6 - Sunday, March 12, 1989 - North Shore News INSIGHTS W. Van comedy of errors watch a costly show to WEST VAN’S OWN ‘“‘FAWLTY TOWERS” soap opera returns Tuesday. As distinct from the British TV comedy series, this high-priced local production features the twin Otherwise, if the lease offer were upheld as valid and if Newcorp went on to win its pending action, the bill could soar. Asked in . F : er eteerse mepansmeeer reCRO towers planned for 320 Taylor Way. If you've just switched on, the previous episode back in December found council once again between a rock and a hard place over the 99-year lease offer granted in unseemly haste last May to the de- veloper, Newcorp. In the November referendum on the issue just over 50 per cent of the voters told council to scrap the lease offer and send Newcorp packing. Meanwhile, Newcorp — with an apparently binding agreement in its pocket — filed a lawsuit against the municipality for failing to meet contractual deadlines. At this juncture the City Fathers called in outside legal counsel in the person of George Macintosh, Q.C., a senior member of the Vancouver law firm of Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy, and put to him nine questions regard- the contract. At that time Mr. Macintosh saw merit in only one of them — a technical point re- garding the five-year renewal op- tion tacked on to the 99-year lease, which might breach the Municipal Act. So beginning at 9:45 a.m. Tues- day, March 14, in the B.C. Supreme Court, 800 Smithe, counsel for the municipality will seek a “‘declaratory judgment’’ on the validity of the 99-year lease of- fer and a couple of other related points. The two-day hearing should be of lively interest to any West Van taxpayers able to attend. They're paying for it — and that could be just for starters. Were the Court to find the lease offer invalid, Newcorp's writ agzins: West Van could collapse, since the company would no longer ing possible grounds for breaking _—hold a legelly binding agreement. RALF WICKBERG ...top Kiwa- JILL PLESS ...one-woman show. Act, don’t react LECTED POLITICIANS and industry giants are followers, not leaders, in the attempt to halt the destruction of our environment. The hundreds of ecologically-minded grassroots movements that have been in place for years are finally having an effect — but solely because the government has opened its eyes and realized that votes are at stake. Similarly, paper producers have not taken the initia- tive to invest in the production and marketing of unbleached paper products, choosing instead to keep under wraps evidence of dangerous dioxins resulting from the chlorine bleaching process. When the threats posed by dioxins became known over a decade ago, the government of the day should have immediately started to crack down on their use. Instead, pulp mills are still venting their noxicus wastes into the air and water aided by a government that, in the case of the mill at Port Mellon, allows them to Operate under relaxed.anti-pollution standards. When ecological abuses come to light it is up to the government to rectify them immediately — not to wait and react only whea public unrest deems it politically wise to do so. A responsible government can achieve in one year what a grassroots movement can hope to accomplish in 10. Let’s see the big guns take the initiative for some positive action — now. December about the costs of losing to Newcorp, Mr. Macintosh declined to be specific but sug- gested anywhere from a low of $250,000 — if the court merely ordered West Van to honor the lease — up to ‘‘millions”’’ if dam- ages were awarded. That would be over and above the bill to date for West Van tax- payers — this week’s two days in court, the November referendum, extra Jegal fees and other assorted expenses arising from the nine- month hassle. At this point any comparison between the 320 Taylor Way com- edy of errors and John Cleese’s TV tib-tickler ceases. You can watch the latter for free! a FOLKTALES: Salute Ralf Wickberg, charter president of the Kiwanis Club of Capilano, West Van, on being elected Lieutenant Governor of Division 13, Pacific Northwest Division, Kiwanis In- ternational. His **Kiwanian-dom”’ (Div. 13) extends frora Tsawwassen to the Sunshine Coast ... One-woman show of works by well-known North Shore artist Jill Pless opens Wednesday, March 15, in North Van Civic Centre, I4! West 14th, and runs until April 12. Sponsored by North Van Com- munity Arts Council, the hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday ... Still on the art scene, a painting by Cap College's Kiff Holland wilt be included in Gite Sart t ‘ ot the annual exhibition of the Amer- ican Watercolor Society April 25 in New York — the item being that only about 100 of the 10,000 works entered are accepted and this year Kiff is the sole Canadian repre- sentative ... Congrats to Donna Kenny, deputy municipa! clerk of North Van District, on being awarded the intermediate Certifi- cate in Municipal Administration — with high praise passed to her boss, Mayor Marilyn Baker, by examining board chairman Christopher Woodward ... And 2 happy birthday card tomorrow, March 13, to North Van’s Helen Preston. gan WRIGHT OR WRONG: A stitch in time doesn’t always save nine but it COULD save you an embar- rassing incident. Publisher Peter Speck ee a Oisptay Advertising 980-0511 Managing Editor Barrett Fisher Ciassed Advertising 986-6222 . Newsroom 985-2131 Associate Editor Noel Wright Distnpution 986-1337 Advertising Directur Linda Stewar eS Subscriptions 986-1337 ° ©) SUNDA SN ROMESDAT +O RIDAY Fas 985.3227 NEWS photo Tom Burisy BUDDING YEHUDI...Solo performer Jonathan Koral uf Sentine’ plays Bach’s Violin Concerto in A Minor at the recent Lower Malniand Festi- val of Orchestras in West Van Secondary School. 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Varcouver, BC —_—c_ MEMBER V7M 2Hs §9,170 \avarage. Weanesday Friday 4 Sunday jecan. | North Shore owned and managed Entire contents “4989 Norin Shore Free Press Lid Alt rights reserved.