Weather: Sunday, a few showers. Mainly sunny, Monday and Tuesday. Highs near 18°C. AMY GOODMURPHY has a splashing good time in puddles created in Lynn Valley. The re- cent wet weather has broken a record dry spell for the Lower Mainland. Rain has brought relief to North Shore reservoirs but much more is needed to br- ing water levels back to normal. Dry weather is forecast for Monday and Tuesday. NEWS photo Neil Lucente NORTH SHORE POLITICIANS RALLY FOR GROUP HOME CHANGE fficiais de THE THREE North Vancouver mayors and the three North Shore MLAs are pressing Victoria to review the pro- cess under neighborhoods. ‘ In a letter last week to the Minister of Health, the six politi- cians urged applications for group homes on the North Shore — in- cluding a controversial one for 310 East 26th St. in North Vancouver — be frozen until municipal staff and provincial health officials review the process. But despite objections from pol- iticians and area residents, the group home could still be approv- ed by the’ North Shore Union Board of Health and a provincial board, which make the final deci- sion on the group home. North Shore Medical Health Of- ficer Dr. ‘Brian O’Connor con- firmed Friday that he has not issued a permit for the 2€:3 Street home. / “It hasn’t been refused, it just hasn’t been acted upon as yet,” said O’Connor, who declined to explain why the permit has not yet been issued. which group. homes : By STEPHEN BARRINGTO News Reporter are approved for Under the present setup, a local medical health officer can issue an interim permit for a group home facility, pending final approval by the Provincial Adult Care Facility Licensing Board, which licenses B.C. group homes. The licensing board will deliber- ate on the application at a Nov. 18 meeting, and could, despite objec- tions from city council, approve the group home. i North Vancouver City Allan Blair, who opposed nine-patient 26th Street home, said: ‘‘There’s nothing at all to do with the neighbors (in the applica- tion process)...they only consider the patients, not the residents, “The solution we have in mind 48 group homes shold take into account some = neighbors’ con- Ald. the and mput cerns...the chances are we wiil have a more successful entry of group homes (into the communi- ty),”’ said Blair. West Vancouver District Council has not received a group home ap- plication recently, but with the closing of Riverview Hospital the municipality wants to be prepared for a possible influx of applica- tions. “We're anticipating it. Because of the c’..ages taking place there’s some prospect of it becoming a problem,’’ explained West Van- couver Mayor Don Lanskail. ‘‘We want to be sure there are principles or criteria that govern the situa- tion. ‘We're trying to anticipate the problem and get on top of it be- fore it gets out of hand,’’ Lanskail said of the petition to the Aiinister of Health. North Vancouver City Council will discuss Monday a bylaw change to limit group homes to six patients and two supervisors. The present bylaw allows a, home to house staff and patients, up to 10 people. e prevention IT’S: SMART to think crime prevention throughout the year, but Nov. 1 to 7 is National Crime Prevention Week and ‘local officials are gearing up to focus attention on substance abuse and home security. The federal Ministry of the So- licitor General will be concen- trating on introducing a general drug abuSe strategy across the country while the provincial Ministry of the Attorney General is emphasizing the importance of home security. On‘the local front West Van- couver’s Lizanne Farrell, 19, will be honored Monday evening at the Westin Bayshore with a Solicitor Genera! of Canada Crime Preven- tion Award. Farrell is one of only three in- _ dividuals to receive the award in the province this year for her an- ti-drinking and driving work in the, community. — . She’s worked for ‘the past two By MICHAEL BECKER : News Reporter years with West Vancouver Police as a member of the CcunterAttack Committee and with ICBC. This year she’s president of the commit- tee’ and is currently working through criminology studies at Douglas College in pursuit of her dream to become a police officer. “| decided to become a police officer six years ago,’’ Farrell said. “It’s different from the normal household jobs and it’s challeng- ing.’ West. Vancouver Police will be setting up a mall display at Park ‘Royal South Nov. ‘4 through Nov: ~ 6. The display will be manned by West Vancouver reserve police and will be assisted by lucal students iri offering information packages cn everything from theft prevention ,to sex abuse and spousal assault. | The mall display, also featuring (a police car and home alarm ‘display, will be open from 9 a. m. 'to 6 p.m. Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Joining the police with displays in the mall will be Citizens United For Safety and Justice, Crime Stoppers and other local organiza- tions. On Saturday Nov. 7, We: st Van- couver Police will be hosting a public open house at 1300 Marine Drive in West Vancouver from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with tours of the facility on the hour. **We'll be showing the workings ‘of a police office’ and’ how public 3 - Sunday, November 3, 1987 - North Shore News GIRL GUIDES NOT HAPPY YET NORTH VANCOUVER District Council has decided to create a 40-metre buffer zone in an effort to protect an eagle nesting tree near the end of Dollar Road in Dollarton. Council will set aside three Jots that could have been for part of the Roche Point Land Develop- ment Project development. As well, council has directed municipal staff to cenduct a study on the feasibility of placing “restrictive covenants’’ on a fur- ther nine lots that could prevent lot trees from being removed, while allowing houses to be built. Council's action does not sit well with the girl guides in Second Seymour Company, who have led a fight to save the old nesting spot which is located in a massive Douglas fir estimated to be up to 500 years old. Guide leader Mary Huntington wanted a 100-metre no-develop- ment buffer zone. Huntington said the eagles “won't come back at 40 metres...they do not become ac- climatized easily to people walking . in the vicinity closer than 100 metres. They will abandon the nest site.’ Huntington cited as evidence a letter to council from wildlife biologist Anthea Farr that stated no houses should be constructed within 100 metres of the nest tree. According to .Farr: ‘‘As the forest around the nest tree has sev- - eral Jarge openitiz>...a buffer zone of about 100 metres is needed to include trees which would provide a ‘visual screen’ between the nest ard residential activity.?" Ald. Ernie Crist made an unsuc- cessful motion calling for a full 100-metre buffer zone, Crist: said his ::notion went beyond protection of the birds and represented ‘ta symbol as to whether we’re prepared to pay the price to protect our environment and really do what we all say we're in favor of and’ that is to forgo temporary gains.”’ In another unsuccessful motion, Ald. Bill Rodgers called for all 14 lots to be set aside and not developed for.an indefinite period. But Mayor Marilyn Baker and other aldermen opted for the 40- metre buffer zone. As well, Baker said she would support restrictive covenants to prevent loss of trees on those lots that are developed. “FE think if there’s to be development in that area,’’. Baker said, ‘‘the awareness of anyone calls are handled and dispatched. if the lock-up is clear people may get to look at that,’’ said Cst. Col- ‘in Bursill. While crime prevention is the focus, figures recently released from the police services branch of the department of the attorney general show the North Shore’s three communities had some of the lowest crime rates in the Lower Mainland in 1986. West Vancouver registered the lowest crime rate among Lower Mainland municipalities with 90 - offences per one thousand residents from a total 3,415 of- fences in a population of 37,997. North Vancouver District had a 95 rate from a total of 6,506 of- fences in a population of 68,338, while North Vancouver City, which placed 19th overall, had a 155 crime rate with 5,586 offences in a 35,959 total population. °° * By PAUL HOULE Contributing Writer who is going into (it) that this is the sort of area you're trying to preserve, and the reasons for it, would be a benefit.” But Ald. Mary Segal, issued a caution about restrictive cove- nats, saying, ““We have extreme difficulty in enforcing restrictive covenants, once the Jand is out of cur ownership people basically feel that they can do what they want with their own land - if they want to cut down every tree around the house, they'll do it.”’ Ald. Murray Dykeman called for consideration for those who had already started to develop the area. “We also have to respect the purpose of the development and for those who have commenced development in the area it’s time we accept the fact that it has hap- pened,’’ Dykeman said. NORTH Vancouver District Ald. Ernie Crist...creating a symbol. As they did at the Oct. 20 coun- cil meeting, a dozen girl guides and ‘their guide leaders sat in the front row of council chambers Monday night to hear the discussion by council members about the eagle nesting ground, The huge eagle nest ~— which is estimated to be about 12 feet in. diameter and six feet deep — can be seen from the Second Narrows Bridge. i The nest may have been used by ° generations of eagles — but some years the birds do not use the nesting tree. WEST Vancouver Cst. Colin Bur- sill..police to host open house.