north shore news Golfer takes issue with Northlands article Dear Editor: I rake great exception to the article you featured in your Friday, Aug. 7, edition of your newspaper. In his haste, your reporter completeiv missed the point of the story. I called your paper with a legitimate complaint. I want- ed to report an unfair prac- tice by Northlands golf course. To have the facts twisted so badly and to have myself depicted as a slow golfer who complains with No basis is insulting and slan- . derous. Thie story became a pro- paganda plug for the “hard- deserved” staff at Northlands. It is incidents like this thar give rise to the common public perception that the press only knows how to misreport. T have been a golfer for 25 years. Thave a5 handicap. To ave the article imply that I am a slow player, and that I endorse slow play is insulting, and just lain wrong. Nabody appreciates slow play. It’s common seasc. The real story: One Saturday morning my golfing group was warned three times for slow play. The first warning was justifiable, the other two were totally uncalled for since we were not holding up play! Our roznd that morning took four hours and 20 minutes. . J spoke with the Pro Shop manager after the round and explained the situation. He told me that “manage- ment was happy if they get rounds in under five hours on weekends.” I tried to discuss this with Northlands manager Laurie Craddock. He told me that his expec- tation’ was that first groups should be playing the course in 34 to no more than four hours. Which manager do we believe? If this were Seymour, it would be a reasonable expec- tation as that’s an casy course to play. Northlands is unusu- ally disFicult for a public course: Most golfers, with an average score of 100, would- Coming Soon 1 ~ Ambleside Professionals’: Fis 4 FASHIONS Since 1970 n't get around its obstacles in less than +4 to five hours. Is he implying that only good golfers should play? Are less experienced golfers going to be hassled and reprimanded till they walk off the course? If there is an hour’s dis- crepancy between his and the average golfer’s reality, then most players can expect a rough ride on this public course. A second issue: Northlands is a public course, built with our tax dollars. Yee they told me I was not welcome to use the public practice area unless I was paying to play golf that day. PIANO SALE ” ‘The annual Howard's Pianos “Back to Fiano Lesson Sale” is underway now. Over 60 new and conditioned uprights, srand and digital pianos with . SAVINGS OF UP TO 40% “ shop early while selection is at it’s best Other — golf courses encourage gollers to use their practice facilities, realizing it improves skill which cquates to faster play on the course. This is not what the public expected when 2 tax-funded course was built. Is this what we have to settle for? I didn’t choose to have my tax dollars fund a golf course for which the manag- er’s ego dictates occupancy. 1 found out later Lauric Craddock, Northland’s man- ager, is a regular contributing writer to your paper. Enough said! Hans Breuer North Vancouver . Why buy . ~ shutters | any wi \ \ ant ih fooled by plastie aattation orpulty \ . me aul shutters hi nai OFT bity qualitiprood 4 HO. Conadian onened) SGnanthactured We wiabanta our prices upto faders after pur base ~ aA LWESA | . \ O39 Pornliertoa teetsNertly Viaiieodiars =~ f i 7 LIT RSA STEADES ING & no: : a a 990-8078 MAIL BOX. Wednesday, September 9, 1998 — North Shore News — 9 Pool jumpers should be legaliy leashed Dear Editor: Re: Teen jumps to death in canyon (July 24). Why is there legal authority for a person tu be given a $45 fine for walking his or her dog offleash in Lynn Canyon Park, vet there ted white, mp. Parliament reopens for the Fall and Winter sittings on September 21st, so | my weekly North Shore News reports are back in print as of today. Unfortunately, during what should have been a restful summer break, the state of the Nation's finances was front and centre. We witressed a dramatic drop 4 in the value of our dollar, and heard predictions of a significant slowdow:: in the economy which, if it happens, could quickly wipe out any federal budget surplus for this year. With this in rind, | am inviting you to help me with some input for the Federal pre- budget consultations. The Federal Budget is usually tabled in Parliament some time in February in each year, and as part of the 1998/99 pre- budget consultations with taxpayers, the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance has written to all Members of Parliament asking us to provide him with feedback from our Ridings. Of course, just because the Committee asks for input, it does not necessarily follow that its report to the Finance Minister wili accurately reflect either the will of those giving the . input, or, for that matter, the will of the majority of Canadians. The Comnnittee is Liberal dominated and would be expected to favour recommendations consistent with Liberal political philosophy. That having been said, if we do nothing to try to influence the decisions, we will deserve everything we get hit with on budget day. THE COMMITTEE’S QUESTIONS in his letter to MPs, Finance Committee Chairman Maurizio Bevilacqua wrote “As colleagues, we understand that the views of our constituents play a very important role in the consultation process and provide an insightful perspective.” He then goes on to say, “With the elimination of the deficit and the expectation of balanced budgets for this year and next, the Committee feels that the Pre-Budget Consultations can commence early. I therefore ask that you undertake such Consultations this summer and fall and report back to the Committee by September 30, 1998.” in other words, ! need you to put pen to paper as soon as possible. t would like to receive the written and/or verbal input at my office by Friday September 25th, so that my staft will have time to collate and summarize that input prior to the September 30th deadline. Here are the questions Mr Bevilacqua posed for your consideration in his letter. You may either write your comments in the space provided or, if you prefer, submit your comments in letter form: 1. With the budget now balanced, what message do you wish to send to the Address: is no legal authority to keep people, usually children, from leaping to their deaths every summer in the pools at the same park? Sheila Kent Ryan North Vancouver government as to the priorities it should set for the fiscal dividend? 2.What are the appropriate new strategic investments and changes to the tax system that would aliow the government to best achieve these priorities? 3. How can we help Canadians prepere to take advantage of the. opportunities offered by this new era? 4. What is the best way the Government _ can heip to ensure that there is a wide range of job opportunities in the new economy for all Canadians? YOUR PRIORITIES In addition to receiving your responses to the above questions from the Finance | Committee, | would aiso like to be able to present the Chairman with a summary of your priorities for the budget. So, if you- were in the shoes of the Finance Minister on Budget Day 1999, what would be your. five priority announcements to the people of Canada, in order of importance. (If you have less than five, that's OK, and if you have more than five, feel free to list them on a separate sheet.) Please note that if you decide not to include your name and address there is no way for me to be sure that the input is from North Vancouver, or that one person is not sending in multiple ” responses. As a result, it is unlikely that anonymous input will be given the same weight by the Committee. Phone: Postcode: Check this box it you do not want your name and address revealed to the Committee.