Lions worried about defence/8
Spidey returns /25

al-Qaida has eye on U.S. election /17
Jewel still missing/14

CITIZEN
Serving the Central Interior since 1916
and the overall value has increased by 61 per cent to $106.8 million. At the end of June, there were 761 properties of all types available for sale in Prince George, down from 869 a year ago. Of that total, 576 were single-family homes, up 32 per cent, and the average selling price for a single-family home stood at $131,140, compared to $119,031 a year before. In Quesnel, sales of single-family homes rose to 97 for the first six months, up 32 per cent from the same period last year, while the average price rose slightly, to $99,977 from $97,959 last year. In Vanderhoof, 40 homes were sold, up 25 per cent for the same period last year, while t he average pr ice is $101,591, down from $109,809 a year ago. In Burns Lake, sales of single-family homes rose to 13 from eight, while the average price fell to $93,457 from $108,312. Sales and the average price for single-family homes in Mackenzie both fell, to 20 and $86,830 from 36 and $73,315 a year ago.

PRINCE GEORGE

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2004

$1.00 (HOME DELIVERED: 56 CENTS A DAY)

Real estate sales booming in North
by MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff Northern B.C. enjoyed a recordbreaking quarter says the B.C. Northern Real Estate Board. In all, $201.9 million worth of real estate was sold through the Multiple Listing Service, up 30 per cent from the previous high in the same period 10 years ago, the board said in a news release. A total of 1,702 properties were sold between April 1 and June 30, 117 fewer than over the same period in 1994. Over the first six months of this year, 2,677 properties worth $317.9 million changed hands -- a 32-percent jump over the 2,022 properties sold over the same time last year. "Now that the second-quarter numbers verify that we are indeed coming out of the housing slump we have experienced over the past decade, we look forward to continued improvement in housing markets in northern B.C.," said board president Daryl Muchowski. Prince George experienced a 45-percent increase in the number of sales so far this year, with 819 properties sold,

We like our brew
by MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff Prince George residents are maintaining an affection for suds. Of the 4.3 million litres of retail liquor sales by government liquor stores in the city, 70.3 per cent were beer, according to numbers in the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch's annual report. That's above the provincial average of 60.7 per cent, but well below such communties as Clinton, Greenwood, Gold River, McBride and Hazelton, where beer made up 80 per cent of sales. Hudson's Hope showed the greatest love for beer in B.C. at 81.3 per cent. In Prince George, 75.5 per cent of the volume sold at the Hart Highway store was beer, 74.5 per cent at 10th Avenue, and 74 per cent at College Heights. The specialty store at Parkwood Place showed a break from the trend, where beer comprised 55.2 per cent of the litres sold and the rest was distributed fairly evenly between wine (15.7 per cent) ciders and coolers (15.4), and spirits (13.7). Sales at Parkwood Place were a healthy $12.7 million, good enough for 16th highest among the 222 government outlets in B.C. The 10th Avenue store reached $9.9 million in sales, about the same as in 2002-03, while College Heights finished at $3.9 million, up from $3.7 million in 200203, and sales at Hart Highway were $3.5 million, bettering $3.2 million in 2002-03.

Willow River pedophile James Bennett loses appeal
by FRANK PEEBLES Citizen staff James Bennett will be in jail for a long time and there is nothing more he can do about it. He ran out of legal options on Thursday morning when the Supreme Court of Canada denied his request for an appeal. "He was seeking leave to appeal our B.C. Court of Appeal decision naming him a dangerous offender and imposing an indeterminate sentence," said Geoffrey Gaul, director of legal services for B.C. Crown Counsel. "His appeal has been refused. The matter has come to an end. He has no further ability to appeal. The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court, so here is where it stops." Bennett is now in the hands of the Federal Correctional Service. As a designated dangerous offender, his sentence is indefinite. The term will continue so long as authorities deem him an imminent threat to the public. Bennett was convicted in 1999, along with his wife and conspirator Cr ystal Diane Henricks, of child pornography offences including sexual assault and drugging children in their Willow River home. Their victims were a three-year-old boy, two 10-year-old girls and a 15-year-old girl. Bennett's former wife, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to eight counts in the child porn scheme and was sentenced to seven years in custody. She is now living in a halfway house.
Citizen photo by Brent Braaten

TV times
INCLUDED TODAY
High : 20 Low : 11 page 2

UP AND OVER -- Katie Rogers, riding a horse called Michelangelo, competes in the two-foot-three jumper class Thursday at the Agriplex during the Wood Wheaton Jumping and Dressage Show at the Exhibition Grounds. Competition continues until Sunday.

Tibetan dancers denied entry visas
by KATHLEEN DE VERE Citizen staff Scheduled performances of sacred Tibetan dances in towns from 100 Mile House to Prince George may have to be cancelled because of complications in Canadian immigration policy. The performances, which were slated to be a blend of traditional Tibetan and Buddhist rituals, were organized by Spirit Dance Community, a nonprofit educational organization based in Quesnel. The original plan for the perform a n c e s wa s to b r i n g i n Ts e r i n g Dhondup and Yeshi Gyatso, two Tibetan monks living in exile in India, who specialize in the creation of sand mandalas and performing sacred Tibetan music and dances. The Spirit Dance Community planned to get Dhondup and Gyatso temporary visitor's visas for the duration of the performances. However, according to Janet Cotgrave, one of the event's organizers, because the two monks are technically classified as Tibetan refugees, the Canadian government has refused to grant them the necessary visas. "I have no idea why the visas were refused," said Cotgrave. "They were not able to tell me a reason, and as far as we know, everything that we have been told is a reason has been covered. "References were made to the fact that they were refugees, but that should not be a reason someone should be unable to visit the country." In an attempt to save the event, Cotgrave went to Dick Harris, Conservative MP for Cariboo-Prince George, to request the federal Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration grant Dhondup and Gyatso special minister's permits to visit the country. "We appealed directly to the minister of citizenship and immigration," said Harris. "Unfortunately, the decision had already been made. We were told the decision was based on the circumstances of the case, and we understand the visitor's permit will not be granted, nor will the visa. There is something present in the case that is outside of regulations." "Every visa application is considered on a case-by-case basis, and evaluated on a case-by-case basis," said Robert Gervais, spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada. "The applicant has they burden of proof, and the visa may not have been granted because they failed to meet one of the requirements." "We've told them we would cover all their expenses," said Cotgrave. "Their f light, transportation, the whole thing." "We've given personal guarantees, we've had several people's bank statements and income tax assessments notarized and sent in. I have no idea why the visas have been refused," said Cotgrave.

INDEX
Ann Landers . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Business . . . . . . . . . . . .38-40 City, B.C. . . . . . . . . . . .3,5,13 Classified . . . . . . . . . . .18-24 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Coming Events . . . . . . . .2,32 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Entertainment . . . .25-27,30 Horoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14,15 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-12 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16,17

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