lame tl

ne of the things that appears

sacrosancr in the Young

Offenders Act (YOA) is con-
cealing the name of a charged or con-
victed criminal.

To be clear, the YOA does what it
supposed to do in the vast majority of
crimes associated with stupidity and
youth. But it is that smail number of
violent criminals that cut their teeth
on the YOA that is the problem. In a
warped way, the YOA seems to work
-well in educating them in a life of
crime. As a bonus, the members of
the Young Offenders Criminal
Apprenticeship Program can repeat-
edly. violate socictal rules without

_most people in their community
knowing: who they are. (Sure, the
‘most serious of offenders under age
18 can have their cases raised to adult
_ court and be named in newspapers.

—— VIEW POINT---——

lat punk

But that is rare, time-consuming,
costly and fraught with problems.)
Several years ago in = North
Vancouver, the teenage daughter of a
well-known politician was recruited
for prostitution by a local young
hood. Said hood pretended to be her
boyfriend and quickly turned mean in
typical pimp style. He was almost 18
with a long criminal record only sur-
passed by his older brother’s (also a
juvy) and his father’s. Unfortunately
the girl and her parents were in the
dark about this guy because of the
YOA. They found out when things
got ugly. No doubt that family would
like YOA changes. Perhaps a catchy
amendment such as: three strikes and
your name is out in public?
Communities need to be fully
informed about the experienced crim-
inals among us no matter their ages.

: maithox

- Noisy. gardening
must stop in WV

colts. aie time of year again, when the worst invention:
‘eVer to strike a foul (and loud) note is upon us.

As retired persons, we were looking forward to some
peace and tranquility in our time at home, but the curse is
upon us — noise pollution!

\ In the ‘spring and summer, we suffer through gardeners,
‘employed by the neighbours, as they whir and whine their
way around the neighbourhood with chain saws and power

wers. Then there is construction noise, blasting, sawing
and'even commercial carpet cleaners with their loud gener-

ly docs this happen regularly during the week, but

when the homeowners are at home at weekends, it is repeat--

‘ed yet agai
low. with the advent of the fall those cursed leaf blowers
k t The operators are wearing ¢ar-protectors, but we
soor,souls have no protection, the sound penetrating loud-
ly and monotonously ‘through closed doors and windows,
whilst the:infernal niachine is expected to clear every single
: pine needle’in its path. (One wonders if they are so fastidi-

ous'with the vacuum cleaner inside?) -”
To object to a few minutes of this would be unfair ( per- S
ps), but when it persists; from neighbour to neighbour for.

tivo or three hours consecutively, it becomes too much to.»

id ‘one has to go’ out of the area to escape the din: -

is high ei
ulate ‘the: noise’ level, the frequency and duration ‘of such :
ridiculous: machines. :

little ‘consideration, ‘by, p rpetrators, for those of us «
‘who “appreciate peace ‘and ‘quiet, ‘would be appreciated =
and “an' -— whatever happened to the good old’ yard

muscle power, fresh air and exercise? ;

“Blown ‘away by Noise” ;

ie we had bylaws, that were enforced, to reg-

0

NEWS to me:

Is breaking up returned bottles in our
government liquor stores unsafe? Or even
leg: va)?

P Reader Harry
Greenwood, retired
union executive from my
heavy-industry birthplace
of Hamilton, was
bemused a while ago to |
see a West Vancouver
liquor store employee
with a handkerchief tied °
over nose and mouth.

She obviously wasn't
trying to hold up the
joint. Mr. Greenwood
asked her what was up.

She was indeed worried ‘about what’s
up — up her nose and into her mouth.
She feared that breaking the bottles on site
raises fine particles of glass in the air.
Which would not scem to be beneficial to
health — of staff, perhaps even of cus-

7 tomers. .

I questioned a ‘couple of employees.
They weren’t worried. One said a Liquor "
Distribution Branch study is under way.
Lalso asked the LDB. Two weeks of
telephone tag proved fruitless, Not a topic -
the LDB was cager to discuss, maybe?

Furthermore, Mr. Greenwood, who *

knows a thing or two about such things, -

. wondered if the bottle-smashing apparatus

violates bylaws — an industrial use in a.

- commercial-zoned area. Late flash from’

town hall: “Apparently note
; 900.

Love-i iris between citizen and politician

“7s: seldom get more smoochy than when John

; Michael Becker
Newiroom Editor ~
853-2138 (116) .:

Moonen, spokesman for a Placard-waving

HISTORICAL LANDMARKS

UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR.

RENAMING IN HONOUR

OF TraubeaAu:

group of Cit itizens Against Ferry Terminal
Expansion (at Horseshoe Bay), and West
Van Mavor Ron Wood agreed to agree
that BC Ferries is a mean old corporation.
Councillors dutifully chimed in. A par-
ents” group at
. Gleneagles school is also
on side. The fervour
evoked the unanimity of
an old-time revival meet- -
ing.
It would be easy to join
in, but this corner thinks
the battle, returning to
the courts, is probably
lost. .
Now if Premier Ujjal
Dosanjh wanted to do
something green to. .

"shore up his left wing, he’d announce'a

new/old ferry service from downtown
Vancouver to downtown Victoria and/or
Nanaimo, heavily weighed toward foot
passengers, and drop expansion plans at -
the Shoe.

I say new/old because the CPR ran

such a service from Vancouver to Nanaimo, .
ae rel

~— but so slow, infrequent and oddly
scheduled thar it was in no danger of chal: -

{enging BC Ferries. And more exciting to’.

go skyline-to-skyline than the drive from”

one pile of rocks to another at each end.
__.» What the love-in did accomplish was to
showcase thi political talents of John’:
“Moonen. Could be a Political
Could be it’s under. Way. oe

er r there.

: jas Fe | :
ly : With the cost ofa lousy movie —and
most movies are lousy —- now. $12.25 at.

major chains in Vancouver, highest‘i in:

Canada, I’d urgently call North Shoreans’ -

. attention to > bargains i in live entertainment »

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR must include your -
name, full address and. telephone number.

~ Centenni:

. that it was hard to

“work. Carolanne

id bottles and new ferrie

nght here.

Not to sound too 9 buosterish; last week.
end’s opening of the revamped Centennial
Theatre drew strong crowds — but not!-:
the deserved sellouts. Friday's gala, incl
ing food catered by four restaurants, acts. :
and dancing (theatre manager Margo’.
Gram danced with orchestra leader Dal
Richards, th that old smoothie), cost just :

Sunday’s kids? show, | Miracle Island,.

. - costs kids and old folks only 8, adults

$14. It opened a series cleverly called o
Clydeoscope, marking the debut in
of Sinfonia of the North Shi
under the direction of Ciyde ‘Mitchell:
Delightful, and so professionally smooth *
lieve that it hac had
only one run-through.
teur t night at the Bijou... >

The singing /songwriting team ‘of.

‘North Vancouver’ 's Jaurel (Walker) and
Jan (Keefe) was splendid; and the poised

Vanicena Dance Academy dancers an ecle

+». tic treat. The show perfectly bridged all

ages, and ‘Mitchell displayed his excellent
feel for a lirde showmanship. without beitig

loying.
: ‘Another fantastic bargain is h
'_ Muffins at West. Van’s Silk Purse

“concert for oldsters! (‘Vancouv er’:
~ Music in the Morning conc
- But pretend I never told yori These charm-

st $20.)

Contractors must lave government’
Reynolds rightly. chal
lenges the $650,000 bill for:

John Lawson and Dunidarave parks,'a

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