6 — Wednesday, December 14, 1988 - North Shore News INSIGHTS Referendum no heip in the twin towers fiasco TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS, says the old proverb. Which may explain why West Van Mayor Don Lanskail and his council are taking their time about the twin towers issue at 320 Taylor Way. No decision on the matter is ex- pected before January. By then this hot potato may be a little cooler — with Christmas bills, snow tires and tax hikes for the peasants to worry about instead. Nevertheless, the problem for City Halt remains a thorny one. The November 19 referendum said “tyes”? to making money from the site. But it said ‘‘no’’, by a hair- breadth 50.18 per cent, to making that money by means of a highrise development. NOT clear is how many of those 50.18 per cent of the voters were really opposing what they knew about Newcorp’s twin towers plan or how many were opposing ANY highrises — which is what the question asked. Newcorp, for its part, is stan- ding pat upon its 99-year lease and threatens to sue council for poten- tially heavy damages if the latter breaks the lease agreement. Meanwhile, although sketches and details of Newcorp’s building plan MAYOR Don Lanskail ...40 votes enough. have been widely publicized, it has not yet actually been put to council as a formal proposal. September’s overflow public hearing was ona preliminary rezoning application to allow a higher parking garage, but over two nights it brought such a massive storm of protest against the entire project that council fled to the refuge of the referendum. weet THE WHISKER-THIN ‘'no highrise’ majority hasn’t helped much, given that the referendum isn’t binding on council anyway. The mayor may, and likely will, argue that an edge of 40 or so votes out of neariy £2,000 doesn’t justify telling Newcorp to get lost, thereby ianding taxpayers with heavy legal penalties. But under democratic rules even 50.000! per cent is still a majority. Had Don Lanskail, on a recount, won a lead of only 40 votes over challenger Bert Fleming, there’d have been no argument about who was going to be mayer! So what next in this ongoing fi- asco? Were those angry, packed meetings — which stopped only just short of rushing the podium — the voice of West Van or merely noisy rent-a-mobs? Dees the almost 50-50 referendum vate mean West Van as a whole doesn’t care much either way? When is 2 majority not a majority? And who decides West Van’s future: the cit- izens or the developers favored by City Hall? ven Solomon — who unfortu- nagsy wasn’t elected last month — migit have found some of these questions tough. thet Electronic fire also the season to consider what we're spen- 9 T IS THE season to spend, spend, spend. ‘Tis ding it on. While The Retail Council of Canada _ reports cautious consumer spending trends across most of the country, in B.C., according to the retail council presi- dent, ‘‘things are excellent.’’ The annual buying binge, which has become in- separable from the spiritual implications of Christmas, is largely fuelled this year by our insatiable infatuation with the electronic fire. This year children’s video games, VCRs and CD players will provide serious competition for the more simple pleasure of losing pneself in reverie sitting in front of crackling Yuletide logs. Well beyond the threshold of common remem- brance, people once gathered around the hearth to tell stories and pass on shared wisdom. Today, for many, reflection on family and the story chronicling the birth of the man at the centre of the Christmas celebration, is lost in the new-purchase shuffle. The electronic fire is literally telling us other stories. More often than not we aren’t even talking to each other. There is still time before the inexorable dawning of . snother Christmas morning on the North Shore. There is time for us to step back a moment and to pledge to set aside some time for conversation and reflection. We are stoking the electronic fire with a vengeance in 1988. It’s not too late to avoid having the real message of Christmas consumed by its cool flames. TAILPIECES: If you were a member of the North Van Youth: Band at any time from 1939 on- ward, they want you at their big SOth anniversary celebration next May 20-21 — a reunion party at Carson Graham and a gala concert by past and present members in the Orpheum. Call Keith Errington about it all at 929-3975 or (business) 434-5734, local $282 ... Bob Mackay, newly elected chair- man of the B.C. Seniors Lottery (Wednesday World, Dec. 7) isn’t the only North Shore type running that unique organization. Also on the current board are North Van’s John Leonard (past chairman) and Fred Sardal, together with West Van’s Dave Cattan. The fall draw, a $50,000 jackpot and over {00 other tidy cash prizes, is noon next Monday on BCTV and tickets are still on sale at all Bank of B.C. branches ... And a war bride slaps my wrist for last week’s item on that planned war brides club, in which I ungallantly noted that 1939-45 Canadian warriors overseas were much sought-after husbands. ’Twas they who wanted US, the lady protested. Knowing NOEL RIGH wednesday world « quite a few of you, I'm sure you're right, ma’am —- but love DID per- suade 40,000 of you to move to Canada. How many Canadian ser- vicemen did it keep back in England and Europe? ent WRIGHT OR WRONG: The early bird doesn't necessarily catch the worm. It all depends on how early the worm gets up. NEWS photo Cindy Ssitamy FOR MERIE AND ACHIEVEMENT...Seymour Scouts and Venturers were presented with badges and awards last week by (right) Penny Greenslade, Burnaby Regional Commissioner, and Roger Eastwood, Seymour District Commissioner. pines x Ny CHOMP AIP TEAR! < A Publisher ... Managing Editor. . Associate Editor Peter Speck . Barrett Fisher Noel Wright Advertising Director . Linda Stewart North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and quatitied under Schedule 111, Paragraph Ill of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lid. and distributed to every doar on the North Shore. Second Class Mail Registration Number 3885. Subscriptions North and West Vancouver, 525 per year. Mailing rates available on request. Submissions are welcome but we cannot accept responsibility tor BRE ZS ACOA TeRenoa ee oe 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C. 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