THE Vote OF ‘NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVER ‘north | shore a . 6 ~ Sunday, December 29, 1985 ~ North Shore News Editorial Page. Hooker game orth Van City council has made the right decision in dropping its planned action against two local escort services ~—— though hardly for the right reason. An article earlier this year in another newspaper had alleged that the two operations (which have a common owner) were a front for prostitution. So council voted to call the owner before it to show cause why her business licences should not be revoked. Her appeal to the Supreme Court of B.C. to quash council’s action was rejected. Mean- while, however, council had spent $10,000 of the taxpayers’ money on the litigation and the reporters on whose story council’s case was largely based refused to appear at the propos- ed ‘‘show cause”’ hearing. To subpoena them would cost still more tax dollars for further litigation. Council has now backed off on the grounds that additional ex- penditure of public funds is unjustifiable. It can be argued that it was unjustifiable all along. - Prostitution in itself, however distasteful many may find it, is not an offence in law. It becomes one only when it causes a public nuisance or others exploit prostitutes as a means of livelihood. Since hookers themselves are legal and, one way or another, are going to stay in business, acquiescence in the escort service approach may be the only practical way to contain the problem. it eliminates street soliciting and at least provides a licensed window through which the law cau check on pimping. Such was the general thinking behind last year’s Fraser Committee Report. ..-No council is keen to connive at activities that offend the morals of a majority of its citizens. But the realities of the oldest Profes- sion leave it few options. Escort services are probably the least objectionable. ature always defeats man in the end. West Van council found incontinent canines an easy mark when it passed its famous ‘‘poop-scoop”’ law.some years ago — but incontinent bees have left it helpless. All its new bylaw can do is impose a few size ‘and distance limits on local beekeepers. The aldermen will never get.to the real seat of the trouble until they figure out out how to house- train the carefree honey-suckers. . Display Advertising 980-0511 Classified Advertising 986-6222 f Newsroom 985-2131 ff ce Buti Citculation 986-1337 B "| WEDNESDAY -Fmpay Subscriptions 986-1337 § 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 publisher: Peter Speck Operations mgr. advertising director Bern Hilliard Linda Stewart editor-in-chief managing editor Noel Wright Nancy Weatherley North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suzy sban newspaper and qualitied under Schedule IU, Part UW, Paragraph EN of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lia. and distributed to every door on the North Shore Second Class Mail Registration Numbet 3885. Entire contents © 1985 North Shore Free Press Lia. All rights teserved Member of the B.C. Press Council 56,245 (average, Wednesday Friday & Sunday} SOA DIWSION SN —aees THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE business. THERE’S NO ESCAPE from the relentless chip. So a good resolution to add’ to, your 1986 list is to take those overdue books back before they bankrupt you. That’s the friendly. but firm New Year's message from Jack Mounce, boss of West Van Memorial Library, . whose computer has made it one of the most efficient on the continent. One must admit he has a problem: this year, to date, over 10,500 overdue items. If you reckon the minimum price of a hardback at $12.95, that works out at nearly $136,000 worth of Jiterature (plus albums and - tapes) either denied for varying periods to other patrons : or lost altogether. ; According to Jack, there are various reasons for this costly delinquency. Some people are just, ‘too embar- rassed to do anything about the’situation, once a certain time has elapsed. Others feel the taxes they pay entitles them to actual ownership of the Library’s property. Still others hang on hoping for an cventual ‘‘amnesty day’’ BEAUTY IS HER TRADE ... Phelan, 1985 Miss Teen Vancouver, and Miss Teen Canada generat manager Elaine Anisman. Noel Wright © sunday brunch when all outstanding fines will be waived in a desperate bid to get the books back. Jack doesn’t believe in amnesties, though they’re a periodic practice at other libraries, and I have to agree with his reasoning. He ad- mits they work ‘but says they're grossly unfair to other patrons who bite the bullet and pay up in between whiles. ; The Library's computer “notices” prints out a reminder mail- ing. If nothing happens, it prints another, giving a 90- day warning of suspended privileges, and spits out a -final notice after six months. The process is now going to get tougher, thanks to a new computer printout giving detailed chapter and verse of / every long-overdue item. Whether the IBM will eventually get round to your bank account number and automatic garnishee orders is nat quite clear at this point. But Jack and his board mean business and you've nowhere left to hide. Better when books are. not returned on time. After © - three weeks it automatically photo ‘submitted | CHIP ON YOUR SHOULDER ... Chief Librarian Jack Mounce and his computer mean look around your. shelves - right now. ** au THE BEAUTY SHOW. starts early-on the North Shore this year, Gertie Todd —- tireless founder, president and impresario of the Miss North Shore Pageant since 195! — is already ‘hunting out local entrants for the Miss Teen Vancover Pageant which culminates . February 10 in the crowning ceremony. at North Van Centennial Theatre. Winner of the contest, open to the whole Lower Mainland, gets an all-ex- pense-paid trip to Toronto to compete in the Miss Teen Canada Pageant, a modell- ing scholarship and loads of other goodies. Candidates must be between 14 and 17, full-time school or university students and Lower Mainland residents — and the ‘not’s’’ tell much about today’s society. They must NOT (at 14-17) have been married, divorced, separat- ed, lived common law, had a child or a marriage annulled; nor ever before have run for Miss Teen Canada. North and West Van lovelies with brains and personality who pass all those preliminary tests are invited to call Gertie pronto at 985-0555, ae ARTIST TO WATCH: The name’s Jackie Lornie of West Van and you watch her because her ‘‘Get Into The Spirit’? banner design for Expo year is one of the 15 winners in a contest that was ‘open to the entire province. Her ‘design is presently on display at the Emily Carr School of Art on Granville (sland and during 1986 it will adorn SkyTrain stations. You watch her, ‘too, -because Jackie is approx- imately 3 ft. 6 in. tall, five years of age and a kindergarten’ pupil at Westcot Elementary. Aside from fame, her prize in- ciudes a special three-day hosted trip to Expo with ‘mom or dad and a persona! greeting there from Grace McCarthy. we NEWS photo Noel Wright BIG THINGS from little packages ... artist Jackie Lornie— flanked by art teacher Gillian West a). and kindergarten teacher Sheila Sexsmith (r). NEWS Photo Stuart Davis Pageant founder-president Gertie Todd (1) with Allyson POSTSCRIPTS: Gearing up for the February Heart Fund campaign, North Yan's Nancy Huot (984-6421) and West Van’s Norman Hurst (922-7173) need all the vol- unteer helpers they can find... Alumni over the past 30 years of the West Van day care at 25th and Haywood are asked to call Brian McQuaid (926-7072) who's planning a 1986 reu- nion dinner and dance for them .... And congrats to North Van’s Bilt McLoughlin on his Ph.D. in counselling psychology, bestowed this month by Washington State Universi- ty. ees WRIGHT OR WRONG: Reassuring New Year's thought from Kathleen Nor- ris — despite the high cost of living, it's still very popular.