Dear Editor: As of April 2, it costs S40 to play a round of golf at Northlands and $42 for a round at the Seymour Golf and Country Club on the two davs a week that the course is open to the public. To become a full member of the Seymour Golf and Country Club costs $22,000 plus $200 a month plus $75 quarterly. I understand that Northlands cost: North Van district taxpayers $13.5 mil- Hon to construct and is run- ning. a $433,000 deticit: for the current year. Why is the district asking to be repaid only SUL.8 mil- lion over 40 years? How can north shore news MAIL Box Ne need for Northlands subsidies Mayor Don Bell suggest a plan that would require the golf course to pay back only $9 million te the Heritage Fund? Who are the destitute peo- ple of the North Shore Public Golf Course Society and their president who propase a green fee of $42 as “an acceptable” payment for an affordable round of golf? Acceptable to whom? Certainly not to the people who paid for the course in the first place — the district: tax- pavers. How much money did the NSPGCS contribute to the cost of the course to: cntitle them to a say in this matter? Whatever happened to pulling cour own weight and paving vour own way? Since there is a short wait- ing list to become a tull mem- ber of the Seymour Golf and Country Club it appears “rea- sonable” to pay thar much to play golf. The booking office at Northlands told me. it would be advisable to book three days in advance, causing me to believe that Northlands is pretty busy and “firesale prices” are not really neces- sary, To applaud councillors Carolan, Harris and Decring- Robb, who have trouble understanding the plight: of members of the NSPGCS. I hope the ether councillors will also be vocal about their views, rather than stand tirmly ov both sides of the fence. T plan to use the News* Rewspaper morgue to dig out some of the artickss written 3 few vears ago by executives of : and of the NSPGCS Northlands most vocal and enthusiastic advocate, Councillor Crist, who at the time couldn't stop telling us, what) a) moneymaker this course was going to be — the total cost of course was going to be $6 million. And the provincial government thinks they have a fast ferry scandal! Fred Bigler North Vancouver Literate parents raise literate children Dear Editor: Re: Timothy Renshaw’s April 4 Ripping Yarns column and Fraser Institt. ¢ > :hool rankings. And what inforntion did the Fraser Institute’s report arm me with? That my chil- dren shouldn’t switch parents. My husband and 1, with our average of 17.5 years of schooling, are their best bets for success at provincial exams and school in general, Contrary to what some would have us believe, it says little about my_ children’s teachers or the “effectiveness” of the school they go to. Pcaple who are educated and literate raise educated, literate children. It doesn’t surprise me at all Nepal trip enlightened students Dear Editor: On behalf of Nepal Cultural Society of British Columbia (NCSBC), T would like to thank Trans Himalayan Aid Socicty (TRAS) for sclect- ing Nepal for the Grade 11 students’ trip (April 4 News). Not only does a trip such as this help foung people to see the world in a different per- spective, but it also helps bring us together as members of a larger human family. The com- ments from some of the stu- dents —- “made (me) feel more connected to the world ...”; “being without material wealth can still yicld a mean- ingful life’ — give hope to a world torn by ethnic strife and misunderstanding. There are currently 50 families of Nepalese origin liv- ing in B.C. NCSBC, a volun- tary organization formed by these Nepalese, was recently registered with the govern- ment of B.C. NCSBC has two major objectives: to introduce Nepal and Nepalese culture to British Columbians and to assist in human development projects in Nepal. It hopes to work with other organizations in B.C. and the rest of Canada with = similar —_ objectives, Anyone interested in Nepal, please call or c-mail the under- signed so we can connect, Naresh Koirala, director, NCSBC nkoirala@globalserve.net that othe students oof Handsworth (rank 18 out of 262) do better than the stu- dents at Windsor (rank 125 out of 262). Look at the socio-economic mix in each of the catchment areas, fowll find that the Handsworth catchment is a lot more homogenous than that of Windsor — there is less variation in Jevels of income and education and they aver- age out ata higher level. Does that mean Windsor’s teachers are failing? Nonsense! Does that mean that my child will get a better edscation at Handsworth? Nonsense! If there is any value to the Fraser Institute study it is that the teachers in socio-cconom- ically deprived areas (where to WV doesn’t Dear Editor: What is happening to West Vancouver? To deter jaywalk- ing there is to be a fence 1.2 metres high, with prickly bushes and oak trees, along 500 metres of Marine Drive. Berlin took down its wall, bur we will have one to divide north from south. People will not walk over the bridges among the cars, so there will be more cross Marine Drive traffic thus increasing pollu- tion. And oak trees have leaves that take years to decompose; they will be messy and dangerous during the wet fall months. If there must be a barrier, why not a pleasant design with small blossom trees, a few crosswalk-marked gaps, You no one's surprise the educa- tion levels of the parents are Jower) aced more support. My friend teaches ina school that feeds into one of the lowest ranking schools in the province. Last year she tested her Grade 6 students to find out what level they were reading at. Only two students could read above Grade 2 level. What should their parents do? Move to a catchment area with a higher ranking school? Would that improve their chances? Maybe, but only if the spe- cial education resources in the new school are less taxed. My friend is a very good teacher. Sometimes she even works a miracle, but sometimes the game is over before it even begins. My kids have had great teachers: and dreadful teach- ers, The great teachers inspire them. They tolerate the dreadful ones and move on. And the truth is, some of the dreadful teachers were just fine for other children, and vice versa. That's life. The Fraser Institute report states only the obvious: that the apple rarely falls far tront the tree. Looking at teachers to find blame for poor perfor- mance misses the point. Literate parents raise literate children — no matter which catchment area they live in. Gayiyn Young North Vancouver gyoung@popserver.sfu.ca need divisive mall fence such as in Dundarave We should not try to divide our community and make it less livable. June Cherry West Vancouver From time to time, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or Plymouth vehicles are recalled. Your vehicle may have an outstanding recail notice. It is very important that Mountview complete these outstanding recalls. If you own a 1989- 1998 Chrysler vehicle, please call 980-3431 and have your vehicle serial number ready. There is no cost for this service. Where you can talk with your mechanic friendly alternative to the high cost of deale¢ service. _ Za Sunday, Aprii 18, 1999 — North Shore News - 9 TRNAS DRE NASER AE SRI REDE SS I BES NS OI Where can you | URL PATE NO GIMMICKS! 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