TOHTCH....A CLASSIC GASE OF FRESCAIPTION DRUG ABUSE, . THEY OUST CANT HELP THEMSELVES, POOR THINGS... THERE REALLY SHOULD BE SOME FORM OF GOVERNMENT seleuon SS BenQ} “NEWS VIEWPOINT Education’s out CHOOL’S OUT, and the lesson to- day from the North Vancouver Teachers Association is: who cares what your child achieved dusing the year? We want more. Because of stalled contract negotiations between North Vancouver School District 44 and the local teachers union, most District 44 students have jeft their’ classes for summer holidays without written report cards. _ Parents could have phoned teachers be- fore summer holidays ‘started to get a ver- ‘bal assessment of their child’s — perfor- ‘mance, But. many parents either did not know about, or simply missed, the stim opportunity to talk to their child’s teacher before 3:30 p.m. Thursday, June 24, In other school districts , binding arbitra- tion has determined that report cards are not an essential service. The message then is that gauging success or failure in today’s education system is not necessary. What is mecessary is that we ensure higher teacher wages and entrench teacher job security —- no matter the cost, no mat- ter the time expended. When we last tuned in, the two ‘sides in the interminable District 44 contract debate were haggling over such matters of educa- tional importance aS more money for teacher union negotiators. The issue of education quality for children in the district has never been on the table. As the no-report-card action reveals, it never will be. "NEWS QUOTES ¢ OF THE WEEK the ground.” Western Canada Committee (WCWC) staff forester Mark Wareing — in a letter to “ don’t care whether it's aerial or subterranean — it’s logging, not ‘watershed management.”’ North Vancouver District Coun. Janice Harris, criticizing North Vancouver District Mayor Murray Dykeman for -endorsing aerial logging in the Capilano watershed. ‘(From a June 25 News story.) ding to “Pve been on the water commit- unable to. let tee for five or six years:and my North Vancouver Mayor Murray Dykeman, respon- tongue-lashings other members of district council over his endorsation of an exper- imental aerial logging operation in the Capilano watershed. (From a June 25 News story.) discredited myths about District : Wilderness from Greater Vancouver Regional District water committee members — opposing continued logging in North Shore watersheds. (From a June 20 News story.) “Your organization seems quite go of the old “Fathers do know best, as long as they ask the mothers first.”’ Monique Frydrysek — to. the wild, experience is something that [ have to use. I don't believe my re- . sponsibility isto be a tape re- corder for council.” old-growth forest being decadent, diseased, non-producing cellulose graveyards just waiting to spon- taneously combust and burn to June 20 Suquiring Reporter ques- tion, ‘‘Do you believe the old adage ‘father knows best’?”’ AT THE RISK of again facing the shotgun Mayor Murray Dykeman uses to dispose of messengers with unwelcome news, we must return today to North Van District’s pot- holes. After ali, nobody ever said act- ing as umpire between His Wor- ship and Coun. Ernie Crist was going to be easy. A month ago, you may recall, a column by your scribe asked: “Does District hide deficit in cooked books?’’ The question arose from a widely publicized charge by Coun. Crist that the mayor and fellow council members were transferring some $2 million in capital funds from land sales to the operating budget for mending potholes. Asa result, Crist alleged, the District kept the 1993 tax hike to a modest 6.25% NOT by prudent housekeeping but by raiding the capital fund, Our column sug- gested that his charge — whether true or false — clearly called for a response from the accused. A response came a couple of weeks ago in an outraged letter to the editor from Mayor Dykeman, three-quarters devoted to heaping his wrath on this computer-stain- ed wretch. In the remainder , His Worship denied any budget Im- proprieties and stated that ‘‘the (capital) street construction ac- count is not used to routinely fill potholes.”’ Fine! Just what we asked for. Must be right if the mayor says it. Slink away into your hole, Ernie, and wash out your mouth with soap. But alas, that’s the last thing Coun. Crist intends to do. Last week in a statement to the News he amplified his originaf charge. Suggesting that the mayor had had a serious lapse of inemory, Crist says Dykeman himself agreed in 1992 to end; over a three-year period, the annual practice of using some $2 million from land sales capital for road patching. So that year they cut it by $557,000. This year, according to Crist, the mayor and other council - members not only failed to further cut the amount transferred. They reallocated the $557,000 cut in 1992 back to road patching, all of which, he claims, is now being funded once again from capital. _ Why — you may ask — is it important anyhow to know where the truth lies about the $2 million needed annually to fi ix District potholes? First, your scribe humbly sug- gests, because living on capital — like cashing savings bonds to buy ' HITHER AND YON the groceries — is a fool’s way to budget taxpayers’ money. At the above rate, District's present land sales capital would vanish in 10 years. So is it happening or not? Second, it always helps, on’. ANY issue, to know which politi- cians speak how much truth — especially in a civic election year. Stay tuned for further episodes of the Murray and Ernie Show! SIGN-OFF: Artist Bob Sutherland. conducts summer art classes for six- to }2-year-olds from July 3. . to Aug. 13 at West Van : Montessori School, 370 Mathers — call 986-5527 for details. ... In, ; Vienna, Austria, Cap College’s Disability Support Services coor- dinator Jolene Bordewick will present a paper July 9 to the I ternational Assn. of Special.” Education. ... Try 980-5300 for. any remaining tickets to Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. Reform Party meeting with Preston Manning in the In- © ternational Plaza. ... Many happy returns of tomorrow, June 28, to North Van’s Barbara Miller. ... ° Say that again to West Van. . -. Kiwanian Ed Fockler. ... More of the same Tuesday, June 29, to his fellow Kiwanian Gordon Scarlett. .. ... And also on June 29a 91-" candle birthday salute to North | -Van’s Violet (‘‘Dolly’’) Short... °°. ‘> eee - WRIGHT OR WRONG: Temper; gets us into trouble. Pride keeps us there. | i Display Advertising ~~ 980-0511 Distribution 986-4337 Real Estate Advertising 985-6982 Subscriptions 986-133 Classified Advertising . 986-6222 Fax 985-3227 Newsroom 985-2131 Administration 985-2131 MEMBER Peter Speck . Timothy Renshaw .Noel Wright Publisher. ; Managing Editor . . Associate Editor... Sales & Marketing Director. Linda Stewart Comptroller . .:.,.Doug Foot North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent. suburban newspaper and qualitied under Schedule 111, Paragraph Ill of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Faday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lid. and distributed to every door on the Norih Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238. Mailing rates ‘availabie on request. Submissicns are welcome but ‘we cannol accent, responsibitily lor unsolicied material including manuscnpis and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. contains recycled fibre North Shore managed 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, SDA DIVISION North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 Entire contents © 1993 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. CHARGES, DENIALS unresoived... Mayor Murray Dykeman (left, 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) ; Coun. Ernie Crist.