High today: 18 Low tonight: 7 Details page 2

CITIZEN
Serving the Central Interior since 1916

PRINCE GEORGE

TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2003

80 CENTS (HOME DELIVERED: 54 CENTS A DAY)

Lumber prices at highest level of year
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff Lumber prices have hit their highest level of the year, fueled in part by marketplace fears that continued wildfires in B.C., Alberta and parts of the U.S. west will impact log supplies. "The fires are the big concern among the American (lumber) buyers," Madison's Canadian Lumber Reporter publisher Laurie Cater said Monday. "I don't think there is a shortage of lumber, but there's a growing concern that the fires could lead to a shortage of logs." The concern over the continuing fires, coupled with news the U.S. government is buying plywood and perhaps other wood products like lumber, to support the war effort in Iraq, have unexpectedly put upward pressure on prices, said Cater, who talks to lumber buyers in the U.S. and Canada on a daily basis. Earlier Cater had said he believed lumber prices had peaked this summer because supply continued to exceed demand and pressure on lumber prices would decrease as the American construction season started to wane in the fall. Madison's listed the benchmark thousand board feet of random length western two-by-fours at $304 US last week. Prices have continued to climb, and lumber has sold as high as $314, said Cater. That's up from a peak of $300 last month and from the $200 level at the beginning of the year. The price increase helps offset the punishing tariffs on lumber exports to the U.S., and the rise in the value of the loonie compared to the U.S. dollar. Lumber producers have been paying duties totalling 27 per cent since the spring and the loonie has increased about 15 per cent. The forest fires raging in southern B.C. are not getting a break from the weather as the forecast calls for continuing hot, dry conditions. The fires in the region destroyed a Tolko sawmill in the Vernon area which employed 200 people. The medium-sized mill produced 140 million board feet of lumber a year. At least three or four sawmills are down in fireplagued regions because of the weather conditions and more are expected to close in the next few weeks because they are running out of logs, said Gary Crooks, an official with the B.C. Council of Forest Industry's Southern Interior office. "For the Okanagan, Kamloops region and the Kootenays there is essentially no logging going on," said Crooks. Although there have been fires in northern B.C., none has been as devastating as those in the southern part of the province. In the Northern Interior, major producers like Canfor, West Fraser and Slocan continue to run their sawmills. Lakeland Mills president Keith Andersen said he wasn't aware of any Northern Interior logging or sawmill operations being affected by fire.

Man killed in car chase still unknown
High-speed chase under review
pursuit can occur because each situation is differby KAREN KWAN ent. "When a member decides whether or not Citizen Staff RCMP are still trying to identify a man who there's going to be a chase is purely discretionary died when the vehicle he was in slammed into a when they start," he said. "We have to weigh in lamppost on Highway 97 Sunday, following a all the other factors -- location, date, time, what are the roads like, rain or snow, inside town, outhigh-speed police chase. Investigators hope the driver, who remains in side town," he said. He said police are permitted to give serious condition in hospital, can idenc hase dur ing any investigation, tify his companion, said Const. Mike whether or not there's an immediate Caira. danger to the public. "A lot of it is The force of the crash caused the based on common sense. We're not gofront of the vehicle to wrap around the ing to actively pursue somebody for lamppost at the intersection of Highsomething very minor," Caira said. way 16, he said. Police began chasing RCMP officers are trained in advanced the two men on Highway 16 after driving skills in emergency situations, spotting the pair in a stolen vehicle he added. near Marleau Road in College Heights During the chase, police must notijust after 4 a.m., but RCMP said they fy the dispatcher, reporting their ended their pursuit at Range Road bespeed and locations, Caira said. If fore the suspects' vehicle crashed, there's no sign of the pursuit ending when speeds surpassed 100 km-h. The -- Const. or speeds increase, he said the watch Ford Tempo went out of control while Mike Caira commander, who's in charge of the trying to turn left onto Highway 97 to shift, would decide whether to keep head north, police said. A coroner's investigation is underway, and po- going. "They decide whether it's not worth the lice continue to investigate the driver for possible risk to the members' safety or other persons' impaired driving and dangerous driving causing safety, and that could be the safety of the people we're chasing," he said. Backup vehicles -- undeath, among other offences. Police must also review any high-speed chase to marked police vehicles are not permitted in determine if proper procedure was followed un- chases -- are sent to help out if the pursuit conder provincial guidelines for emergency-vehicle tinues, he said. operations. Reviews are done at a local level as Caira said motorcycles are off-limits when it comes to police pursuits. "Motorcycles are capable well as by RCMP headquarters in Vancouver. While there are general parameters for haz- of quick and very fast speeds from the start. The ardous and high-speed chases, Caira said there danger of them zigging and zagging out of traffic are no strict rules governing when and how a and killing themselves is very high," he said.

"We're not going to actively pursue somebody for something very minor."

Photo by David Mah

Team Canada right-fielder Evan Potskin is greeted by his 11-month-old son Derian at the Prince George Airport Monday. About 30 family members and friends showed up to greet Potskin after he helped Canada win the gold medal in the softball competition at the Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic.

