: reduction! : reduction for | _ residential property owners” “who have-a: $67,000: home. My.” home has ‘a _ taxable. -assessment of- $67,050, my ~ taxes for ‘schools ‘last year were’ $611.73, . but were reduced this year to $534.96. -a decrease of $76. 77. Right , : Wading pools. are in danger — "Seniors wait seven years “| Three = suminers ago oe wrote to your paper. in the- hope of rousing enough. public protest -against the closure of the park wading pools, to have- reopened. Most people were not aware that the pools were to: stay closed uwiitil school successful in 1 having them réopened. “This” year the’ Recreation . again Commission has" tried to take credit fo su ach a e. "notice ‘from my” ' school board was. absolutely, - correct. It anfiounced | a ‘$76: “most oS them | was .out for the ~ summer. With your r help in publishing my letter we were reduction: ‘of: seven. mills will : not. likely occur ‘next ‘year:- unless» the | Harbour a Board finds it that it owes.us’. : “another, $2 million, “provincial « decides.to_ pay: ‘More of the . F dt a and the-- “government: “Trustee Craig ates, ~ , very. little time is spent; by: “: “the ‘school. trustees: on. the - "school board budget. ‘This is ~ absolute ‘honserise.. ‘Between © the’ time in. the fall when the first provisional budget. must . -- be. prepared for. Victoria .- “until April -of-the-following-_ enrolment is concerned, Mr. year when school budgets | ‘are’ finalized and ‘approved ‘the . Department of by” Education, hours and hours _of work are spent both by Staff ‘and. trustees, not + only “decided to. terminate non- revenue producing programs. As a result I~ “attended | last _District Council meeting and — learned that next Monday June 25th Council will decide whether or .not to bail out the Recreation Commission. 2 want. the mek ulate ‘open. ‘this’ sumemr ‘and/or attend the ‘council, - Meeting. ‘With. “reasons for such a reduction, . ‘divi : and anyone with half a: brain n _ could deduce. that this year’s ‘elementary | Monday's . The. the District. po tax’ dollar - ‘Spent mm manner. ‘may not agree with | “homework time. “Craig: ‘also States: that ‘the cost. per pupil is. ‘increasing ‘faster .than : the -rate. of in; ‘flation’. in’. Vancouver, and_ ~ gives the figure; 1978-$1991,; ~ 1979-$2181" for’ per” “pupil. -costs. “If he* bothered to check, ‘he *d find the rate. of - increase - “per ‘studént. was” 9.5% whereas the: Tate of 9.8%. “AS” > far. as” - declining conclusions, but. Ta i * Vancouver increased i in 1978" ‘over 1977; Today”, » Feb. North Vancouver: o “Under the B. N. A. Act the . provinces are responsible for |. _. education, ‘and when you ’ examine the presént finance’ ‘formula in’ the Public react only to the whims of --higher levels of. government: *... which’ make . decisions as ‘to’ how ‘much ™ “homeowners ° are — going to” ‘the basic pay. _ ; ~~ Craig should refer to the . ‘Department. of. Education's ~ own. statistics . or : pupil/teacher ratio. which. the | the: options for taxation in their | show” that both and ‘the pools. in- operation, the parks remain safe places for. our youngsters to play even those: not using the pools. ‘presence of the: lifeguard and parents acts as a ‘gentle. but § effective © deterrent against vandalism and rough behaviour. I for ' one- would like some. ae . ‘Cecilia A. M. “MéLaren . (Mrs.) . North Vancouver. West Vancouver needs theatre Dear Editor: When (Mrs. Bette Williams, ‘Secretary of Ambleside Ratepayers, says “There is no hurry for this. It shouldn’t be decided ahead of time” — she is apparently unaware that in 1975 the ‘West Vancouver Com- munity Arts Council put forth the Historic Square concept, which was well received by Council and the Planning Department. Also, that for 12 years before that, some of us had been working for an arts centre. Is sixteen years “going too fast?” We have been paying taxes in this municipality for ys M senny | 40 years, and: for our tax dollars we have. not had the benefit. of the kind of facilities we want, i.e. cultural facilties. Our dollars have helped provide a skating rink, swimming pools, a skateboard bowl, and many other sports facilities, but West Vancouver still lacks an arts centre. Surrey, Richmond, Burnaby, North Vancouver all have such centres, but West Van- couver is very backward in this area. When will our wishes, and those of hun- ea iclee tn ee = ety aeran,~ ‘Final Week close out sale June 26, 27, & 28th only | Closed July and August jenny’s macrame 1091 Reosevelt Cres. N. Van. 980-8412 dreds like us, receive. some consideration? Council has asked for input from citizens, and, contrary to some misleading statements, has made no commitment to developers. Citizens who care should study.the Sutcliffe Report carefully and use their in- fluence to see that the necessary commercial facilities shall not outweigh too heavily the ‘cultural facilities we so badly need. Norma and Clancy Sorensen West Vancouver Last year ‘the provincial . government changed assessment . practices giving ‘municipal councils four Dear Editor: ‘E would like to thank Noel Wright for calling the facts’ about » West » Mans’ much needed: ‘Senior Citizens new centre: (June. 17. Before the Prov. Election’ Allan ‘Williams promised to push . forward to get. the Seniors’ new. Center for them,” but now he is elected it’s another . “story,..after all the Seniors ‘have’ conly . been waiting 6 —- years; some have. passed on___ inthe meantime. oo h>. districts: Option A provided , a very” slight | (“Education ‘ 1979) | This. _ gives usa: ‘rating: of 20th in™ i “the-province. There. are also _--20° districts” “which have: ’ higher costs per. ‘pupil than reduction . -{0.4%) in taxes. on ‘single - “family dwellings and a. large industry © ‘and. business. , ‘Option -D was ‘hardest : on ‘did not tax industry to the~. ‘same extent as Option. A, while business actually took a’ cut... Most. municipalities “took Option A. But what did — “our Schools. Act, it ‘is -obvious a “that local school boards can” -North Vancouver councils choose? That right - Option D’- the one that had the greatest . effect ‘on homeowners and the least on | industry. Even. the BC. Assessment “Authority. ‘pointed. out - in -connection. with Option D “the. shifting ‘: of the tax burden would’ -generally be to the detriment of residential property”. have: not. : hear. phoney. “argumentation | by: portunities: or by ‘those who done. | their research, we. mist remember. that our children will be the endangered’ species. if ‘such . single. family ‘dwellings than ~ _ any of the other options, and | people are allowéd.to falsify and corrupt, the truth - Betty Griffin ‘North. Vancouver - So let's not use our schools ‘” to hide from facts. And when — After all the. seniors have been trying to help them- selves by donations. etc. ‘They haven't been just _ Sitting on their butts! - “Thanks also to Mayor . Derrick Humphreys and Aldennan Bob Hicks for _. their untiring ¢ efforts. ~ Alf Thompson ‘West Vancouver Use your | Largest Garage Sale in Town! Wocduand - Warehouse Sale of Display and Store Fixtures and Retail Merchandise Sale starts Wednesday, June 27th at 9:30 a.m.- to Saturday, June 30th in Woodward’s Downtown (Vancouver) Carpark Main Level only Enter at Cordova Snot All Sales Final Personal shopping only. No deliveries.