Mice a researcher's best friend /31

Cougars face Kamloops in key series /8
FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2006

Jurassic beaver discovered in China /21

Dave Chappelle back with Block Party /25

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MLA wants bravery medal for teen
by FRANK PEEBLES Citizen staff A Vanderhoof teen is being recommend for a national bravery award after she rescued her father from a bull that was attacking him on the family farm. Danielle Walker repeatedly kicked and punched the bull in the nose in order to distract it long enough for her father, who was being mauled, to get away. "The bull would have killed me," Carroll Walker wrote in a letter to The Citizen of the attack that occurred in August at the family farm, located about 100 kilometres from Prince George. "I remember thinking I'm finished. I'm going to die right here," Walker said, recalling how the bull he was trying to give a shot of antibiotics for a lame foot charged him. "I headed for the trees as fast as I could go." But some soft ground slowed him and the animal caught up. "The bull hit me square in the middle of the back. It felt like a freight train hit me. I fell flat on my face." The bull began rooting at Walker with its massive head. "I remember praying `Lord, if this is my time, be with me and my family.' I then just gave up in my mind and accepted whatever came next. I knew there was nothing I could do to stop this." The bull tossed Walker in the air over and over again. That's when his 16-year-old daughter, who had been watching nearby, stepped in. "She yelled at the bull and punched him repeatedly in the nose," Walker remembered. The bull turned his attention to the girl, who stepped behind a willow bush for protection. The bull again attacked Walker, who lay dazed on the ground. Danielle stepped in again to draw the bull off her father, kicking and punching it until she had its full attention. "He lunged at her again," Walker said. "This gave me enough time to (drag myself behind some trees) ... The angry bull was no more than eight feet from me and had he tried, could have easily gotten me, as I was unable to walk at the time. Danielle, who was even closer than I, was keeping his attention away from me for the most part, while he bobbed his head, snorted, and pawed the ground. I knew I wasn't safe and neither was Danielle." Walker said he remembers calling out to his daughter to get out of there, but he doubts his words actually came out. "We were there for what seemed like a long time in a sort of standoff, then, to my relief, the bull turned and went back out into the field," Walker said. The story was told to the legislature Thursday by Prince George-Omineca MLA John Rustad, who is recommending Danielle receive a national award. Rustad said Walker was hospitalized for several days, suffering from cracked ribs, dizzy spells and other injuries. Rustad said the rescue was a testament to the love between father and daughter. "In recognition of Danielle's heroism, I will work to personally ensure that the Governor General knows of this brave woman's courage, when she makes her visit to B.C. next week," Rustad said. fpeebles@princegeorgecitizen.com

St. Vincent de Paul sees numbers soar
by BERNICE TRICK Citizen staff The St. Vincent de Paul drop-in centre is once again asking for donations as the number of needy continues to soar in Prince George. "Our numbers of single people coming here for meals is up by about 38 per cent (over last year at this time)," said spokesperson Bernie Goold. "We can count on 150 to 170 people showing up for lunch every day. Last year at this time, we considered 125 to 130 a lot of people. All I can say is that single people seem to be hurting." Goold noted that in the past, numbers of people would go down significantly for a week or more af ter welfare cheques were issued, but now those people return for help in two days because the cheques no longer stretch as far. Goold is grateful to all those who contributed fresh fruit and vegetables after a call went out in The Citizen about a month ago. "We had a great response by people who brought in bags of fresh oranges, apples, carrots, turnips, onions and greens. "Our cook has made huge pots of soup with the vegetables, and salad is a real popular luxury here. You can't believe how often people ask for a second helping of salad," said Goold. As well as the single adults being fed daily at the drop-in centre, families in need are given a fruit and vegetable hamper once a week. "For many families it means the difference of whether the children can have a piece of fruit in their school lunch," Goold said. In January, St. Vincent's gave out 96 fruit and vegetable hampers plus 45 family hampers containing bread and canned goods, and staples like rice and pasta. Clients can have a family hamper once every three months. On Saturday and Sunday, when children are out of school, entire families show up for brunch from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and sandwiches at 2:30 p.m. For more information call the drop-in centre at 564-7871 or visit 1220 Second Ave. btrick@princegeorgecitizen.com

Citizen photo by Dave Milne

WINNING TRADITION -- The Prince George Cougars and Home Depot held a contest among the makers of backyard hockey rinks, won by Richard Reich's family. As a result, Reich hosted a game Thursday between a group of Cougars and players from Cedars Christian school.