TODAY
SPORTS

Vandals hit more construction sites
Citizen staff A local contractor is rallying other companies to find a way to stop continuing attacks of vandalism on construction equipment around the city. Del Goodlet, equipment manager with Western Industrial Contractors (WIC), said vandalism over the weekend caused about $4,000 in damage. The incidents are only the latest in ongoing destruction over the past two years, he said. "It seems like you can't leave anything out anymore," he said. "It's getting ridiculous. The first few days after the weekend is spent repairing equipment." Goodlet said he wants to put out a call to other companies that have been targeted by vandalism and find ways to prevent future incidents. "I'm hoping if we band together and make people aware of it we can do something," he said. He added he's not sure what can be done at this point, but is interested in discussing solutions. Though he doesn't have any proof, he said he believes youths are to blame for many incidents, noting that vandalism rises significantly during the summer when school is not in session. Last week, contractor Jordie Wiens complained that $23,000 in damage was done to two logging machines at a private logging site on Tyner Boulevard, near UNBC. Between February and March, equipment owned by Sharp Construction was vandalized three times in a three-week span while the company did work on the Home Depot site at the Westgate shopping centre. WIC is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the person responsible for the vandalism on the weekend, Goodlet said. He's urging anyone with information on the crimes to call him at 962-3115. Sometime over the weekend, Goodlet said wires were ripped out of a loader machine which was being used at the new Canadian Tire site at the Westgate development in College Heights. More damage was done to a Bobcat and excavator which were left near the Third Avenue revitalization site, he said. And windows in an excavator were smashed at the Inlands gravel pit near the Edgewood Terrace subdivision. Goodlet said he doesn't usually report vandalism to police because he doesn't believe it will help. The company will cover repair costs because the damage is less than the insurance deductible, he said. RCMP Const. Mike Caira said police do their best to patrol different areas of the city but their first priority is responding to calls. "The reality is we only have so many bodies to put on the road," he said. As in many communities, he acknowledged that vandalism is a problem in Prince George. "We certainly encourage large developers to use lots of lighting and on-site security if they have major acts of vandalism," Caira said.

Back with the gold
Evan Potskin helps Canada win Pan American fastball title
by JASON PETERS Citizen staff The gold medal was all Evan Potskin wanted. He got it. Now he has it back in Prince George, the city in which he was born and raised. Potskin was the starting right-fielder for the Canadian men's fastball team that claimed gold at the Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic last week. Canada's 4-2 victory over the topseeded United States in the final game was the moment Potskin had been anticipating ever since he was named to the Pan Am team last January. "It felt awesome beating them knowing that they beat us at the Pan Am qualifier," said Potskin, who arrived at the Prince George airport on Monday and was greeted by a throng of family members, including son Derian and fiancee Leeann Warner. "I was part of that team that lost to them at the qualifier (in Guatemala City last November) so it was great to beat them when it really counted. "I'm very happy and proud to win a gold medal for Prince George." The gold-medal game, played last Thursday in Santo Domingo, was delayed more than two hours by heavy rain. When the sky closed up, the American players rushed out to get the field ready for play because they had a plane to catch later that night. Potskin and his teammates sat in their dugout and watched the U.S. players work. "They were really rushed cleaning up and we didn't really care because if we didn't play, it went on record (as a Canadian win)," Potskin said. The game started at about 8:45 p.m. and the U.S. team's flight was scheduled to leave shortly after midnight. Potskin and Team Canada went through the tournament unbeaten, a 7-0 record. "It was only the second time a Canadian gold medalist at Pan Ams has gone undefeated," Potskin said. Potskin, 28, is known for his sweet swing at the plate and his intimidating home run power. He went deep only once in the tournament, during a Canadian win against Argentina. "I didn't do as well as I wanted to but it doesn't really matter because all I wanted was to win a gold medal," he said. "In the final game I was one-for-two with the game-tying RBI. We were down 2-1 in the fourth. I came up with runners on second and third and I got a single up the middle to tie it up. I came up in the bottom of the sixth with runners on second and third and I got intentionally walked. The next guy struck out and then the next guy got a double and scored two to go 4-2 (Canada). I got thrown out at home trying to make it 5-2." Potskin, who played baseball as a youngster and began fastball at age 17, will leave Prince George again next week. He'll head for Owen Sound, Ont., site of the Canadian senior national championship tournament. Potskin will suit up for the Calgary Diamonds. "If I have another good nationals like I did last year, hopefully I get a call (from Team Canada) for the ISF World Championships in February in Christchurch, New Zealand," he said.

PAGE 12

Wild card chase
E-Mail address:

news@princegeorgecitizen.com
Our Web site:

http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com

INDEX
Annie's Mailbox . . . . . . . . 15 Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Business . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-18 City, B.C. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,5,13 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . 20-23 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Coming Events . . . . . . . . . . 2 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Entertainment . . . . . . . 14,15 Horoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Lifestyles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-12 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,24

No suspects in Mackenzie hydro vandalism
Citizen staff Mackenzie RCMP continue to investigate an incident of shooting vandalism to B.C. Hydro installations just outside of town that caused a major power outage in the community recently. Investigators discovered firearms damage to power-line insulators and other equipment. The nine-hour outage started at 1:15 p.m. Aug. 7. Mills incurred production losses and equipmentrepair bills in the millions of dollars. "We're still actively investigating it," said Const. Mike Dame. RCMP have received a few calls about the incident. "We're hopeful, but so far there have been no concrete tips," he said. B.C. Hydro continues to offer a $2,500 reward for information that leads to the conviction of the person or persons responsible.

0

58307

00100

8

SWITCHBOARD: 562-2441

CLASSIFIED: 562-6666

READER SALES: 562-3301