34 — Sunday, February 28, 1993 — North Shore News Teens are growing up scared “GROW OLD along with me. The best is yet for specific education.” to be — The last of life for which the first was made.”’ When Rabbi Ben Ezra wrote his simple poem it was a reasonable facsimile of any couple of old sur- vivors, hand in hand, heading for the final rewards of rest and peace, looking back over their shoulders at the family ‘members. following in their footsteps. Tke rabbi would. be shocked by the old age we - are into, which has darn lit- dle poetry in it. . He, and we, never dreamed that the society we grew up in, that we con- fidently steered our children into, would flake off and crumble and tangie itself in ’ a hedonistic miess. - The last couple of weeks ’ events seem to have lurched from ‘one sordid exhibition '-to another — how do you . teach rules. of. behavior . when even the royals are in- * fected? The Sun used type more suited to declaration of - world. war to air the dissembling of the Liberal - leader .whose persecutors . were questioning his choice _of co-worker. : . . Av news story under th - light-hearted: heading . of - “Pastimes” describes a new _ American board game call- - ed Serial Killer, inspired (!) ‘ by the career of a man who murdered 33 children. -. Pages of newsprint are ~ given over tothe. ever-pre- sent fear of . abductions from schoolyards and malls. Children live in a climate of daily peril. Can you imagine the damage to their * unfolding psyches? Over at William Griffin recCentre, named for a man eminently upright’ and straightforward, chains and bars are used by teenagers to bash other teenagers. The centre, staff worries about stashes of drugs and alcohol in the adjacent woods. What the dickens is going on? .We old folks find no parallels for any of this ei- Eleanor Godley — Ba "THE VINTAGE YEARS fi ther in our own adolescence or in our parenting years. Who left the gate open? Last Christmas we were intending to explore becom- ing surrogate grandparents to a local family lacking kith or kin. My wrist and their influenza put the flowering on hold. But at the time I expressed some uneasiness about new—wave kids and stodgy old fogies. A letter from a_ reader gave me comfort then, so I got it out for further rein- forcement. She says that a lot of what makes us leery of today’s kids, stacked up against our own youth, a lot of that may be purely cosmetic and bravado. Self-protection is at the root of a lot of it, she says. She cited her own experi- ence, coming straight out of the boonies into com- plicated life in Toronto, and of how she learned fast to look. tough, to keep from being hassled — ‘‘hit on” as she called it, ‘“‘by guys in the subway.”’ She said today’s teenagers © have a tough assignment, far beyond our own tremb!l- ing adolescent confusions. Besides, we had rules. These. kids have to look cool, which means ‘‘looking like someone from a Chicago housing project,’ while at the same _ time “keeping a steady fix on the complicated requirements “STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNITY” The North Shore Union Board of Health has received a grant of $15,000 from the Provincial Ministry of Health. The Grant is available to be divided amongst community groups or agen- cies who come forward with proposals designed to “Strengthen the Community”. Applications are available to be picked up at North Shore Health, 5th floor, 132 Wese Esplanade, North Vancouver. Applications must be received by April 30, 1993. . idl. | NORTH SHORE UNION NSH) BOARD OF HEALTH City of North Vancouver District of North Vancouver District of West Vancouver School Districe No. 44 (North Vancouver) School District No. 45 (West Vancouver) She told me how her three-year-old is getting comfortable with the com- puter, but’ how she makes sure there is time every day for reading and building blocks and exploring the back yard where bugs and birds live. She leans hard on imagin- ing, and calls it all ‘‘fortify- ing the child for what he’l! have to face when he hits adolescence in the public- § school system.”’ So there are islands of serene planning and people with principles and maybe these kids are just ‘‘trying on’’ possible personas for the future. Perhaps they plan to choose the best parts and build life around them? Take it on trust, then, but keep your door locked, is that it? THE CORPORATION OF 8.9 THE CITY OF NORTH VANCOUVER 1993 WATER AND SEWER UTILITY STATEMENTS ® DISCOUNT RATES MARCH 31, 1993 1993 Water and Sewer Utility Statements have now been mail- ed. Any property owner who has not received a Water and Sewer Statement should immediately contact the City of North Van- couver Tax Office at 983-7316. New Owners should be aware of their responsibility for payment of 1993 water and sewer charges and should ensure that they are paid by themselves or the previous owners. - Discount: A 10% discount is allowed to water and sewer rates. paid in full before or by 4:30 p.m. March 31, 1993. Penaities: A 5% penalty will be applied to outstanding water/sewer charges after April 30, 1993 and a further 5% penal- ty will be added to charges remaining unpaid after July 30, 1993. Postdated cheques will be accepted. City of North Vancouver 141 West 14th Street North Vancouver, BC. V7M 7?H9 A.K. 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