6- Sunday. Apri 11, 1993 - North Shore News ety NEWS Vi ine EWPOINT. Safe investment HE CALL for more police in North Vancouver District should be heard. A strategic planning survey con- ducted ‘by the district shows. that North Vancouver District residents are willing to spend more of their tax dollars on polic- ing. | According to 1991 “figures compiled by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, ‘North Vancouver District and Langley Township_ have the poorest police-to- population ratios in Canada. With a> population of. 75,700, North Vancouver Districd was served ‘by 75 police ‘officers in 1991, a-ratio of one police of- ficer for every 1, 009 residents. North Vancouver ‘District was served by oO 73 members in 1979. a ; In Victoria, with a population of 70,100 in 1991, the city supported 167 police of- ficers for g police-to-resident ratio of one for every 420 residents. The head of the local RCMP detach- ment is asking for council to support a total complement of 99 police officers in North Vancouver District by 1995. Given the burgeoning population. within the municipality, the police have done well. with the limited resources available. The successful Block Watch program, in which residents work in partnership with police .to look after their own interests, is am ex- — ample of a creative response to a bad situ- ation. i An investment ‘made ‘to help make the community 2 safer place in which to tive i is money well spent. NEWS G GUOTES 3 OF T THE WEEK c . family values. “They’re trying to create class. ~_warfare.’? West Vancouver-Garibaldi ‘MLA. David Mitchell;:on the NDP government and its new budget. “ur “have always looked on these cats as my pets,-and I can’t un-- “This will give new meaning to the phrase Ivy League. Unless we're going to’ make this some sort of tourist destination, I'm not going to support this motion.’ North Vancouver City Coun. Rod Clark, opposing a plan to plant 400 ivy plants to cover personal essay competition for her essay describing her battle with breast cancer, “This is the biggest land-use deci- sion this council will make and we get more information for a garage conversion,’’ _Gerstand .why, . whcnever- your : department comes to my property, I can’t get that across to them.” Margaret Purser, addressing North’ Vancouver . District staff during a ruckus raised at district council. over the 43 cats she keeps ‘on her Prospect Avenue Property. | a “It was like wal Rosalind Ma awarding her a . . Peter Speck "Timothy Renshaw Noel Wright Publisher * Display Advertis' Managing Editor. Associate Editor : Salos & Marketing Director . Linda: Stewart Comptroiier .... Doug Foot North Shore’ News, founded in 1969-as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph Ill of the Excise Tax Act. is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. by North Shore Free Press Lid. and distributed to every door on the North Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales * Product Agreement Ho. 0087238. Mailing rales available on request. Submissioris are welcome but we cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited material including manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by z a stamped, addressed envelope. 7) A . Newsroom V7™M 2H4 Entire content ground near Grand Boulevard. fic and taking my clothes off.” ‘ Lions Bay resident: and poet publicity -generated by CBC's ing Real Estate Advertising 985-6982 Subscriptions 986-1337 Classitied Advertising 986-6222 Fax 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C. North Vancouver District Coun. Janice Harris, chiding district planning staff for the lack of maps in the briefing package for a .Meeting dealing with the establishment of a public hearing on the massive Northlands golf course development, king out into traf- - cPhee, on the $2,000 prize in a , ww This newspaper contains B ‘ecycled fibre North Shore managed 980-0511. Distribution 986-1337 985-3227 * 985-2131 Administration 985-2131 BS MEMBER SR . SDA DIVISION 61, 582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) s © 1993 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved, - ATLANTIC magazine is the genteel voice of New England’s ‘‘small I’? liberals. It’s hardly the publication on ‘ which you’d ever expect to find this month's cover — proclaiming ‘‘Dan Quayle was right. ” Erstwhile Quayle-watchers will recall the uproar the former U.S. vice-president caused last year by chastising the heroitie of the top- sated TV show Murphy Brown for having a baby out of wedlock. Dan thought Murphy's choice made her a poor role model. For daring to say so, he was promptly crucified by feminists, civil liber- tarians, Democrats and profes- sional protesters of all stripes, un- til voters mercifully relieved him | of his office six months later. Now, the author of the AUantic article, Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, produces a catalogue of unhappy facts and figures that suggest Dan was right on target in insisting on the importance of fathers. A little over a generation ago only 5% of American children were born to unmarried mothers. Today, the figure is around 25%, Another 25% will eventually ‘ enter a step-family — and half of those will see theie natural parent and step-parent divorce again. In the 1950s, divorce was com- patatively rare and four out of five kids grew up in homes where their biological father was married to, and living with; their biologi- cal mother. Nobody thought it in the least odd that Father Knows ho . votes : in Best was among the top- -rated Tv soaps. Meanwhile, recent school surveys leave little doubt about _ the effect on children of separa- tion from their natural fathers. They are nearly twice as likely as kids with dads stili around to drop out of high school. More . than one-third of the children of. . divorced parents suffer moderate ' or severe depression. for up to five years. In elementary school two- parent children provide 34% of - the high achievers. Only 17% of single-parent children reach that level. But just why does divorce have such a traumatic ef: fect on the young? Poverty is one reason, says Whitehead. Since divorce on de- mand arrived 25 years ago, 50% of divorced mothers get no child -support — mom and.her kids winding up, on average, with only: half the income of the now single dad. New sexual partners are. another reason. : . ‘Even the very best of boyfriends can disrupt and undermine a child’s sense of peace HITHER AND YON. and security.'’ And finally, 2 Whitehead notes, divorce shatters parental authority. ‘‘Children are often required to make decisions. - or accept responsibilities once - considered the province of parents." Economic factors contribute to “this spectacle of more than half of * America’s children now erwin “up separated from their natural » fathers: Compared to the 1960s, punitive taxes and inflated hous- ing costs have greatly increased-: . the number of families with both |< parents working and attendant strains on relationships. a As well, increased government; help for single mothers subsidizes: family breakups by making an ~ alternative lifestyle more feasible. But basically, Whitehead con- cludes, the problem is moral.” *- Because divorce on demand offers a fast, easy solution to soured: marriages, people are sithply n not ’ behaving as well as they once. ; “Americans,” she says with’ masterly: understatement, “are less inclined than they were'a gener: ' tion ago to. value sexual fidelity, lifelong marriage, and parentho as worthwhile goals.’’. Dan the politician might hav put it more bluntly: If it’s vote: you're looking for ‘these. days; ‘forget all about family values eos’ TAILPIECES: First of three . musical lectures featuring >" . Beethoven takes place Wednesday morning, April 14, at West Van:-: Library, with subsequent lectures May 12 and June 16. Tickets $39 ’ the series or $14 single lectures if ‘available — call 926-3291 ... At- tention the Argyle Class of '73,:. you’re invited to'join the fun at’ the 20-year reunion planned for.- May 15 — contact Wendy. Barr, 888-9343 for. details ..; Tuesday, - -: April 15, is gift-of-life day again . at the Lions Gate Hospital bload-. |’ donor clinic from 2:30 to & p.m. | - .. Also on Tuesday, many happy returns of the day.to the Oatmeal ~”.. Sage, Jack Webster, who turns 75°. ... And more of the same to ”’ Mount Seymour. Lions birthday » boy Tom Lueas. 1 oae WRIGHT OR WRONG: If you Lt teally want to test’'a man’s charac-.‘ ter, don’t face him with adversity ".— give him power.