a 3-1 vote.

The survey is being distributed
by the Vancouver-based Mc-
Creary Centre Society, a_ private
organization.

‘The questionnaire itself
presumes that the kids are active
sexually, and it presumes that all
kids are actively using marijuana
or actively using alcohol,’’ trustee
David Stevenson said Monday
night.

‘We believe that’s an inappro-
priate set of questions to ask.”

The survey has raised eyebrows
all: over the Lower Mainland
because it asks Grade 7 to 12 stu-
dents te answer frank questions
about sex, drugs, alcohol and
suicide.

The survey contains 123 ques-
tions that also deal with sexually
transmitted diseases, eating
disorders and mental health.

“1 think it's a question of
methodology,’’: trustee Margot
Furk said, referring to the fact
that the questionnaire was drawn
up without input from educators.

-Wording and methodology were

By Kevin Gillies
Contributing Writer

also factors in the Vancouver
school board’s original decision to
reject the survey.

But a week prior to District 45's
rejection of the study, the Van-
couver school board reversed its
earlier decision against par-
ticipating in the survey because its
members decided that the poten-
tial benefits of having the survey
information were more important
than the survey’s negative implica-
tions.

Parents in the Vancouver school
district will receive a brochure anc
a consent slip and will have access
to the questionnaire after regular
school] hours.

Members of the West Van-
couver District 45 board said the
survey questions were ‘‘leading
and flawed,’’ thereby leaving stu-
dents with the impression that not
to be sexually active or using
drugs and alcoho! was abnormal.

WEST VANCOUVER
SCHOOL BOARD

Trustee David Stevenson said
the survey would have been easier
to accept had it been redesigned
not to ask leading questions.

Saying that kids now face much
more complex questions and prob-
lems than they did when he was a
student, Peter Bradshaw was the
only trustee to vote for District
45’s involvement in the survey.

“> think adolescent health is
really crucial to the way our whole
world is evolving,'’? Bradshaw
said.

“I believe this survey has been
designed by a very competent
group.... They’ve run it for sev-
eral years outside B.C., and they

it extensively last year in
B.C.”

Outside of the Greater Van-
couver area, 44 of 66 school
boards have participated in the
survey.

“The feedback seems to be very
good, and J think it’s a way of
providing us with the information
and the tools which we need to
help implement, for instance, the
youth programs in the community
and the Learning for Living pro-

Emergency program member
helping out with relief effort
in hurricane-ravaged Hawaii

Laurie Bean joins B.C. group of 12 volunteers

A MEMBER of the North and West Vancouver Emergen-
cy Program (NWVEP) is in Kauai to assist in relief efforts
for the thousands of Americans left homeless and without
basic services in the wake of hurricane [niki last month.

On: -Sept. 24 Laurie Bean,
NWVEP assistant coordinator,
joined a B.C. group of 12 volun-
téers: and Canadian Red Cross
workers. for a three-week period
. in Kauai.

Bean.-, is working under the
“auspices of the Canadian Red
‘Cross, which in turn is supporting
the . disaster-aid: efforts of the
’ American Red Cross. .

Said. Ross Peterson, NWVEP

-By Michael Becker

iews Reporter

mately 75% of homes on the

island.

“That. amounts to close to
12,000. As of last week, there
were over 7,000 residents who had
been forced into emergency
shelters.

“Those people need al! of their

coordinator, “In a’ way it’s our - social needs met. They are trying

46 Hurricane Iniki damaged or
destroyed approximately 75% of
homes on the island. 9F

contribution, and it’s a tremen-
dous learning experience. She will
be working in administration and
records.

“You can imagine in a relief ef-
fort of this magnitude that there
are enormous logistics.

“Careful tracking of costs and
where supplies are going and re-
quests for supplies — it all takes
an enormous administrative ef-
fort.”

Peterson «said
-damaged or destroyed approxi-

@ High Profiles

@i Cocktails & Caviar
@ Comics

Editorial Page

@ Fashion

the hurricane —

to move them back to. their
homes, which creates an addi-
tional burden because all of the
social services have to be put on
wheels,’’ he said.

Peterson will have contact with
Bean through the assistance of
North Shore Amateur Radio Club
members. :

The group is the backbone of
the local emergency communica-
tion network.

The ham radio operators have
arranged a_ twice-a-day com-

Hi Vintage Years
What's Going On

munication schedule with ham
radio operators in Kauai.

“People such as Laurie will
simply contact’ the nearest ham
operator on Kauai and get 2
message through to cur people
here.

“Almost al} of the power poles
and telephone poles were taken
down by the wind. Right now the
telephone link is very tenuous to
say the least. Ham is always the
best way for this sort of thing,’’
Peterson said.

_On the North Shore ‘the most
likely post-disaster scenario in-
volves a community recovery in
the aftermath of a major earth-
quake.

Said Peterson,
forward to Laurie’s
to help in defining our
here.”* .

Although Hawaii is a_ well-
developed area, the recovery rate
will not be instantaneous.

“The human suffering goes on
for weeks, if not months. It could
be a month or two yet before their
power is even back on.

