@ — Sunday, May 12, 1996 ~ North Shore News Theo North Shore Nows is published by Morth Shore Free Press Ltd., Publisher Peter Speck, from 1139 Lonsdals Avenue North Vancouver, B.C,, V7M 2HS y a uS PETER SPECK Publisher 2131 (197) Dea ia Deals 96-2151 ti ile (ied TaN: "REFORM SCHOOL quotes of the aes | had hoped for a higher ‘ standard of behavior. I’m really . ' disappointed in Glen Clark's party. I-was just hoping for , Something better. I don’t know why, “West Vancouver resident Sandra -Richardson, on the quality of - “provincial candidates. (From a May . 8 News On the Street feature.) . oo0 “ft was a wonderful school. We were lucky as teachers because we had the raw materi- gis. These kids would haye taught themselves.” Retired teacher Tom Taylor, - "reminiscing about Hillside ae a _:(From.a May 8 News Life story.) ’ yoo OOO “It was basically one big - roved of laughter as far as I was . concerned. I was late every any. mailbox wreels wrnecmrvaerienn The teachers loved me. I was the homecoming king. I was just a goof, and I succeeded.” Dave Carswell, member of the rock group The Smugglers, on his time at West Vancouver's Hillside school. (From a May 5 North Shore News Life story.) " 29 “Anybody who has listened to (North Vancouver-Seymour MLA) Daniel Jarvis’ flow-of con- sciousness style of debating would not pay too much serious attention.” North Vancouver-Lonsdale NDP MLA David Schreck, explaining why he didn’t hear references to ~ the Grand Cayman island during debate on the Intemational Power Corp. issue, when it was raised dur- ing estimates debates in Victoria. (From an April 28 News story.) at pamainnipieennenes Aghast at ¢ gym charges Dear Ediior: Even though we already. pay the ninth-highest taxes in the province, it. seems: the North’ Vancouver ° school -board is dinging parents again, Mount Seymour. Soccer Club has been informed that use of schoo! gyms for the children’s practices will increase $485 per season to a whopping $4,000! Brownies and Scouts groups are also affected. Burnaby stil! pays 85-2131 (114) MecLredie-Sposte/Commeaity Editar 985-2131 (147) LETTERS TO THE ELHTOR Lattars must include your nama, tull address; & telephone number. VIA Internet: trenshaw @ direct.ca COMPUTER 28S - 880-8027 User (O:mailhox » Password DES WAS Se We AE | North Shore Wwe, founded wy 1909 as an inckpendent suburban and qualified undvt Schadule 11. Paragraph 111 of the Excise ‘Tax Act, is published each Wedresahyy Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lal and iivinbuted ty every door on de: North Shane. Caras Poo Canaan Publications Mai Sain Prodat Aprement No, in price from about: OR the kind of intrusive Big Government meddling B.C. will be in store for if Premier Glen Ciark around $485 and Vancouver, Richinond and West Vancouver use their school gyms for frec. I chose to raise my children on the North Shore because of the close-knit, caring. child-oriented community spirit. This is outrageous, unacceptable and our school board 1s again mak- ; ing children pay for government ; ertor, They should be ashamed of themselves. Susan Dronyk Mount Seymour Soccer Club rita Combat C! sounds like: a slug-fest in a chained-off ring. Brutal? Perhaps. Perhaps. Offensive? Perhaps. ad retreat by Refori join the pack Noei Wright THE problems tormenting the federal Reform Party last week teli a lot about the problems engulfing democra- cy itself in the 1990s. Reform leader Preston Manning has suspended three of his MPs from cau- cus, two for loose-lipped comments about colored people and gays, the © third — in a new twist on throwing out the baby with the bathwater — for criti- = 2 cizing her party as a bunch of unrepen- tant rednecks. Nanaimo- Cowichan MP Bob Ringma sparked the whole uproar by - saying he'd fire or “move to the back of the shop” a.gay or black hither - and ayer a employee whose presence drove away bigoted customers. Alberta MP Dave Chatters publicly agreed with him — provipting Chatters’ Alberta colleague Jan Brown to go after both of them, plus an’, unspecified number of alleged think-alikes in the party, like a hungry.” pitbull. Meanwhile, Preston gavé Southam newspapers a rambling statement, on Reform's devotion to human rights -— warning any followers tainted with Ringma's foul thoughts that it-would henceforth be Preston's w or the doorway. Equality for all was to.become Reform’s gospel. | In other words, Reform will now go all out to increase the 17-18%. national support where it has long been mired by becoming just like‘an other party. By offending nobody, by wooing the ethnic and every other” " minority vote, and by making Political Correctness, the guiding all its policies, actions and utterances. The big danger for Manning. of course, is that he has now trampled, on one of the party's most sacred founding principles: the. right and dut of elected Reformers to express and promote their constituents’ views and wishes, even when those run counter to the party line. I certain that this “grassroots empowerment” more than any what has brought Reform to its present strength... Ringma's off-the-cuff comment undoubtedly made grassroo to many Reform members. It portrayed the situation in’a small mom- and-pop store whose employee, hired in good faith, was costing.ti owners their livelihood through no fault of any of them.’So wer and pop then supposed to go broke waiting for rotten custom smarten: ‘up? : : The point being that such matters — whether as practical o7 deeply,held personal beliefs —- can now no longer, even in public by Reformers, according: to Manning’s edict. That ‘the antithesis of the principle that brought Reform where it is ¢ ’ Like all the other parties, Reform is row betting on Politic: Correctness to widen its voter appeal. But it-risks losing far more supporters than it can hope to gain in new ones, Why ‘switch to a Part bent pn becoming basically indistinguishable from the’ rest? Collectively, today’s parties are increasingly, betraying the t rue pu posc of democracy. They do so by fruitless endeavors to please every: one, offend no one and pander to every special interest —— all to to the neglect of the thinking and responsible silént majority. ‘It's sad that Reform —- once so full'of promise as ‘a guardian of gen- vine democracy — should now be retreating to join the Pack: : 900 roe A VERY HAPPY Mom's Day to all who qualify .. _And 392- candle’: salute Tuesday, May 14, to North Van Kiwanis Towers resident Vera | liffe. qaqa WRIGHT OR WRONG: Nobody can humble you like the repairman. who learns you tried to fix it yourself. lari fighting boots and promptly cancelled - the whole affair. Now the promoter is out of pocket Graceless? OOR7238, Mailing raics aeulable on request. Entire contents © 1996 North Shore : “Free Prass Ud.: ‘All rights reserved. S| = and his merry band of socialists are returned to power in Victoria look no further than the ridiculous dust-up at the PNE. Extreme fighting’s the name; extreme government intervention’s the game. Promoter Trevor Wallden has tossed in the towel in his attempt to stage the no-holds barred “extreme fighting” event at the PNE. He is moving on to the judicial arena. For those who might.not be familiar with the sport, it is pretty much what it Not everyane’s cup of tea. For sure. But of enough interest for 2,000 peo- ple to buy tickets at up to $50 a head to witness the event. So what if extreme fighting involves less than the Marquis of Queensberry rules. Ali those involved know what they. are getting into. But outcry from the faint of heart was fanned into hysteria. A job then for Extreme Clark, peer- less politician, interventionist extraordi- naire. The premier donned his political and the event’s prospective attendees are out of a show. Worst of all B.C.’s tax- payers are soon to be out of pocket for the legal fees that will result from Wallden’s lawsuit against the province over the whole affair. Maybe the Vancouver Indy car race will offend enough people to inspire the next intervention into the free market- - place by the provincial government. - The sky’s the limit with this bunch. Or at least it will be if they are returned. to office.