APES RIS ete pie Mi RATES GRE RANE HOOF I PET TENE UNA EP T g eSNG Fm oy Captain Tuna and the magic of newspapering NORTH PENDER Island — Peter Speck brings the Talofa Lee to her mooring gently, gently, as if afraid to crack the mirror-smooth waters of Clam Bay. He is, in fact, afraid that in spite of sonar, radar and all the other bells, lights and whistles, he might put a smudge on the snow-white hull of his yacht should the mooring buoy be dirty. He is a cautious sailor. “They call me Captain Tuna, The Chicken of the Sea.’"* When he is not sailing Mr. Speck is publisher of the North Shore News and has interests in other papers as well. Here at Clam Bay he has an estate, a staff, much machinery and a fine pavilion set beside an artifical lake with real ducks. He brings employees from his newspapers here where they sit in the pavilion and meditate about matters of cosmic importance. They also have a lot of fun on the place. “In any business, morale is the mainspring. Without good morale, Paul St. Pierre : PAULITICS & PERSPECTIVES you can have nothing.’? (When you have a few million dollars, it’s time to look for some philos- ophy on which your success must have been based, mustn’t it?) The Talofa Lee happens to be also bound up in his success. The ship’s virtues are spelled out on a wall full of brass plates: Most Inexperienced Crew (1980), First to Finish — Media (1981), Most Luxurious Lifestyle Afloat (1982) and then a succession of triumphs including Most Con- genial Race Host, Prettiest Boat Under 45 Feet, Prettiest Boat Over 45 Feet and even the coveted General Excellence — Honorable Mention. What may seem unusual is that Mr. Speck’s success did not cul- minate in this lovely boat but in- stead began with it. A garrulous soul by nature, he will explain this to people, even some who never asked. In the 1960s and 70s he partook in many careers, one of which was ditch digging. Another was operating a radiator repair shop. All had been inglorious ventures and some horrid failures. Even when he induced a few people to fund publication of the North Shore News he remained inglorious. He might have had some of the personality traits of the late Lord Northcliffe but he had none of Northcliffe’s clout. The change came about not by lucubrations about morale but by a gift of one of those tiresome self-improvement books from a girl who felt he desperately needed one. “To this very day, {| haven’t read it. But one day J Jet it fall open in my lap and read one page. That page said you can ac- complish nothing until you know exactly what you want. Not gen- erally. Specifically. Your goal must be visualized in every detail." He tried to visualize what his role in this life truly was. lt was to owna yacht. Then and there he sat down in his small, rented home and made copious notes about the ship of his dreams. Then he tucked them in his pocket and thought no more about them until a few days later when he was going through one of his frequent bad financial patches. He read his notes again. This time it all was illuminated to him. He needed a yacht. Decisive by nature, he placed ads in the papers for a ferro-con- crete ship with video and TV ca- pability and an ambience in which romance might blossom. There were several responses. He says he met some charming people, many of whom took him sailing. After a few months he found the Talofa Lee. She was unfinished and needed quite a few tens of thousands spent on her but the essential beauty was apparent. He now needed nothing more in this world except $38,000 to buy her. -Since he did not have 38,000 of anything, not even rocks, he went to where money is, a bank. He is logical as well as decisive. He ex- plained his need for $38,000. The banker declined. He went to a se- cond banker. He, too, declined the Speck account. “*I was surprised, but one thing I had noticed. Both bankers thought I should be working harder, drinking less and earning more money. I suppose if I’d_ - done that the radiator shop might not have failed.’* The next day he boosted his advertising rates ten per cent and added two pages to the newspa- per. The Sua and Province went on strike and that helped, but even when the big papers revived the News’ profits kept going up and up. Soon he owned the Talofa Lee and was able to pour © torrents of money into her hull. People started calling him Peter instead of Pete. Bankers came to him instead of him going to bankers. **Like Sophie Tucker, I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor and I find that being rich is better,’’ says Captain Tuna, age 51. On the bridge is yet another brass plaque. This one reads: Bet- ter to wear out than to rust out. ARDAGH HUNTER TURNER Barristers & Solicitors IMPAIRED DRIVING AFTER HOURS 645-8989 [986-4366 | FAX 986-9286 300-1401 LONSDALE, NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. NORTH VANCOUVER City staff will study the feasibility of establishing a community noise tuonitoring progrant. By Pamela Lang Contributing Writer City council also instructed Monday that a test for noise in the courthouse area be undertak- en. The test would involve the automated monitoring of sound levels. The issue of city noise was rais- ed by the Courthouse Area Resi- dent's Association (CARA). Aldermen agreed that while other areas of the city may have more serious noise problems, 2 prelimi- nary test will be done near Grand Boulevard and East 23rd Street. Noise monitoring could be used DES a R = T 1 N G FROM CONCEPT TO FINISHED PRODUCT T Recycled Paper gvaiiai 2443 Marine Drive. West Vancouver 922-0247 Bowen 947-9745. Friday, August 17, 1990 - North Shore News - 9 City to study noise monitoring in the same fashion that annual traffic counts assist the engineer- ing department said Gerry Brewer, city administrator. Since a small survey of the courthouse area will be undertak- en, some aldermen expressed con- cern over the same request coming from countless other community groups, But they agreed that only the CARA study would take place be- fore staff has had the opportunity to took at the feasibility of an ongoing monitoring program. The program is to be considered for the 1991 budget. ‘*Council should move one step at a time,’’ said Ald. Stella Jo Dean, pointing out that there is ‘*a noise problem all over the city, not just in the courthouse area. The whole city has too much traf- fic,’’ she said. Dean, however, did vote in favor of the initial test to be done in the courthouse area. Although Ald. Rod Clark sug- gested that the proposed test will be inadequate and should be delayed until the staff report is complete, he was alone in oppos- ing the test. “Our ‘When-You-Need-It’ Loan. Go ahead, just as “Do we ‘do’ loans? Absolutely. [t's one of the things we do best. Choose between a fixed or variable rate. Pick the term of your loan, from one to five years. Pay the loan off early, no penalty. if sou like. So. when vou need a foun. Buniabs Y- 1403 Alberni Street 685-9102 Marine Drive Ot Ld bee Lyon Valles NIL ASSAD Davie Street HHN-OE Dark Rosal OO KSTE go ahead. Just ask.” Lonsdale gay Whisties guys Dollarton OMEN TTE Village YRA-SI21 NEWS photo Mike Wehalietd