north shore news VIEWPOINT 501 SAD TD My CONTRACTOR, BALD ME A HOUSE OF BC, WO0n, THAT DONT COME FROM RAST GROUTH Co T is more than we bargained for. The real costs of B.C.’s new tenta- tive contract with the province’s unionized teachers are slowly coming to light. Initially it was heralded as another _ breakthrough deal brokered by your NDP government. No salary hikes in * the first two years and only a 2% increase in 2000. Hey, not bad, consid- ering past agreements. So why are local trustees not sily coniract the more teachers are needed. The new contract would reduce class sizes in kindergarten to 20 students and to 22 students in grades 1 to 3. The current class sizes for those grades is approximately 25 students. Class size reducticns would add 700 teachers to the current provincial teacher workforce of 40,000 and $75 million to B.C.’s public school instruc- tion costs. In North Vancouver, 32 new teach- ers would be needed. Diserict 44 would number. of teaching jobs in a given applauding? School districts can’t _ afford it. _ While ic contains minimal wage ; increases, the contract calls for a reduc- ‘tion of class sizes that will add signifi- cantly to the cost of instruction in all 78'B.C. school districts. Class size equates directly to the school district. The lower the class size the deal. - mailbox _ g been at an age of awareness of the evils that ind us, never would I have thought I would be a rocal to the. kind of blatant misconduct and bold f want this to sound overblown. ft’s not like I’ve assaulted ‘and left for dead but it seems like the law ement’.system: which prides itself on tradition, n.of the peace and providing quality service so s missio’ yn has really faltered. checked I was a contributing member of herefore. its “law enforcement system “Serve and protect :me,-and this is where I feel 3 been . f affairs if I cannot walk through eithout people suspecting guilt. ¢ fine but to go as far as to have a clueless ¢ and harass me for personal information rrest_ me for not cooperating and then follow me with no grounds. other than a sus- ale, that-is . iat someone in the area of West 17th could y ight because they had called the police but that same call kept me up because I was made to feel intim- “idated .and like‘a criminal that had ‘done wrong doings when'I know Thadn’t and since there was no explanation tobe had from the police department at least maybe the parties i involved (and you know who you are!) will read this whether they got what they wanted accom- ‘ou. for hearing me and thank you to a certain on who has experienced the same thing. Seymour McCormack North Vancouver - north shore forth Shore News, founded nt 1969 us an independent suburban newspaper and quastied under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press ‘1L40. and distributed to every door On the North ‘Shore, Canada Post Canadian Publications Mad Sales Product Agreement Mo. 0087238. ‘Maibng rates avadable on request : SERULEEMASEREREDD G=cR Distribution Manager 986-1337 (124) 985-2131 (127) 61,582 (average cicudation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) get an additional $1.8 million from the government to cover those costs. But the district’s board estimates the cost of the class size reductions at $3.5 mil- lion in the first year alone. The numbers don’t add up. District ‘4-5 trustees applauded for unanimously rejecting should be JOURNALISM is a dangerous business. . Dozens of journalists around the world are affed every year by intolerant readers -— 26 last year alone, according to the World Press Freedom Committee. Tve had a couple of death threats myself. Bur, while falling infi- nitely short of generating intimations of my fragile mortality, the column topic thar has made people more livid than anything else Pve written abour is ... The West Vancouver Memorial Library annual booksale. Odd. I'd have rhoughr that bookish types sublimate their aggression in reading Shakespeare, or romances set in the American Civil War. But the hostitity flows unimpeded from the library’s champions, who evi- dently think the only acceptable comment about our library is the uncritical kind. Even Barbara Cupit, chairman of the WV library board, wrote the News last year citing my “animosity” toward the library, “its collection, its appearance and even the pcople who support it.” Hardly. I ration my animosity carefully. My point was that WV library (like hun- dreds of others across the land) has sold many good books in good condition for a dollar or two. Smali cxampie: A few years ago I gota perfect 31-volume set of the Encyclopedia Arericana at the sale for $20. And [ can attest that this “old” set. has entries about PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) Terry Peters Photography Manager 985-2131 (160} 1] Comptroller 985-2131 (133) Stephenson Classified Manager 986-6222 (202) Entire contents © 1997 North Shore Free Press Lid. All rights reserved. people and events that newer ones don’t. But you'd think 7 was espousing child pornography — such is the reaction by the Hbrary’s stalwarts, (They are also extremely defensive thar “the Friends of the Library, who conduct the sale, get first crack at the books before the doors open to the public. Oh yes, and such sales are loved by professional beok-dealers.) . This anonymous letter arrived after Jast year’s column on the sale: “It was shocking to read your article. ... You were a patron there for many years and. had nothing but praise for the library. [Still am, when [ can find parking. | Unknown, perhaps to you, your every request to pur- chase a book was met and your sugges- tions heeded. [Huh? J] suggested one or two, no more. } “You may be shocked to learn who the person was (or even embarrassed) who ordered your book requests and ts in’ charge of buying the collection you so heartily criticized. “The library is well regarded, and is not a medical library, a university library or the Vatican library! It is diverse, well- stocked and for the majority of North Shore residents. [No, we can’t compete with the Harvard library — but a library that dumps old books with little discrimination will never reflect anything more than tran- sient tastes. ] * “Furthermore, books for the sale are either dog-cared, unborrowed for a year, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, {ull address & telephone number. VIA e-mail: wenshaw @ direct.ca Timathy Managing Editor 985-2131 (116) Trixi Agrics Promotions Manager 985-2134 (218) Gail Snelgrove General OHlice Manager 985-2134 (105) internet- hitpy//www.nsnews.com or out of date... Do you iealize how dated and out of step you are. Next time,: please think and care enough your fellow neighbors and communi library employees... “Signed, a North Shore neighbor and reader.” Hmmm. Well might. you ask: With neighbors like that, who needs stringers? Let’s see how this weekend’s sale goe: 900. i At deadline I’ve had only scattered comments about the Ambleside and; Dundarave Ratepayers’ Association an: mecting a week ago Wednesday, but. by now no doubr the News’. hotshor staff. has reported the story in full... ; But it sounds as if there was a revolution, a revolt from the floor, the meeting ended in confusion: The issu evidently was the election of officers, which ADRA vice-president Lionel Lewi thoughe was a cut-and-dried matter with’ cut-and-dried slate. That caused a fearful row. I’m told that former mayor Derrick, Humphreys praised Lewis’ years of contri bution to ADRA, but advised him bluntly that he disagreed with the way he was ¢ handling the mecting. Humphreys sided with Carolanne Reynolds, one-term councillor who has - made a couple of attempts to return to, : town hall. The formal meeting broke u and Humphreys apparently left, bura ‘side meeting was held of uncertain ‘autho Lewis, who, like Reynolds; is facigable attendee at.council mectirigs scemed both bemused and resigned: if maybe he wouldn’t regret, yielding his”: role as ADRA’s most. prominent presenc and council’s buzziest gadfly. Administration Display Advertising Real Estate Advertising Classified Advertising - : Newsroom Distribution Display & Real Estate Fax” Newsroom Fax Classified, Accounting & Main Office Fax Michael Backer - News Editor’. SB5-2131 (114) : Andrew McCredie = Sposts/Community Efitor: . 985-2131 (147) . akils! hed. by. Warth. Share, | Eraa, Prese.i3d.. Publisher Peter Speck, fram 1139 Lonsdale. Avenue North Nancouver, ee een