TAKING IT easy at the Big Easy party are

if

(photo above, left to right) Lisa McManus, Kristina Doyle,

Sandra Botnen and Patrizia Leone. Also spotted at the do were cood-looking guys Chris Sirch,
Cameron Gancreft and Bart Hall (photo right).

_ Louise Aird
BRIGHT LIGHTS

ORTH SHORE 20-

somethings were

out in force at the
May 7 Jack Daniels/Absolut
Vodka promotional party,
which took place at The Big
Easy. .

Next time you're downtown
and feel like going to a proper
club, check this place out.

it usec to be Club Soda
(Headbanger Heaven’), but, with
just $200,090, new owner Bill
Bellinger transformed the dingy
ald place into a sophisticated night
spot.

The party, organized by West
Van's Marquis Consultants, was a
seil-out, with 400 members of the
hip crowd turning up to dance to
the excellent R&B Allstars.

North Shorites spotted in the
throng included Margareta de-
signer Sandy Eliott, the North
Shore's favorite window-washer
‘Squeegee Luigi’ — aka Chris
Birch, dancer/choreographer
Sandra Botnen, student Kristina
Doyle (daughter of architect
Hamilton), actor Cameron Ban-
croft and sportswear rep Lisa
McManus.

Also there were fashion maven
Patrizia Leone and Ottawa
Roughrider Bart Hull, who kept
such a low profile that | wasn’t

able to discover exactly why he
was there.

kk

May 9 marked the { Ith Hose
Ree! Competition, in which 200
Greater Vancouver firefighters
vied in volleyball, bucket brigade
and hase reel competitions.

The fundraising event at North
Vancouver City’s Mahon Park has
always been blessed with sun-
shine, but this year it rained. And 1
mean rained.

My dog, an avid swimmer, in-
sisted on going back to the car.
And Noah never saw so many
sodden bodies.

Stil, everyone enjoyed
themselves. About 2,500 people
showed, down from last year’s
5,000, but the beer garden was
busy, the steel band Soul Survivor
played undeterred and, in the
grandstand, North Van guitarist
Joey Hanton led a sing-along to
keep the children happy.

The Burnaby Firefighters won in
volleyball; Richmond won the
bucket brigade; and North Van
District won the hose reel, as well
as the valleyball consolation
round.

West Van came second in the
bucket brigade and, according to
organizer Dan Hilton, North Van
City won a special award for
‘Having the Most Fun.’

kaw k

May 9 was also the B.C. Pipers’
Association Annual Dinner, when
400 gathered at the Scottish Cu!-
tural Centre to reaffirm the belief
that ‘If It’s Not Scottish, It's Crap.’

You have to fike the pipes to at-
tend this function — it's the occa-
sion for the final competition

’ “(FRESH COD)

among Western Canada’s top pro-
fessional pipers.

The winner this year, as in past
years, was Simon Fraser University
Pipe Band Sergeant Jack Lee; Vic-
toria’s James Troy came in second
(both are among the best in the
world),

Truy was there with his son
james Jr., the prodigy who's been
competing since age nine and whc
is now, al 14, the Western Cana-
dian Amateur Champion.

kkk

On May 10, North Shore kids
distinguished themselves at a
Mother's Day concert organized
by the Vancouver Academy of
Music.

Among the 20-member
Academy Strings (aged nine to 11)
were North Van violinists Erin
Adams, Nicholas Rada, Theresa
Rudolph and Shannen Wall;
West Vancouver violinists Daniel
Enjo and Andrea Woo: and West
Van cellist Robin Miller.

The repertoire —- Vivaldi, Bach,
Handel, Elgar — was chosen to
pay tribute te inoms everywhere,
and everyune at the Pan Pacific
Hotel's Cafe Pacifica was
reportedly very impressed.

kk

Went to the Buschlen Mowatt
Gallery for the May 14 party for
Bill Reid’s exhibition. Should've
stayed home.

There were so many peaple, |
couldn’t get near the jewelry

VALID MON. THRU FRI.
WITH THIS COUPON ONLY

CONCESSION

Reed *.

UNITED SCOTS

Loses

63st ANNUAL

IGHLAND

"photos Loulse Aird

AT THE B.C. Pipers’ Association Dinner were (left to right) Ward
Faikner, Kenny Campbell and Ron Sutherland.

displays although. by peeking
under a man’s arm as he scratched
his head, | caught a glimpse of the
gorgeous gold and abalone
necklace which a Portland woman
had reportedly purchased for
$150,000.

We expect better from the Rain-
tree, the event's ‘caterer’ — | use
that term lightly.

To get mineral water or wine,
guests were informed, by a snappy
server, that they had to wash their
own glasses. So people were
waiting in line to get at the sink
and the Palmolive. Excuse me? Do
| look like Madge?

kkk

PUBLIC RELATIONS GAFFS-OF-
THE- WEEK

On April 29, | insulted the
Trotler Pub’s washrooms. Instead
of thanking me for the plug —
about the music, food and decor
—- I got an angry earful from the
manager. And the pub — for the
first time — will not be donating to
a charity for which | raise funds.
Well | guess that teaches me.

ACCOMPLISHED MUSI-
CIAN...Daniel Enjo.

Organized animal abuse is not
my bag; but | was prepared to
cover the Cloverdale Rodeo
because ! thought you'd be inter-
ested in reading about it.

When told | was from the North
Shore News, the ‘rodeo people
declined to issue a media pass but
offered a ticket for $50. The event
cost $11 at the door. What does
that mean?

Western Roundup
Banquet

Saturday, May 30

* Dinner at 7:30 pm
* $10 per person

* Bar open 6:30 pm
» Dress Optional

Music by WEST COAST COUNTRY
(Formerly “AYLMER TIPPY” COUNTRY WESTERN)
and the NORTH WEST HIGHSTEPPERS (Line dancing)

[_ EVERYONE WELCOME _|
FRATERNAL ORDER OF EAGLES

| 170 W. 3rd, North Vancouver

987-8815