6 — Wednesday, May 16, 1990 - North Shore News lie Yar lOs-Goust- Po. v ARY IT SIDEWAYS... You can fight city hall Lynch. The North Vancouver home- owner won his court battle against North Vancouver District after it failed to res- pond to his concerns about a house that, if built, would block his panoramic view of the city. The court issued the district with a _legal slap on the wrist, ruling that its building inspectors are currently measur- ing housing heights from the wrong level according to the district’s own bylaws. The district had been measuring those heights from the existing fill level, com- monly known as the ‘‘finished’’ grade, rathez than the natural grade, where the original soil has not been disturbed. Whether the decision will help Pir. Lynch remains to be seen. The partially constructed house may still fall within "Lire CHEERS for Terence the maximum allowable building height, although according to Lynch’s calcula- tions, the house is at least six feet overheight. But the decision scored at least a tem- porary victory for homeowners whose views are being ruined by massive new houses. It also provides a legal precedent that could help prevent 2 house’s height from gradually creeping up as each suc- cessive home is built on a lot. Of course, in real terms the difference between finished and natural grade may be negligible in some cases. But at least the decision sets the parameters upon which the height of a house is now determined rather than continuing to allow building inspectors to arbitrarily decide how to measure that height. School board’s administration slammed themselves to the proper running Dear Editor: I am glad to read that the school board has come to its senses and decided not to put to referendum its addition to budget. The problems are of its own making. Over the past 15 years the board has allowed its administra- tion costs to get out of control, adding layer after layer of non- teaching personnel until it is the most over-supervised district in the province. What suffers in such cir- Publisher Associate Editor _. Peter Speck Managing Editer Timothy Renshaw Noel Wright Advertising Director Linda Stewart cumstances is the classroom. When the emphasis returns to in-class in- Struction the basic funding will be discovered to be adequate. The current formula ensures equality for every child, something we fought long and hard for in past years. When this has been achicved, the frills can then be prioritized on the basis of how ef- fectively they assist the main ef- fort. The district is suffering from several imcompetent trustees. It is time today’s parents committed {ef VOICE OF NORTH ANN WEST VANCOUVER SUNDAY + WEONESDAY « FRIDAY North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111. Paragraph ill of ine Excise Tax Act, ss published each Wednesday, Fnday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Ltd and distributed to every door on the Norn Share Second Class Mai Registration Number 3885 Subscnpiions North and West Vancouver. $75 per year Mauing tates available on request Submissions are welcome bul we cannot accept responsipiiiy 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 §9,170 (average. Wednesday Friday & Sunday) Sor unsolicded matenal incluaing manuscupts and pictures ry whicn should be accompanied by a stamped. addressed envetope SDA DIVISION Display Advertising Classified Advertising Newsroom Distribution Subscriptions of their schools. We need new blood on the school board, and we need it in November. In my day we ran a system of 16,000-plus students with a senior administrative staff of six, and the district was proud of its record of achievement. Ask what are the results today! Then get out and vote in a compe- tent school board. Peter C.D. Powell North Vancouver 980-0511 986-6222 985-2131 986-1337 986-1337 985-3227 Curve balis in the local election game THE ANNOUNCEMENT deadline for a spring B.C. elec- tion is only 48 hours away. If it hasn’t come by Friday, lie back and relax until the fall at earliest. Even the NDP would hesitate to tisk an election the week before Canada Day. But meanwhile there’s much for two thirds of the North Shore’s voters to ponder as they soak up summer on the patio or the boat, by the pool or at the cottage — thanks to Judge Thomas Fisher’s redrawn electoral boundaries. The only North Shore MLA re- maining virtually unaffected by His Honor’s new map (see below) is the Socred incumbent in North Van-Seymour (No.62), Energy Minister Jack Davis. If the party can hold any seat at all, it will be Jack’s. But from St. George’s and the Second Narrows west and north to Pemberton Meadows the scene is far less tranquil. With West Van split in two at 22ad St., its MLA for the past seven years, Environment Minister John Reynolds, is running for nomination in the new riding of West Van-Capilano (No.8) at the May 28 nomination meeting in West Van Senior Secondary. Combining the wealthiest chunks of West Van and North Van, the new riding is the Socred’s second safest North Shore seat — but not without some excitement during the curtain-raiser. Reynolds is opposed by resort realtor Dianne Hartwick, running on a ‘‘clean air-clean water-clean candidate”’ ticket with en- vironmentalist and Reynolds- basher Terry Jacks among her backers. Ms. Hartwick will doubt- less provide some party fireworks in the next two weeks, but aside from image-building for her politi- cal future she’s unlikely to halt the powerful Reynolds bulldozer. Angus Ree, now MLA for the North Van half of the riding, will NOT be a contender there. If he runs again, it will be in the brand new Lonsdale riding (No.32) which embraces most of the southern half of his present turf. North Van District Mayor Marilyn Baker has also been eyeing Lonsdale as a possible springboard into provin- cial politics, but would probably refrain from opposing Ree for the nomination. In any case, Lonsdale will be the Socreds’ biggest North Shore challenge. Local industry is con- centrated there. The population is mainly middle to lower income. Housing for its high percentage of tenants is a major issue. And NDP candidate David Schreck is a veteran campaigner with a fairly high profile. In West Van-Howe Sound (No.72) — all of it now west of 22nd St. — Reynolds’ departure for greener fields has left the se- cond big question mark. Among rumored aspirants for the Socred nomination are school trustee Margot Furk, a former local party queen bee, and Alderman Andy Danyliu. The revamped riding contains only half of West Van’s electorate — hitherto solidly Socred — and now extends deeper into NDP- tinged country from Squamish north. To that extent the new Socred banner-bearer will likely have a tougher fight than his or her predecessor. Altin all Judge Fisher and John Reynolds have, between them, pit- ched some pretty tricky curve bails in the North Shore’s provincial election game! ant TAILPIECES: What is a healthy community? Panel guests Dr. Ming Lim, Dr. Werner Pankratz and Dr. Nancy Hail will explain how it’s much more than simply health services at the a.g.m. of the Capilano Community Services Society tomorrow, May 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Delbrook Community Centre — everyone welcome ... Elected last month as 1990-91 directors of West Van Kiwanis Club were Paddy Kelly, Ken Mcintosh, David North, Colin Piggott, Graham Senner and Jack Wilks ... And North Delta Senior Secondary is hunting for lost grads of its Class of ’80 to join in the 10th reunion festivities October 5-6. Call Ron Sargeaat, 589-6145, or Laurie Elgert, 596-6426. wae WRIGHT OR WRONG: Gentlemen and ladies may be defined as people who are never rude unintentionally. NEW AND REVAMPED North Shore provincial ridings...(teft to right) West Van-Howe Sound (72), West Van-Capilano (8), Lonsdale (32). North Van-Seymour (62).