By Steve Burgess
Contributing Writer

UNLIKE the impover-
ished citics of the Third
World, we in the Lower
Mainland are blessed
with an abundance of
awards ceremonies.

Most of us take our good
fortune for granted. But’
these events don’t just magi-
cally appear; they must be
supported, lest we awake one
day to find our mantels
empty and our tux rental
shops in receivership.

That’s why media drones
gathered at Main Strect’s
Heritage Hall last Thursday
night for a lounge-themed
party. thrown by the Western
Magazine Awards

. Foundation (not affiliated
with the Unied Way).

Drinking luminous cock-

_ tails and.acting suave was

* only a civic duty for these
wonderfully concerned citi-
zens. They were there
* because they cared, damn it.

The foundation's need for
fundraising is dire; among
other things, it requires cash
to buy-a golden arch for local
writer Daniel Wood’s front
fawn.

_It will be inscribed, “Over
38 nominations served”
(prominent B.C. freelancers

: tend te to accumulate nomina-

 walibox

Pr

AC MERLE LT UnlEh PO NUL

tions, and Wood in particular
is the Anne Murray of local
scribes).

Since the event attracted
mainly freelance writers it
was, by definition, a gather:
ing of people who get most
of their-income from tips.

Typical was Gail, who, in
addition to working as an
editorial assistant at nwo
Vancouver publications,
moontlights as a
waitress /avenging angel for a
popular local restaurant. The
waitress part happens during
business hours; ¢ vengeance
bit happens at 3 a.m. when
Gail goes to the reservation
book. and obtains the phone

_ numbers of customers who

stiffed her. Shed no tears for

“her victims.

Perhaps the evening’s
most noteworthy second-
career resumé belonged to
the former Leslie Hoffman,

now married 10 Saturday
Night contributing editor
Terry Gould, and working for
the PR firm Contemporary
Communications.

Back in ber Hoffman days,
Leslie actually laid claim to
the title of New York's first
female cabbie:

“Twas artending City
University of New York in
1969, and I knew that as a
cabbie, | could make 50
bucks a weekend in tips. It
was a perfect job for a stu-
dent, But the cab company
didn’t want to hire me. There
were no women hacking in
New York.”

She persisted, they relent-
ed. Refore she could make
history, however, there was a
battery of tests to take.

Knowledge of New York
streets, and physical tests, of
course; but there was some-
thing else standing between
Leslie and her pioneering
position. She was asked to
submit to a psychological
examination. The facr that
she got the job makes one
wonder — did the results
mark her as a conscientious
employee or the prototype
for Travis Bickle in Taxi
Driver?

“[ think,” Leslie said, “i
was probably best to show. up
as moderately neurotic.”

Patrick Kaslo was also in
attendance, taking in the
groovy melodies of local

8A Amt NAL PE ONE mate RO ROLAD ph LOA,

Navy vets lobby for benefits

Dear Editor: »

‘The Nov. 10. News article”

“by Geoffrey -Wallen-Burnett: .
could ‘not have ;been more
’ timely, we

-He has ‘produced ain excel: . .

lent piece and réscarched it well
and it matches our, records

the Canadian’ Merchant. Navy*
‘Veterans Association.’ :

‘Everyone ‘whom'I speak 0

: about the inequities ‘foisted off :

on. the wartime’ merchant. sea-

_men is at-a loss to understand
“how this can ‘be! Mr. Burnett,
“pave! three “reasons and I: will
“add another. 2... =
“ The? ‘Dominion! Command
Of the Royal Canadian Legion
“(RCL), which has the ear of the.
Department’ ” of — Veterans |
its, has consistently reject-
cd any ‘atténipt to debate the
issuc, and: Veterans Affairs
* Canada, as itis now. called, con-
-sistently chins’ out’ the. state-
“ment that we are all equal to

from

the Armed Forces. Equal only
in the fact that we got “veter-
-ans.status” finally in 1992, but
not egal benefits. .

Because the type of benefits
given in, 1945 can-no longer be
feasible, then some form. of

“compensation and an apology
wou d:be in order. ..;

The. Merchant Navy ‘was
allowed to lay a wreath at the
‘Nationa? War..Memorial in
Ottawa with the vice-regal

arty in 1994 on a one shot

Base and’ once again the
Dominion Command of, the
“RCL had its way.

“An Oct, 29° press release
the Merchant Navy
Coalition for Equality’ is head-
fined “Excluded again from the
recognition as a wartime ser-
vice, Merchant Navy Veterans
forced to hold their own cere-
mony.”

This ceremony was held in
Ottawa on Nov. 5 and secretary

of state (Veterans) Laurence .

MacAuley © and. . Transport
Minister David Anderson were
invited to attend.

Mr. Burnert hopes that his

article will stir the conscience of .

some worthy federal majority
of federal MPs on both sides of
the house, bur. they must toe
the line. :

The undersigned has writ-
ten the president of the Royal

Canadian Legion to request: -

thar this contentious issue’ 6<”
resolved by meeting with our
resentative an Veterans
\ ais and wrap it up in one
stereo We have -the facts
and documentation: ;
Finally, we appreciate the
support of local branches of the
RCL, bur could use louder
voices.
Alan Shard, Past Secretary
Canadian Merchant: Navy
Veterans Association
Mainland B.C/Yakon Branch

lounge act The Molestics,
and accepting congratulations
for the cover of the latest
issue of Ctty Food magazine.

Koslo’s amazing, hallu-
cinogenic color photos have
graced many local publica-
tions, and he’s a musician as
well. In other words, he
makes a living as an extra on
film sets.

Working, on the set of
Millennium, Koslo ran into
the star of the Fox series (and
incidentally, the finest charac-
ter actor working today),
Lance Heiriksen.

“Mr. Henriksen,” Koslo
said, “I think you're great.”

“Thank you, Thank you

very much,” Henriksen replied.

Koslo also got work on
the set of the forthcoming
flick Air Bud (Bud’s a dog
who can really jump. So, Air

Wednesday, November 27

Bud they call him, Gonna be
huge, bigger than Batman).

The director is Charles
Martin Smith, star of Never
Cry Wolf

“Mr. Smith,” Koslo said,
“youre a great director, It’s
great the way yout treat every-
body the same.”

“Thank you very much,”
Smith said.

Soon Koslo hopes to have
enough material for a book.

There was a writer present
who actually makes a living at
it. But he’s leaving.

Taras Grescoe, who was
nominated for a National
Magazine Award last spring
and has quickly established
himself as one of Vancouver's
most in-demand freelancers,
is heading to Montreal.
That’s always the way with
these people: anything to be

, 1998 — North Shore News: ~ 14

different.

Stili, it cught co be a
pleasant j journey, as the traffic
in that direction is bound to
be light.

Grescoe has been
promised steady work from
the New York Times and
Canadian Geographic, and
thus is free to locate where he
chooses. And why not?
Montreal is still a wonderful
city. Plenty of parking, too.

— Steve Burgess is 2
Vancouver freelance jouran i
ast.

The North Shore News veg-
ularly allocates space for read-
er input ona wide range of
community issues in the form
of guest columns, .

Ifyou have a column please
send tt c/o The Editor, North
Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale
Ave., North Vascouver, V7M
2H¢4 or via c-muil to tren-
shaw@direct.ca, Submissions
must be typewritten and
should be approximately 500 |
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