Open letter to Mr. O’Brien: I read with interest your letter to the editor in the Aug. 16, edition of the North Shore News regarding the mead- ow pilot project on Grand Boulevard. Let me start by saying that I do agree that there could have been a better public process in the decision to try something new on the boulevard. I live in that area as well, and am sure the opportunity to provide input on the project would have been appreciated by residents like your- self — J can't help bur think that the reaction would have been somewhat dif- ferent under more pro-active circum- stances. At the same time, though, Thave to tell you that the intentions and idea behind ‘the “meadow” held the commu- nity’s best interest at heart. {In this increasingly urbanized part of the world, it is important for us to create habitat for beneficial insects and birds — life forms that will benefit greatly the gardens of both surrounding homes and Boulevard Park by controlling damaging pests with- out the use of synthetic pesticides (which science is finding quite concretely to be extremely harmful to us, our pets, and most of all our children). Since its inception, Grand Boulevard has been a very manicured, “traditional” piece of parkland — I can therefore understand the dismay felt by long-time residents when they saw what you MAIL Box— Natural landscapes work referred to as a “dump” grow forth at the south end of the site. As far as 1 under- stand, it takes upwards ofa season or two for a meadow to fully mature, taking on the characteristics that would make it look less dumpy” and more like the eco- logical system it is supposed to be. [also understand that those patches had been planted with indigenous and iow-mainte- nance bulbs and grasses, which would be beautiful given time and a little space. As Fam in the business of developing and delivering natural vard care educa- tion programs, [ would be very interested in finding out what you would deem acceptable in city parks with regard io creating habitat, reducing our reliance on pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertil- izers, and reducing our care, maintenance and water usage. Even with the environ- mental benefits out of the picture, our highly-manicured, — high-maintenance parks cost a considerable amount of money to maintain — labour to cut grass and constantly replace annual plants (highly care-intensive), fuel costs (contia- uing to rise), fertilizers, water, drainage, turf repair, and the list goes on. [ think we have to ask the inevitable question — is this the most productive use of our tax dollars, or could the nioney be better spent elsewhere in our parks. In short, EF believe the city is extreme- ly forrunate to have a talented, creative and forward-thinking parks department thar is ridizg the leading edge of munici- pal parks planning and implementation in this province — maybe even the country. Their efforts to reduce and eliminate pes- cide use, lower water consumption, ere- ate habitat and reduce maintenance costs should be commended, and seen as a benefit to cur community and in the long tun, our pocketbooks. In concert with the city’s developing Environmental Protection Program, CNV Parks will help all of us create a clean, interesting, and biologicaliy rich community in which to live. Hf you are at all interested in learning more about natural yard care and its pos- sibilities, or maybe in taking part in some of our upcoming workshops/lectures or the North Shore Natural Gardens Tour on Sept. 17, please do give us a call. We can be reached either via ¢-maii at or av 984-9730, Monday to Friday, We would Jove to show you some examples of “natural” landscaping being aesthetically beautiful, even struc- tured. So, thank-you for expressing your views — honest and open dialogue is always a good thing. Victoria Gazeley Assistant Manager North Shore Recycling Program www.nsrp.be.ca Questions linger on cycling support Dear Editor: In response to the article i? Once money enters the private sec- receives public — the private sector. Velo-City has often failed With the descriptions of their faults illustrated in the article of Aug. 27, [doubt it. Friday, September 71, 2000 - North Shore News - 9 Apology for remarks Dear Editor: Re: Lions Gate Bridge shuttle service articic, Sunday, Aug. 27 I felt compelled to write a short letter of apology to the dri- vers of the Lions Gate shuttle service as a result of some of my comments in the North Shore News, Aug. 27. Although 1 maintain the position that the service requires a major overhaul to increase its safety and reliability some of the comments in the article were very personal and unfortunately reflect the high level of frustration I have felt with the service over the past sev- eral months, The majority of the drivers have conducted them- selves in a professional manner and have tried their best to offer a reliable level of service with the old and I feel poorly main- tained vehicles. It is clear to me that if proper equipment was available and the drivers were paid a reasonable salary there would be a substantial increase in the safery and reliability of the service. If my comments offended any of the drivers I offer my sin- cerest apologies. Our goal remains consistent we want a safe and reliable shuttle service. Dan Jepsen West Vancouver ridge shuttle works Dear Editor: The providers of the Lions Gate Bridge shutde service for bikes have been raking a lot of heat lately. Their job is not easy, if you think about crossing that bridge incessantly all day long. They have no control over the traffic congestion and their vans are also subject to break- downs from the continuous wear and tear. Overall they make a concerted effort to get us quickly and safely across the bridge during the past nine months of construction, Those who are complaining about delays would find the same if they were behind the wheel of a vehicle or even if waiting fora North Van bus. I used to bus to work and, many times while [ waited for a 240 or 241 in the morning, it did not show up (apparently if driver phones in sick, they don’t replace them) or it went by full. Sometimes I had several buses in a row go by full, Since we can’t get across the Lions Gate by bike right now, the shuttle is a great alternative, it really beats dri- ving a single occupant vehicle or buses. Sandra Rosang sandra_rosang@vancity.com of Aug. 27, LGB cycle shuttle slammed. I'd like to stress that this is _@ perfect example of how the private sector cannot ade- : quately provide public ser- vice. How often do you hear stories of TransLink buses breaking down, service being disrupted by unreliable dri- vers, or erratic schedules? Who is responsible . for the maintenance of the shuttle Service? ~The. government, which __ provides the funding, or Velo- . City - Cycle Tours, which tor it can no longer be regu- lated, and because it cannot be regulated Velo-City is then unaccountable to the public. What are they doing with the funding if it is not going towards van upkeep and the hiring of reliable drivers? The public loses control when public funding goes to the cyclists. Not only were drivers sometimes irresponsible, their vehicles were unreliable. In regards to the latter, did the B.C. Transportation Financing Authority fully inspect the Velo-City vans before contracting them for shuttling cyclists over LGB? Every Sunday featuring great health for good living. “REALTH & WELLNESS DIRECTORY... pate edia’ unin e opportunity # for a limited Mulgrave fosters standards of e. vin independent, co-educational school, K 10 GY, expanding te G12, rellence in developing knowledgeuble, confident, compassionate and public spirited individuats Elise Van Riet clisevr@interchange.ubc.ca North Vancouver : 4 UTOMOTIVE ! 54 % | off, | wath thas ad. 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