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Solutions sought at pine beetle forum
by GORDON HOEKSTRA Citizen staff Increase the value-added wood sector, spend more on reforestation and focus salvage logging on pure pine stands. They were among the ideas floated at a forum Thursday night organized to help renew communities in the wake of the mountain pine beetle epidemic in north and central B.C. The forum organizers, the Active Voice Coalition, are already planning a larger, two-day conference for this fall, to which they want to invite people from other communities throughout the region. The idea is to come up with more formal plans and proposals, coalition spokesman Peter Ewart told the crowd of more than 70 people at the College of New Caledonia. An organizing meeting for the conference has been scheduled for later this month. Ewart said everyone should be involved in the discussion: labour, business, scientists, communities, First Nations, politicians and ordinary people. Communities are bracing for the impact of a significant drop -- as much as 40 per cent in the timber supply -- in 10 to 15 years because of the beetle epidemic. Ewart said it's important to create a strong northern voice for communities on the beetle epidemic to ensure their interests are heard by a provincial government which will be paying increasingly more attention to the Olympics. "It's about standing up for the North," he said. Ben Parfitt, who recently produced two reports on the beetle epidemic funded by the B.C. labour movement, said the province is not spending enough on reforestation. He also questioned why mixed stands, which include spruce, are being logged, something he viewed east of Prince George. Prince George city councillor Debora Munoz said more of the uplifted logging rights should be directed to the value-added wood sector. The amount of logging that is allowed each year has been increased about 80 per cent in the Quesnel, Prince George, Vanderhoof and Burns Lake areas. That's an effort to salvage beetle-killed timber before it decays. Prince George city councillor Don Zurowski had a more optimistic outlook on communities' ability to deal with the impact of the epidemic. -- See COUNCILLOR on page 3

INDEX
Ann Landers . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Business . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-24 City, B.C. . . . . . . . . . . .3,5,13 Classifi ed . . . . . . . . . . .16-20 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Coming Events . . . . . . . . . . 35 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Entertainment . . . . . . .25,26 Horoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11 World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,15

Citizen launches entertainment magazine
Citizen staff The Prince George Citizen proudly offers a new entertainment magazine in today's edition. Called Select E, this exciting new publication offers readers much more in the world of celebrity news and entertainment. It replaces TV Times. "It is always exciting and a little scary when you launch a new product, particularly when the product replaces a tradition like TV Times," said publisher Del Laverdure. "But with Select E we are not just replacing TV Times. We are giving our readers and advertisers much more. Select E goes beyond TV listings to give readers more of what they have been asking for in the way of entertainment, sports and leisure. "I'm very excited about the product and how it adds to what is already Prince George's best-read newspaper." Lu Verticchio, advertising manager, explained why the format was changed. "TV Times was no longer serving the needs of the readers and advertisers, so we wanted to offer a product to better meet the needs of both. After searching for a product that would add value for readers and advertisers, we decided on Select E," said Verticchio. "It offers not only listings, as found in the old TV Times, but more of what readers want in terms of entertainment news. We anticipate that our readers response will be as wildly successful as the response we've received from our advertisers," he said. "In fact, The Citizen set a North American sales record (for Select E) for newspapers wit h a circulation under 20,000." Readers preferring to access TV listings online can visit our web site at www.princegeorgecitizen.com and click on the "local listings" icon (ZAP2IT). -- See LISTINGS on page 3

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TONIGH T IS NIGH T!

Rematch tomorrow 7:30pm.

TONIGHT...

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7:30pm at CN Centre.

SATURDAY IS NIGH T!

E! SHOWCAS

Game night volunteers are wanted. Contact the Cougars office 561-0783 for more details.

SWITCHBOARD: 562-2441

CLASSIFIED: 562-6666

READER SALES: 562-3301