“Sane with Florida, they’re
looking at the end of. October be-
fore even essential lifelines are
restored, and you still have the
massive: job of reconstruction,”
said Peterson.

“‘That’s really a lesson we have
to learn here. There gre no quick
recoveries here. You can speed it
up with good planning, but even
in a resource-rich country, it will
take a lot of time. What this boils
down to is personal
preparedness.”’ ,

**We're looking
information
plan

Weather

Monday and Tuesday, sunny.
Highs 15°C, Lows 6°C,

Canadian Publications Mail Sates Product Agreement Number 0087238

Sunday, October 4, 1992 - North Shore News - 3

‘West Van board rejects questionnaire

Contentious student health survey raises trustee concerns

WEST VANCOUVER District 45 school trustees accepted
the recommendation of the board’s education committee at
its Sept. 28 District 45 board meeting and declined par-
ticipation in the controversial Adolescent Health Survey in

gram in the schools, which we’ve
just done,”’ Bradshaw said.’

“For instance, the condom
debate we had two years ago now;
it was obvious that there was a
great deal of information that was
lacking, and people were going on
gut reaction and their own opi-
nions rather than fact.

“t think this is a great way of
providing those facts, and I think
we need them.”

The survey first came to the
District 45 board last spring and
has since been debated twice. The
first time, the survey issue was
referred to committee.

“‘When the results of the survey
become available to the province
as a whole. and we see what kind
of results are getting out
elsewhere, the board may at that

&4 The
questionnaire itself
presumes that the

kids are active
sexually... FF

— trustee David Stevenson

time say ‘I wish we had that kind.
of detailed information for our
own area,’ ’’ Bradshaw added.

The North Vancouver District
44 School Board decided fast
spring against distributing the
survey in its schools. :

Staff report opposes
NV City youth club
for Lower Lonsdale

A PROPOSAL for a
youth dance club on the
lands occupied by Yar-
rows Ltd. (formerly Ver-
satile Pacific Shipyards
Inc.) in Lower Lonsdale
has been frowned upon
by city staff in a report
recently made available to
city council.

By Layne Christensen —
Coniributing writer

North Vancouver City coun-
cillors were to hear from a del-
egation in support of the pro-
posed club at a. Sept. 28
meeting but were’ instead asked
by the developer James
Islaub of Sanctuary  Invest-
ments Ltd. — to defer their
decision until after he had
studied the report by the de-
velopment services department.

The club would be located in
the shipyard’s Coppersmith
building at 109 East Esplanade.

Staff received input from the
RCMP, the North Vancouver
youth services and heritage ad-
visory committees as well as
the social planning advisory
sommittee.

‘The decision by staff to
recommend council reject the
developer’s application was

| considerably infiuenced by
“concerns raised by the RCMP,
according to the report.

el
NORTH VANCOUVER
GITY COUNCIL

In a July 27 letter to the city,
RCMP Supt. Bob Byam cited
problems surrounding a Surrey
youth dance club. called
“*Changes.”’

“Patrons ‘would go io and
fro from the club to drink or
use. drugs,’’ he wrote. ‘At
closing time crowds of one or
two hundred would: gather out-
side, as this is s where the action
was, .

“Insofar as North Van-
couver is concerned, I envision
more s¢vious problems. The
Versatile site has easy. access to
the SeaBus and SkyTrain
system.

“Youths from throughout
the Lower Mainland, who do
not have vehicles at their
disposal, would now have

ready access to a youth club if

located in Lower Lonsdale,” - .

Both the social planning ad-
visory committee and the
North Vancouver youth ser--
vices committee supported the
idea of a teen cluo in Lower.
Lunsdale, indicating in their
correspondence to city staff the
need for ‘‘ongoing, alcohol-
free activities for: “youth in -
North Vancouver.”’ .

The recommendation to re-
ject the youth club proposal
will come before council on
Oct. 26..

Vandals desecrate graves

VANDALS HAVE. struck
again at gravesites in the
North Vancouver cemetery.

By Michael Becker
News Reporter

Said Peter Leggett, ‘‘They hit
every grave. About 10 to 15 peo-
ple put out ornaments, stuff from
home that the person — spouses
ot children — had who died.
Someone came in and cleaned
honse."’

Leggett visits his wife’s
daily.

On Sept. 24 he found that
someone had stolen four ceramic
figures of dogs he had placed at
the grave — two spaniels, a mutt
and a greyhound.

“Lr bought them for my wife.
It’s something we had together.
She loved dogs: I've got four
dogs. You leave them there, and

grave

you're not expecting people to
take them.

**The person who has done this
doesn't know how it affects all of
us. ft’s like a knife going into
your heart. This is something
from your spouse, someone you
loved, and they can’t understand
that. Money can’t buy that,’
Leggett said.

Earlier this year Leggett
tepeatedly lost candles and flowers
placed at the gravesite.

He is asking the person who
took the cerarnic dogs to please
Teturn them to the place from
which they were taken.

Said Leggett, “Maybe they’ve
got a conscience, I don’t know —
they took the bloody things.

“Somebody else lost prayer
hands, little sheep, you know,
animais, all sorts of stuff. We all
decorate the graves. We’re
pleading to whoever took the
things to just return them.”*