THE News is attempting to verify the number of bears killed during police or conservation action this year. We believe the number is 27 or 28 in the North Shore area. Many people are beginning to say the deaths are too many and unnecessary, Even when bears are tran- quilized and relocated many do not survive, cither dying of starvation or returning to their former terri- tory. Conservation officers are spread too thin and overworked to cope effectively with the problem. A conservation officer attempted to tranquilize an aduft male bear that had drawn a crowd at Lonsdale and Rockland Oct. 9. The bear had done nothing wrong. It fell out of a tree, hit its head on a rock and died. Steve Searles is coming to North Vancouver District Halt Oct. 29 to talk about his Californian town’s decision to try and stop shooting the 100 bears it deals with every year. It’s a pian based on education (of humans) yand scare tactics (of bears). His ideas might give us a new approach to an increasing problem. NGRTH SHORE DEMOGRAPHICS ONT YES NO oplMton RNOW 72% WK 1% O% 62%. 17% T% 14% 6% 13 10% 16% 81% 6% 0% 13% 68% 16% 4% 12% 78% 15% 6% 11% 726 6% 3% 19% N% 3% 12% Barbara McIntyre North Vancouver Yes. They should try to relo- cate them before they -kill them. Killing should be the last resort. Tagging them before relocation, or even a radio transmitter might pro- vide information on their movements. thi North Vanéouver I thinks so. Th Whiscder and | feel s about it, but F don what the answer is. If it more mioney Id rathe thar. We have a governi Horseshoe Bay Dundarave/Ambleside British Properties Norgate/Pemberton Heights Cupiiano/Detbrook Highlands Lower Lonsdale . Central and Upper Lonsdale Lynn Valley * beautiful animals. It’s diffi- cilt.-We expand all the time -into.their territory, but: _-what can you do? It’s heart- breaking. Fd pay more that wastes moncy on ev -taxes. IT have a big family Maybe we shot ~and-we all feel the same. Blucridge/Deep Cove COMBINED AVERAGE . . BO You HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE INQUIRING REPORTER? 65% 70% 20%. 14% 4% 10% 4% 12% built another couple of fast < . ferrics and ship them (the bears) around the world. E-mail your comments or question ideas to: martin@nsnews.com WV incumbents asked Causeway resol to change el + Contributing Writer : Two. West Yadcouver i Saetipel Cention’ ruies Monday. _: Coun:,.Ron ..Wood had ; istei fficial } coat of arnis on his campaign Web _ site. - while Coun. Alan «Williams. listed: an. e-mail assigned to him by. Ethe -. distric election 2 a about the. infractions: and, - to correct them mimediately. ~“Pused an éénail address 7 ~ aver other candidates. as told 1 could use: as a stand the problem,” Williams said. He refused to reprint his election materials, but has since disconnected the e-mail address. Voters can now reach him at . The coat of arms on Wond’s .Web_ site - was ‘removed Tuesday morning. -“If-it was an issue, it no lon er is an issue,” -Wood Sai A friend of a friend designed the Web site for “him, fe said. : 9 _. Their accuser Edward Guy, though ‘not intending to. embarrass cither candi- date; said using the district’s intellectual property to help ect re-elected’ gives incum- entss,an ‘unfair, advantage “IF you can. put the ection ads municipal crest on your Web site, it gives a subliminal advantage. “It makes you look more official, more of insider and makes ‘non-incumbents look like outsiders,” Guy said. “It really jnst comes down to a matter of principle. Can incumbents use taxpayers’ (intellectual property) te attempt to retain office. don’t’ think we fet faacral and provincial politicians do that. “From his reaction, I don’t think Coun. Williams even knew (the e-mail address) was on his brochure. : “Even so, it was improper and fhe certainly knows the ” said Guy. “Candidates really have to control what gocs. out with their names on it.” WHAT'S a political race without carktidates shar- ing their feelings about pretty much everything under the sun? To farther that process for the 1999 municipal council and school board race, the News presents Soapbox, an unfiltered smattering of unso- licited fulmisation, sentiment and personal conviction. ene West Vancouver council ‘candidate Tony Tobin submit “An’ Oct. 18 ‘press release’ reports that COPE candidates in the Vancouver election have taken to swearing statutory declarations to the effect that they will not support any mca- sures designed zo widen. the Stanley Park causeway and will ‘put their sobs 'un the line over his issuc.” “How quickly a problem deteriorates into conflict, posi- tions are taken and harden and the conflict escalates with no creative focus on the real prob- jem. “Let's define the probie the’ Stanley Park causeway is hazardous since it is too narrow | and doves not meet recognized - : road standards; existing side walks are too narrow and haz: ardous for pedestrians ‘and cyclists. ; “Criteria for decision: B allows for a‘safe pathway for: ": bicycles and pedestrians; @ mects recognized roadway - standards, tion of the eastside pathway i is now almost complete: eliminate the westside side--" walk (that would allow. the © widening of the causeway for motor saffic) and ‘create.an environmentally pedestrian only pathway (not concrete) that runs generally aralicl to the causeway but ‘is . more protection from: a Se- way’ traffic than ‘the pathway desig: does); “Let's lock for has and ercative solutic: problems and sto standing — and fer’ politicians on both sides of the causew get pro-active instead ‘of ‘reac five to this type of iss 1 “Candidates”. may Soapbox: contribistions 20 2104 ox: send (via