6 ~ Sunday, December 29, 1991 - North Shore News WSS SSS (fo Li. GE fii CUE NEWS VIEWPOINT Youth at risk RECENTLY-released report ad- dressing regional mental health issues concerning children and youth at risk, calls for the use of local schools as outlets for comprehensive community-based services. The concept, which would see provision - of social, health, alcohol and drug, justice, education and recreation services encom- passed wishin the coniext of ‘‘school-based integrate: zsrvice network,’’ makes much sense. : The recommendation was among many made in Children And Youth At Risk: Towards A Mental Health Plan For Met. ropolitan Vancouver. ; _ The report, funded by the B.C. Ministry of Health and completed by a committee that included participation by North Shore school board and heaith officials, does not mince words when it speaks of the urgent need for acticn on behalf of children re- quiring mental health services. The report concludes that the current system is not serving our children. it is under-funded, especially in the areas of early intervention, prevention and counselling. Services in place are uncoordinated and there is a lack of accountability. More importantly, children, youth, parents and those who are on the front line providing services are not participants in “‘case planning and management deci- sions.”’ Our children deserve better. QUOTES OF THE YEAR really dumb when it comes to THE PAST year provided many interesti.g quotes from many local residents, politicians, entertainers, ariists and business people. The following is a culling of some of the best quotes that ap- peared in this weekly space during “I’m going to go out of my way not to be corrupt.” North Vancouver-Lonsdale Green Party of B.C. candidate ‘ernments “They spend very well — quickly and in large amounts.” Former auditor general Kenneth Dye, on the ability of federal gov- to spend taxpayers’ money. ““No, I didn’t because I was too busy cleaning my oven.’’ North Vancouver resident Joanne Divine, when asked by the North Shore News’ Inquiring Reporter if she had followed the committing crimes. They don’t know how to commit crimes. They might as well put their name and social insurance number on the forgery.’’ Marcel Matley, document exam- iner, graphologist and author, on criminals and forgers. “10s far more Nasty than I ex- pected it to be.”’ Philtip Petrik, on his own com- mitment to political integrity dur- ing the provincial election race. Publisher Peter Speck ‘Managing Editor... Timothy Renshaw Associate Editor Noel Wright Advertising Director .. Linda Stewart Comptroller Doug Foot North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph IN of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Ltd. and distributed to every door on the North Shore. Second Ciass Mail Registration Number 3885. Subscriptions North and West Vancouver, $25 per ear. Mailing rates available on request. wbmissions are welcome but we cannot accept tesponsibitity for unsolicited materia! including manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. Newsroom V7M 2H4 Social Credit leadership race. “I must tell you, most people are Display Advertising Real Estate Advertising 985-6982 Classified Advertising 986-6222 Fax 985-3227 Former B.C. premier Rita Johnston, on the provincial elec- tion campaign. 980-0511 986-1337 © 986-1337 Distribution Subscriptions North Shore managed 985-2131 Administration 985-2131 MEMBER ‘inorth'shore. SUNDAY + WEONEROAY = FRIDAY ” 7139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C. SOA DIVISION 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) Entire contents © 1991 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Doing my tiny bit to find a PCTS vaccine! VD PLANNED to muse in general today about the epidemic now sweeping Canada when along comes North Van’s Peter Donkers — yet another local victim of the deadly disease — with some relevant new material. Mr. Donkers tested PCTS posi- tive (the virus scientfically known as Politically Correct Thinking Syndrome) in his Dec. 20 Letter Of The Day on this page. He was outraged by your scribe’s recent column headed ‘*Born racists — yes, that’s the human in us all!"’ His letter left some doubt about how far beyond the headline he’d read. To summarize, | had sug- gested that — from cradle to grave —we instinctively prefer the familiar to the unfamiliar UNTIL we grow to accept the latter. Take a month-old baby from its . mother’s arms, hand it to a total stranger and you gel the message loud and clear. I'd also stressed there is nothing wrong about mixing races and cultures. It has gone on for cen- turies. What's wrong today in Canada is purely the crazy speed at which stupid, self-serving poli- ticians — hungry for docile grate- ful voters — have forced it on the country since 1978. Trying to “*fast-track’’ assimilation between people of vastly different racial cultures simply invites problems, immigrants being equaily the vic- tims of such folly. Slow down the process and it will eventually work, as it always has worked throughout history. But Mr. Donkers -- who’s fully entitled to his opinion — would have none of this. To him Uma “racist’’ and he prays I'll no longer be around when his bady daughter grows up. Being consis- tent, he also condemns tolerance (‘‘not necessary” in his ideal future world.) Happily, there's hope for Mr. Donkers, who is still only in the early stages of the disease. He did NOT lead a chanting rent-a-mob to demonstrate outside The News. He did NOT urge advertisers to boycott the paper. He did NOT demand that your scribe be fired, hauled into court and sentenced to a mind-cleaning jail term. Those are typical symptoms in the more advanced PCTS cases. Major carriers of the virus are militant immigrants, radical feminists, uncloseted gays, back- to-Adain environmentalists, New Age education theorists, unity- at-any-cost crusaders and all other single-issue groups noisy enough to scare politicians into endorsing them. In PCTS victims the first organ affected is the brain, starting with CET HITHER AND YON inability to understand the words of rational dissent. The next phase is delusion — dissent perceived as a threat to seciety. Finally comes an overpowering compulsion to muzzle and punish the dissenter. Meanwhile, the virus also eats away at the guts and backbone. In terminal cases both are eventually destroyed, along with the brain. It’s good to report, however, that research to find a vaccine for. the dread PCTS virus is making headway. Eminent media specialists —- among them the renowned Mr. Doug Collias — are working day and night to de- velop a cure before the spreading scourge kills Canada itself. Your scribe is only a lowly lab technician in this coast-to-coast effort. But he’s proud, never- theless, to play his humble role in such an urgent humanitarian cause. TOASTLINES: A very special! 107-candle salute to Agnes Nichols, the grand old lady of In- glewood Lodge, who tomorrow, Dec. 30, celebrates her (yes, once again!) 107th birthday ... and many happy returns Tuesday, Dec. 31, to my favorite hotliner — Rafe Mair — on his 60th. WRIGHT OR WRONG: If something goes without saying, why not fet it? NEWS Wakatiesd BIG ASSIST for the Christmas Bureau came from 17th Brownle pack members, seen here lining up to put their food gifts in the hamper with Mayor Murray Dykeman lending a hand. ©