I - Hot nu HE. PROVINCIAL government! s gang/youth contact line become a hot new number for local -teens feeling threatened by fallout from the : new age of violence. ‘! According to the provincial government, . the service was initiated as part of a gov- ernment-wide response to youth and gang violence. Its thrust is to open communication lines between the street and the police, and it is open communication that will do as much as anything cise to help stem the rising tide of hooliganism in Jocal urban areas. | ‘On the North Shore the gang hoiline was plugged in on Saturday, Feb. 27. It provides (wo numbers — 988-GANG in North’ Vancouver; 926-GANG in. ‘West Vancouver — that local youth can : call anonymously to relay tips and information i‘ ‘ i i | could: bers to ‘ocal police departments. The numbers provide a vital outlet for youth who might be uncomfortable with being seen to have direct contact with police authorities, but who might be just as uncomfortable -with remaining silent after witnessing or ex- periencing street violence. The good news is that the overwhelming majority, of young people are good, en- thusiastic and bright citizens; the bad news is that the criminal minority get:the atten- , tion by the sheer outrageousness of their actions. Bullies and posturing street thugs ean be beaten, but only in a community in which their activities are not tolerated by any of its residents, Empowering youth to make a difference through a gang kotline is one more way to hound violence from our streets. “LETTER OF THE DAY | District’s: rej vaso. of pub applauded Dear Editor: We find district council’s deci- sion to deny the rezoning applica- tion for the proposed Capilano Road pub extremely heartening. Resident homeowners in Lower Capilano, Capilano Heights, Klahanie, Glenair,. Deep Cove, Seymour Park and elsewhere who were opposed to the rezoning, had field upon which to'challenge the pub developer’s proposal. But council’s 5-2 decision against it' went a long way to dispel these doubts. Finally, ‘even though the pro- posed pub wasn’t in their im- mediate area, it was heartening to receive the active support we did from all those ratepayer/resident to our aid, and we certainly will reciprocate in kind whenever they deem it appropriate. This, to us, is what being a concerned and committed member of one’s larger community is all about. We all should give ourselves a hardy applause and warm slap on the back. gone on record to express their doubts that the district was pro- viding them with a level playing members. Publisher . fdanaging Editor . Associate Editor. Sales & Marketing Director Linda Stewart Comptroiler . .Doug Foot North Shore |News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph Ut of the Excise Tay Aci, is published eac’s Wedtesday. Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lid. and distributed to every Goor on the North Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mai! Sates Product Agreernent No. 0087238. Mailing rates avatlable of request. Submissions are welcome out we Cannot accept responsibility lor unsolicited material inctuding manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped, aadressed envelope. . Peter Speck . Timothy Renshaw .Noel Wright Newsroom V7M 2H4 associations and/or We won't forget that they came Display Advertising Real Estate Advertising 983-6982 Classified Advertising 986-6222 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C. their Jerome Irwin Lower Capilano Residents’ Steer- ing Committee 980-0511 Distribution 986-1337 Subscriptions’ 986-1337 Fax 985-3227 Administration 985.2131 Printed on 10% recycled 985-2131 newsprint SDA OIVISION 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) Entire contents © 1993 North Shore Free Press Lid. Ail rights reserved, ea en more fi ler contes mM than the result | SO ONCE AGAIN we ‘must suffer — not once but twice in quick succession — the mast stupid and potentially damaging ritual in Canadian political life: the imported, American-style leadership convention. And this time both events are even more crucial than usual. In May B.C. Liberals will choose the man to go head-to-head with Mike Harcourt in 1995-96 on behalf of the province’s 60% free enterprise vote (judging by the . hopefuls list to date, no women need apply). In June the federal Tories will pick a brand new leader deemed _ to have the best chances of return- ing them to power for a third term by licking pathetic Jean Chretien and Audrey McLaughtin. Who will decide in éach case? Anywhere from a thousand chan- ting, placard-waving grassroots delegates upward, with no experi- ence in the art of governing and responsible to nobody but themselves. They will meet solely to revel in their brief roles as kingmakers during a three-day media circus run like the Chicago commodities exchange. But questionable mob judgment with no individual accountability is no way to enshrine 4 major party leader with the potential to become either a Messiah or a disaster. In the latter case SOMEBODY should surely have to answer for.the original fatal decision before it inflicts five years "damage on an entire: pro- vince or nation, The nub of the problem i is our slavish adherence to the American concept that political leaders are the “‘property’’ of party members, who alone can crown or dethrone them. ; It causes fewer problems in the U.S., however, thanks to the checks and balances there in the division of powers between, Con- gress and the president. Not so in a parliamentary system where the government head and opposition leader are both, in. practice, five-year dictators. | Since they can be removed only by a grassroots party convention, they are able to hang in from one election to the next regardless of the mess they make of their job and the lives of the helpless citi- zenry. In 1991, Britain’s once invinci- ble Maggie Thatcher and longtime Australian PM Bob Hawke were both fired, and promptly replaced, by their respective caucuses with minimal fuss or disruption. The Brits and Aussies figure the people best qualified to judge how politi- cal bosses perform are their elected colleagues — who must HITHER AND YON 1 _ themselves answer to the voters . for the sins of those bosses. The choosing (or dumping) of. parliamentary leaders by their own | caucuses is the only way to guar-' antee leadership accountability be- tween elections. In Canada that . system --- along with the junking of irresponsible leadership con- vention spectaculars — is long overdue. ; True, such shows are fun to watch, The eventual result often is NOT. eee SCRATCHPAD: Boys and girls aged 12-19 interested in flying, tours to bases, camping, sports‘ and much more are needed by the West Van Air Cadets -— call 435-9180 for full information ... Seymovr Art Gallery, 4360 ~ Gallant, Deep Cove, is urgently secking a board secretary plus _volunteers for Saturday and Sun-. day Gallery Watch, fundraising and office work, with training : provided — contact 985-7626 for details ... Railway buffs check — . West Coast Railway Association, §24-10i1, about “B.C. North to South, "its unique rail trip being . planned for Saturday, May 29... And happy 28th birthday wishes tomorrow, Mar.6, to North Van’s - Jim Dyke. . WRIGHT OR WRONG: Truth is not only just stranger than fiction — these days it’s a whole lot cleaner too . PINK SLIPS from their caucuses... Britain’s Maggie . Thatcher : (left) and Australia’ s Bob Hawke.