wre News MAYOR MARILYN BAKER She fi and guests MARILYN BAKER believes government should be rational, reasonable, fair and approachable. By DAWN BURKE | And Baker aspires to be all of the above. Interviewing Baker is a reporter's dream. She is in- telligent and concise. She is quick and well-informed. Baker knows her stuff, But without suffering from any false modesty, she does not want to talk avout herself. She’ll tell you how she got into public life. She'll tell you how the gov- ernment should be run. But she can’t, or wos't tell you how Marilyn Baker runs. She is a wife and mother. She is the first woman mayor in the history of the District of North Vancouver. She is an avid sailor and skier. She has run a small business. And she is only 41. “Nothing gets people in- volved like having something happen,” says Baker and that is how she herself got involved. It was concerns about development and plans in her immediate ratepayers area that got Baker concern- and Recreation Master Plan Advisory Committee. She served as an alderman for five years and is in her second tern: as mayor. In November she was re-elected by acclamation. Baker admit. to having been approached by all par- ties in the political spectrum to run both provincially and federally but says she is not interested ‘‘at this time.’ “Tm a person who likes to have a full understanding of what the job entails and what the responsibilities are...1 won't take on some- thing unless 1 feel | have some background or knowl- edge. I do my homework.”’ Sundays are family days for Baker. It is a standing rule that the whole family is home for dinner. Home is the house she and husband Dick built on Riv- erside Drive and family in- cludes daughters Stephani, 20, Allison, 18, and son Mitchell, 16. Dick Baker is an airline mechanic and also owns a small manufacturing business. Baker works long days. es to get involved Weekends she may spend flipping pancakes or kicking off festivities. It's a demanding job, Baker admits, but she finds satisfaction in being able to come up with solutions to problems. ‘You can be of some help,’’ she says. She likes the municipal level of government, saying a pro- blem can be looked at from all sides. ‘‘I have not found it comfortable to agree to a party line to which one adheres.’ One reason,she says she is happy to remain in municipal politics. Hers is a hard working council, she says. Baker is very aware of the respon- sibiltiy she has been handed. “We have a great responsi- bility to the taxpayers, because, in fact, short of the next election, you have an open checkbook.”’ Baker says there is no real secret to her success. ‘“‘There’s no mystique. You're only as good as your next election.”” Life after politics may in- clude working in the media or writing about her travels to Europe with her family. Baker says in ten years time she could easily see herself ed and involved with the She is often in her office by sailing the Danube. ‘‘But : community through the 7:30 a.m. and there are you can't be a voyeur all Seymour Ratepayers’ evening meetings an average your life. You have to be do- NEWS photo Terry Peters ALWAYS ON THE move is Mariiyn Baker, mayor of the District of North Vancouver, Baker, a municipal politics veteran, is serving her second term as mayor. Designer Save 111 West 1st, N. Van 986-2498 3189 W. Broadway, Van. open 7 days a week Association in !969. A resume of her community involvement reads: Past Chairman, Advisory Plann- ing Commission: Past Chairman, Seycove Com- munity School Planning Advisory Commitiee; Past President, Seymour Ratepayers’ Association; Project Manager for funding and construction of Maplewood Child Care Cen- tre; founding member of the Seymour Planning Associa- tion and Chairman, Parks of four - nights a week. ing your contributions.”’ Tin of Slazanger tennis balls with your purchase of any Adidas tennis shoes. Buy any Pair of men’s, ladies’ or children’s Adidas Tennis Shoes and receive one FREE tin of Slazenger Tennis Balls. (valued at $5.50, offer good till June 15th) [TIME OUT SPORTS| LYNN VALLEY CENTRE 1980-9211 980-0116]