6 - Friday, December 20, 1985 - North Shore News

Editorial Page

News Viewpoint

hristmas is supposed to bring out the

g +
We're no angels
best in people, but this holiday season

C some of the public seems to be rever-

ting to Neanderthal times.

Harried clerks and snapping shoppers are
nothing new to the Christmas scene. Horror
stories of customers battling with fisticuffs i in .
the check-out lines-are old: hat. -- ~ -~’

But monstrosities — some new ‘and: some
’ persistentiy reoccurring | — are ‘happening this
Christmas:

-eThe Grinch came to Park Royal this week
and stole away with a Christmas collection
box for the children’s hospital. -

‘The homeless are still homeless ‘this

| Christmas.

+ Unemployment in B.C. is still the second
highest in the country.
*Food banks are still a necessity in a pro-
‘vince which is shelling out millions for a
World’s Fair.

- *Donations to food banks ‘throughout the
Lower Mainland are down dramatically this

' season, despite reports that stores are ringing
‘up the best sales in years. .

Residents of the North Shore should be
able to sleep better than their Vancouver

., counterparts, however. We’re no angels, but
- at least our Christmas Bureau and Santa
- Claus Fund are one of the only charities

: meeting with success this Christmas.

Thank you

hy F _. Shore community. As Christmas funds
# collected from around the world are
_ not meeting the need to fill hungry mouths.and

J: empty stockings, the North - Vancouver
: ‘Christmas Bureau and the West Vancouver
Santa Cinus Fund report donations keeping
pace with the. growing local need. Thanks go.
to businesses, community groups and all those
individuals who made — or are about to make

‘someone else’s Christmas merry.

N Display Advertising. - 980-0511
we Classified Advertising 986-6222
” Newsroom
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I 4139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, B.C. V7fA 2H4

‘publisher: Peter Speck
advertising director
Linda Stewart

- ‘managing editor
Nancy Weatherley

“* gperations mgr.
Berni Hilliard
editor-in-chief
Noel Wright

North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent subutban
newspaper and t qualitied under Schedule Ill, Part ill, Paragraph ill of the
Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by Norih

" Shore Free Press Ltd. and distributed to every deor on the North Shore.
“Second Class Mail Registration Number 3885. Entire contents © 1985
North Shore Free Press Ltd, All rights reserved.

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ONGRATULATIONS TO the North

985-2131 &

Mailbox. -

WHAT m YOU NEED
THIS TIMBER FOR
ANYWAY?

ih! 1

tL
il

\
Ml

Why I love Christmas

Dear Editor:

1 love Christmas. I feel so
full of love, joy and good
will to everyone I want to
embrace them all and tell
them so. ;

Usually, though, I restrain
my exuberance, expressing
my feelings in more
ness, thoughtfullness and
joy. :

Even © though many of
those I love can’t be with me
in person I find myself
thinking about the qualities
that. make them special, and
this makes me feel warm and
happy.

Christmas is a special ‘time
for love and joy; for gift giv-,
ing and receiving; for joyful-

/ ly celebrating the wonderful

birth of the Son of God.
And isn’t that the spiritual
basis of this euphoria so
contagious’ among us?
Perhaps we don’t often stop
to consider why love and joy

belong so emphatically to.

this season of the year, but
to do so adds greatly to our
appreciation of why we feel
as we do.

The basis of our joy,

whether we recognize it or .

not, is the fact that Christ
Jesus came to tell mankind
that we are the children of
one divine parent, God; that
God is divine love and good
and that He cares for each
of His “‘little ones’’.

What greater gift could

anyone give than that of be-
ing lovingly cared for?

Jesus said, ‘‘] am come
that they might have life and
that they might have it more
abundantly”’ (John 10:10).

Christmas ‘is a celebration

of life.
Mary Baker Eddy, the
founder of Christian

‘Science, knew of this cele-

bration when she wrote in
her poem:

“Fed by Thy love divine we
live,’

For Love alone is Lite;

And life most sweet, as heart
to heart

Speaks kindly when we meet

kind-.

and part. ”

The more conscious we
are of the spiritual basis for
the joy of Christmas, the
more freely we can express

it. Worldly cares and disap-.

pointments are set aside
somewhat, while we share

‘our love and faith with fami-

ly and friends. We want
everyone to join in the cele-
bration and reach out in

practical ways to embrace:

others. This is the. expansive
nature of the love we feel to

all.

‘

This i is the Christ with us,
sharing the things of God in
daily life: that our oy”
might be full.’ -

The: Psalmist sang long
ago, “Thou wilt show mie
the path of life: in thy

presence is fullness of joy;at
‘thy right hand there are
pleasures for evermore,”
(Ps. 16:11)

True, unselfish love is the
essential ingredient in’ a
joyous Christmas ‘and a fit-
ting commiemorative - cof the
> birth of the Savior. . :

Jeanie Ryley :
North Vancouver

Logging Lyell price

is too high to pay

Dear Editor:

In recent weeks. 1 have
closely followed news of the
confrontation between
Native Indians and loggers
on Lyell. As a person
seriously concerned with the
preservation of our natural
environment, I naturally
oppose logging operations
on Lyell Isfand.

More important than op-
position from environmental
groups, is the opposition to
logging the island that has
come from Native Indians.
This is because Native In-
dians have the most to lose if
the island is logged.

Indians consider that they
have ancestral rights to the

island and claim destruction
of the forest will. - deny
ancestral spirits a tradi-
tional place of refuge. To
treat these, tesponsible,
non-violent native protesters
as criminals is a heinous,
shameful act, showing a
total disregard and contempt
for the culture and beliefs of
Native Indians.

These people only wish to
preserve their heritage and
guard for future gencrations,
both native and non-native,
the right to enjoy one of the
most beautiful areas along
our northern coast.

Logging would leave much .

of Lyell Island barren and
tree-less, and it would deny

present ‘and ‘future genera- .
tions ‘the ‘freedom to enjoy
the ‘islands’ spectacular sce-
nery. While many justify the
loggers’. actions: by pointing
to the employment created

‘by logging and the stimulus

provided to the local
economy it is important to
weight the present. short-
term advantages against the
long-term consequences - vof

“such action.

The destruction of our
natural environment and the
denial of our children’s
future enjoyment of the
rugged natural beauty of
Lyell Island seems too high a
price to pay.

David Bawden
West Vancouver

Council should inform voters

Dear Editor:
1 would like to commend
the voters of West Van-

couver for turning a ho-hum _

off year municipal election
into the second highest voter
turnout; but I fear the high
turnout was due to the ref-
erendum on Sunday Shopp-
ing!

The lack .of interest in
Municipal elections is due to

less input on behalf of the
municipality. to inform the
electorate about pertinent
issues; (NOT, glorified bias-
ed Citizen Survey's), plus the
inadequate lead time provid-
ed,

My heartfelt thanks to all
for the help and the vote of
confidence | received in my
first attempt to become your
Alderman in West Van-

couver, and to the Mayor
and incumbents and other
candidates congratuations.

I shail continue to attend
council meetings on a regu-
lar basis, as I have for the
past four years and I’m sure
1986 will be an‘even more
exciting year for all concern-
ed ;

Frank Beallie
West Vancouver