FRIDAY |
December 15, 1995

CM cram

‘inside
the ne

&G It is safe for
boy scouts and
cadets to use the
buiiding, but not for
Other youth? FP
“West Van Mayor Mark
“Sager commenting -on
Sportsmen's claim . their

building is not suitable as a
. youth centre. See page 3.

. a Mother Nature’s
‘ poison factory: 17

= Weekly Real . :
Estate section: 45-64

ES Automotive... seeesenen eer
J Bright Fightt8 nn re

Christmas calendar.40

CrOSSWOFK enc nnnen 1 .

a) Lautens.... ecestsseneoees

“WN. Shore Alert............8

a Talking Personals. 9
FJ Tide Charts.

a look at'the season’s -
entertainment options.

IT’S LIGHTS out for the spirit of
Christmas at the Davidson household.

By Robert
Contributing Writer

Galster

_ North Vancouver's Gloria Davidson was having a hard time getting into
the Christmis spirit this year anyway. But she says she tried to break aut of
that malaise by going out and buying Christmas lights.

Last Friday, she rushed home from work to put them up to surprise her
husband upon his return. The surprise worked and both were thrilled with the
display. The next day as the Davidsons were reluming home from a dinner
engagement, they noticed the absence of the lights.

"h was just such a shocker to come home and think, ‘oh, the lights are
out,” she said. "No wonder there's no lights on —~ there’s no fights here.”

But she adds with bitter irony, “They've missed one.

“Twas having a hard time this year getting into the (Christmas) spirit ...
but the lights helped.” said Davidson. “I don’t even know if T want to gel
Christmas tree now.

Davidson purchased four different strings of lights and spent more than

WV school cash-flashers warned

North Van |
' fight display stolen
™~ one day afier set-up

Saturaay: Mainly ctoudy
High 7°G, low 2°C.

OCEINTT

an hour putting them up and_ setting their

sequences to produce just the right effect. She said

she thought about placing them closer to the

house but after some thought she decided that

extra street visibility would be more appropriate .
“so people could appreciate them more.”

North Vancouver RCMP Const. Catherine
Galliford likens the problem of Christmas light thievery with mischievous-
ness more common during another annual festive celebration.

“It happens on Halloween with pumpkins.” said Galliford, adding that
most of the time “it's just the bulbs."

Although Galliford says stealing lights is “just something kids do around
Christmas time,” the RCMP will respond to some complaints.

“If people have any suspects, we want them to call us and we'll go talk to
them,” said Galliford.

For Davidson, though, this is the straw that broke the Christrnas spirit’s
back. She initially considered geiting more lights, and even trying to make
them more secure, but after discussing it with her husband she wasn’t so sure.

“My husband said to me, ‘you have to think that ifthey (the thieves) come
back and can't get them off, they might get ticked off and throw a rock
through the window'.”

couple’s

were made in two break-ins. Charges are pend->
ing. Overgaard, says some of the money-happy
students are us young as 13or 14.

He says Sentinel has seen an increase in cash-,

STUDENT S Ata high school in one of

Canada’s wealthiest neighborhoods
have been asked to leave their C-notes
at home.

By Bob Mackin
Contributing Writer

An item in the Sentinel secondary newsletter,
The Sentry, says some junior ‘students have been
“flashing hundred dollar bills around the school.”

Sentinel principal Robert Overgaard says a

few students have asked the sehoo! 's business),

managecand cafeteria staff to make change fram
the $100 bills. :

“Kids are coming to school with $100 bills
and we're trying to discourage them from bring-
ing that much money ty school,” Overgaard suys.

“There are kids around here who will take it
they get the chi

Overgaard says there. have been a few

instances of docker burglaries this year. In one’
instance, more than $125 was stolen. Arrests

flashers over the past couple ef years. Students
are obtaining the money legitimately, lie. says,
either through their own jobs or from thei? par-
ent
It's not our money, all we cin do is discour-

age (them from bringing it 0 school). Hf they
want change we'll make: change. 1 just don’t
think it's a good idea for kids to bring. that much
money to school if they don't need to."

Student council president Grant Wallace was
unavailable for comment.