eacn HE RECENT closure oof poOtch West) Vancouver's Eagle Harbour beach for the third straight year becanse of unsafe fecal coliform counts is a problem that necds more attention then the mere erec- ting of warning signs. ft is a recurrent health hazard whose source must be pinpointed once and for all before tainted harbor waters cause serious infection. North Shore public health officials bave increased Eagie Harbour water tests to monitor more accurately the coliform activity in the water, but the source of the problem remains a mystery after three years of health department scrutiny. West Vancouver District has now hired a private consulting firm in an attempt to solve the mystery. Reopening the beach when coliform counts drop below the Greater Vancouver Regional District’s ac- ceptable standard of 200 units per 100 millilitres of water is a normal — but in Eagle Harbour’s case — ill-advised move. Coliform test results take 72 hours to complete. Sudden increases in coliform would therefore not be available to the unsuspecting swimmer until after possible pollutions had been ingested. To protect the good health of residents, especially children, who live under the misconception that North Shore waters remain magically beyond the effects of urban effluents, Eagle Herbour beach should remain closed, regardless of the day-to-day coliform count, until the source of its pollution has been determined. Forty-three girls a lot more than THE TANNED JOCKS sunning themselves Sunday afternoon around the pool at the Sheraton Villa could hardly complain if the hotel slapped a surcharge on their bills for that day. For two hours, at close quarters, they were able to feast their cyes on the clegantly gowned cream of B.C.’'s maidenhood—45 of them in total. The occasion, staged around the pool deck, was the annual garden party for the contestants in the Miss PNE Pageant—hosted by PNE president Erwin Swangard, last year’s Miss PNE, Doana Furlani of White Rock, and her Miss Lady Fair, Natalie Sitko of Kelowna. All 43 of this year’s candidates—including Miss North Shore, Gail Warrington—are win- ners of their local pageants in every major B.C. community from Vancouver to Prince George. Quite aside from their physical at- tributes, two other points con- stantly emerge. Chatting with us, cach one comes across as poised, outgoing and highly intelligent, with a keen eye on future careers ranging from dictitian to business executive. Moreover, they all fike each other JOSEPH CA ‘““gateway”’. a lot—their five days together as PNE guests seem to generate an enormous camaraderie. By now Miss PNE will have been chosen at fast night’s closing pageant, but there'll be no weeping or wailing among the others. ‘‘It doesn’t real- ly matter who wins—the great thing for all of us is simply the ex- perience,’’ says university-bound Caro! MacDonald, Miss Grand Forks. Wimslibbers who condemn the event as ‘‘sexist exploitation’’ need to take another look. Seen close- up, the Miss PNE Pageant strikes one as bringing together 43 exam- ples of alf that's best—not merely beautiful—in today’s young British Columbian women. Even the Villa’s pool jocks, happily drink- ing in the scene, don’t alter that fact. FIRST-TIME VISITORS § driving off the north end of Lions Gate Bridge get titcle hint of the North Shore’s many natural and man- made delights, but that’s going to change if the North Van Com- munity Arts Council has its way. IVAN ban on visitors. ACKERY...no SUNDAY - WEDNESDAY - 1139 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 Display Advertising 980-0511 Classilied Advertising 986-6222 Newsroom 985-2131 Distribution 986.1337 Subscriptions 986-1337 orth Shore News, toe os SMCK CLOSE 10 TURNER... Tonga pany hent}uu For the past two years a special Council committee headed by past president Joseph Cantafio has been quietly working on the Lions Gate North Project, an ambitious beautification scheme for the featureless, strictly func- tional interchange. Joseph and his colleagues have now cleared the first hurdle—money for a $9,000 video to sell the public and involv- ed governments on the need and the possibilities. Up to fast week they'd obtained grants of $2,500 apiece from the provincial highways department, West Van and North Van District councils, North Van City, though not so directly affected, chipped in $750. On Friday the last piece fell into place when Chief Philip Joe announced that the Squamish Band Council would donate the remaining $750. With the funds finally assured, production of the video can now go ahead and we'll soon be given a look at the Arts Council’s concept: the Lions Gate North ramp system transformed into a thing of beauty and a joy for ever—the kind of ‘‘gateway” the North Shore deserves. tee NAME GAME: Congrats to Sydney and Barbara’ Mercer, North Van residents for 27 years, who chalked up their Golden An- niversary yesterday (August 25) following a family celebration Sunday. Sydney spent many years in the law-and-order business, originally in the former provincial police force and later transferring to the Vancouver police depart- ment from which he retired as Staff Sergeant ... Send cheer to “Mr. Theatre Row’, West Van's 87-year-old Ivan Ackery, presently in Lions Gate Hospital and at lat- est report receiving visitors ... And happy birthday to Christena Gillis, a North Van resident since 1923 .-| THINK | SPOTTED A LIBERAL. PARTY MEMBER IN THE CROWD. Publisher: Editor-in-Chie! Managing Editor Advertising Director Paton Speck Nog! Wright Parrett Pisner Linda Stewart Entite contents « A 1987 North Shore a Free Press Lid All e rights reserved. Noel Wright ® wednesday world ® and one-time owner of a general store there, who turns 90 Thursday (August 27). She’s now living in the Kiwanis Whiteley Court with 92-year-old sister Bessie MacPher- son, WRIGHT OR WRONG: They don't run either deep or shallow. Still waters obviously don’t run at all. NEWS photo Nell Lucento WHAT YOU DON'T SEE is what counts...Miss North Shore, Gail Warrington (centre), with PNE Pageant friends.