1’60s stash
uncovered

Robert Galster

News Reporter
robert@nsnews.com

IT took Umeeda Switlo six
years to realize that her hus-
band Gary left behind more
than just memories when he
died of complications from
AIDS in 1992.

Umieeda discovered by accident
duriag a re ll whar she
now realizes is an invaluable pop
culrure time capsue. Filled with
rock and roll memorabilia and per-
sonal mementos, the collection was
packed in several cardboard boxes
in the basement of her North
Vancouver hom

But they didn’t come to her
attention until one of her water
pipes burst and caused a small
flood. Frantic efforts to salvage as
many of her belongings as possible
led to the discovery.

A friend helping her move items
to higher ground kicked one of the
boxes and a Creedence Clearwater
Revival poster popped our. A closer
look reveaied a variety of items

Paper trail
for sale

ALTHOUGH remy such as b-
and posters are a big part
of the upcoming auction, other
items to be sold include band
tracts,
@ led Zeppelin’s PNE rental
contract tor the evening of
March 1970, which calls
tor “Led Zepplan” to receive
18% of the gross gate with a
minimum of $1500;
@ Ta) Mahal’s contract to p
one show oat the Paradise
Resort, Vancouver Pop Festivas
on Aug. 22, 1969, for $3,000;
B Guess Who's contract to play
one 50-minute set oat. the
Paradise Resort, Vancouver
ival on Aug. 12, 1969,
for $4,000;
B An undated radio advernsing
for $50 for the Bee
Gees and $200 for Guess Who.
— Robert Galster

spanning a life in the music indus-
try.

“Why this collection is unique is
because certainly the public wouldn’t own anything like this,”
said Umeeda.

She is referring to contracts, signed posters, s and
personal correspondence only someone in the music industry
would have access to. While she has put aside the items thar
are personalized to Gary, she has decided to auction off the
rest with part of the proceeds going to the Dr. Peter AIDS
Foundation.

Gary Switlo started cut as a concert booking agent in the
*60s. As the tumultuous decade was coming to a close, Switlo
founded Concert x fices, which later became
Ticketmaster Canada though Gary had since sold his interest
in the company. In the meantime, he rubbed shoulders with
the biggest names in music at the time, including The Beatles,
Led Zeppelin, The Doors and The Who.

Umeeda may have discovered the boxes by accident, but
she believes it was just like Gary planned it.

NEWS photo Paul McGrath

UMEEDA Switio and 11-year-old daughter Nareena show off
some of the rock and roll memorabilia left behind by Gary Switio.

“Ef he didn’t tell me (about the collection), he meant one
y for her (daughter Nareena) to find it.” said Umeeda,
adding the nwo of them were in tears when they went through
the box “This time capsule is not just related to the music

ence, but _ wasn't without its lighter moments.

“<Did they have any signed Spice Girls photograph
Uineeda recalled her daughter asking at one point.

Details of the auction have yet to be released, bur Umeeda
is leaning toward the ¢ lety.

“Fm not going to give Maynard’s a cent for this one,” she
said.

The items will be open for a public viewing in about a
month’s time. A location has vet to be determined, but a sneak
peak at the items is available at Umeeda’s company web site
(wew.nextlevel.cont/espace).

THE Who’s Pete Townsend (top to bottom), Led
Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and The Who's Roger Daltrey
are caught in the act during Vancouver performances.

Pub proponent ponders his next move

North Vancouver
restaurateur loses
licensing appeal

Robert Gaister
News Reporter robert@nsnews.com

THE Great Greek’s Lower Lonsdale
odyssey may have finally come to an

ick Vavaris, owner of the Great Greek restau-
rant, Zor some bad news last w 11 appeal ofa
Liquor Control and Licensing decision denying his
application for a neighborhood pub was turned
down last week. ‘The news was a shock although
hardly a surpri we days later, his furure was no
more clear.

“ZT don’t know what co do,” said: Vavaris. “1
really want to do something bur T don’t know
what.

His choices are at best limited and certainly dif
ficult. He could embark on another pub mission and heed the
lessons he learned the first tinte around, but he doesn’t think that
fine is on his side.

“I's hard. Cm nor a kid anymore. Pm 65 vears old,” said
Vavaris. “In another five to cight years [im dopping down. fr's
hard.”

His immediate future lies in the hands of his landlord.
ona one-year grace period pending the outcome of the
Vavaris is awaiting the landlord's next step.

In the meantime, he waits and ponders his oy .

“What do [do now?” asked a dejected Vavaris, “Put a gun to
my head and blow my head of? Whac™

Vavaris has been at what appeared to be the end of his rope
before. He even went so far as to ask the same question of a hap
less North Vancouver City emplovee during a visi to city hall last
April. The employee took Vavaris’s desperation at face value and

chenne rnet

property for a restaurant. Astronomical interest rates
of the early 1980s forced him to abandon the pro-
jeet, almost a broken man.

His work in the city has not gone unnoticed and
at least a handfdl of its councillors hoped he would
succeed in his pub bid.

Nick has given a lor to the community,” said
Coun. Darrell, Mussatto of Vavaris’s wi on
Emerald Park.

Vav ventually recovered and rebounded with
the current Great Greek restaurant on Esplanade.
When it became clear to Vavaris the restaurant was
not going to be the success he was hoping for he
hatched a plan for a neighborhood pub. He has
worked on the proposal since 1990.

In 1994 the 1
residents at Vavaris’s expense, but
surveying the opinion of some of the renters li
in the area

The survey was subsequently deemed thawed and

”

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield couinci] decided to forego conducting another sur-

contacted the RCMP.

Later, a police officer showed up at Vavaris’s home with a court
order and temporarily contiscated his hunting rifles.

Yhat, said Vavaris, is not the kind of city hall cooperation he
was looking tor, At every curd during his bid fora neighborhood
pub, Ya amplained bitterly thar he was a victim of city
hall incompetence tizst and later a conspired effort on behalf ot the
area’s ny pub owners to stop him.

Vavaris initially got the ball rolling on a pub proposal tor his
restaurant site eight years ago.

H ried out as a restaurateur in North Vancouver Cit
early 1970s and had good run until he took on the Emerald Park
project that nearly wiped him out, Later renamed Hamersley
House, Emerakd Park was a North Vancouver City-owned her
itage house in need of work.

Vavaris took it on and sank all his money into refitting the

NICK Vavaris’s bid to secure a neighborhood pub license for the site of his vey. Instead councillors decided to proceed with a
Lower Lonsdale restaurant has been dealt another blow.

public hearing to gauye the opinion of the area’s res:
idents.

The hearings, hekd ac North Vancouver City municipal hall,
received a ma turnout with both sur and opponents
making impassioned speeches to air their

In May, 1996 the city approved the Vavaris pub application
and sent a resolution to the liquor ficensing branch in Victoria.
However, the resolution stopped short of sting that council was
of the opinion the majority of the area’s residents supported a
pub, Council merely approved the SSary ZONE.

“Tm obviously disappointed he. didn’t yet approval from
Victoria,” satd Mussatto who supported Vavaris’s bid. “E thought
it was a good location.”

Mussatto said he hopes thar Vavanis does’t give up and tries
another bid fora pub in the Lower Lonsdale location. Vavaris has
vet to get over the present before he starts looking to the future.

“Twas the golden Greek in the ‘80s when I did the Emerald
Park and now Pm the God: damned Greek,” said Vavaris binterly.