination papers by seven newcomers to civic politics and a former school board candidate means taxpayers will have an opportunity to decide who will manage the district’s affairs during the coming year.
School board candidates are:
■ George Fessendon, branch manager.
■ Doreen GJassel, executive director of the Women’s Resource Centre.
■ John Goes, a lumber grader from Mackenzie.
■ Katherine Hough, lawyer.
■ Gordon Ingalls, incumbent trustee.
■ Adrienne Radford, incumbent trustee.
■ Julia Serup, book-keeper.
■ Hans Snel, millworker.
■ Bob Viergever, businessman.
■ Grant Williamson, financial assistance worker.
The four two-year vacancies were created when, in addition to the three terms which expire this year, trustee Vic Rouse resigned from the board after moving to Victoria.
Incumbent trustee Bill Brooks has announced he will not seek a third term on the board.
alderman who spent four years at city hall before losing his election bid last year. Sintich, who was born and raised here, is the owner of Sintich Trailer Park.
■ Suzanne Slater is a newcomer to civic politics who wants to become the people’s ombudsman at city hall. She’s a 34-year-old registered nurse who graduated at University of B.C.
■ Aid. Art Stauble is an 11-year veteran on city council who wants another term to see the results of many strategies he’s now involved with. The semi-retired 61-year-old is in the business of general investments.
■ Anne Marie Susag is a first-time candidate seeking a seat as alderman. The 38-year-old housewife claims she has the time to research issues important to the community.
Meanwhile, four directors of the Fraser-Fort George Regional District were returned by acclamation.
They are Paul Baehr, (Wood-pecker-Hixon electoral area), Marilyn Wheeler (Robson Valley-Canoe electoral area), Henry Christensen (Salmon River-Lakes electoral area) and Jim Scott (Crooked Riv-er-Parsnip electoral area).
Contra training camps to be located in U.S.?
WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. armed services plan to recommend training sites in the United States for Contra troops after three Latin American countries objected to use of their territory, the Washington Post reported today.
The newspaper quoted unidentified sources as saying the army, navy, air force and Marines have been directed to make recommendations, using low-profile sites that would minimize adverse publicity and citizen opposition.
The U.S. administration had tried to persuade several Latin
American governments to allow use of their territory, but Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras said they did not want to invite retaliation from Nicaragua’s leftist Sandinista government, the sources said.
The newspaper said Ft. Benning in Columbus, Ga., has too high a public profile for the Contra training, although in many respects it would be ideal. Other published reports have indicated the training sites will be Puerto Rico and Fort Bragg, N.C., home of the army Green Berets.