6 - Sunday, July 13, 1986 - North Shore News ee t_. News Viewpoint 4 Tt VOICE G8 NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVEH . Peter Gpner } Publisher: Editor-in-Chief Norwe erA i Sarrett beste Distribution 986-1337 News Editor [barrett f ' Subscriptions 986-1337 Advertising Director Honh Shore Maes eee See ee Display Advertising 980-0511 Classilied Advertising 986-6222 Newsroom 985-2131 Vtider Site te ged we vom MEDAN (Fr eRIDAY 1139 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver, 8.C. V7M 2H4 SUNDAY The only fair way he first job of any new Socred premier hoping ao: North Shree to improve the party’s chances of hanging on to S756 ree vie eer he TG 2 Sa bee Piece tty an power al the next election is to roll back the oe : os “ bitin wines saghte, tesaetyend monstrous transit levy increase now being collected via B.C. Hydro bills. The flat rate charge of $5.30 per month — looking all the worse as $10.60 added to the bi-monthly invoice — hits the poor and those on fixed incomes just as hard as the well-to-do and wealthy. Any such tan flies in the face of the basic taxation principle that people should pay according to their means. Whoever dream- ed iti up should be fired tor political and fiscal in- competence. The only fair way to raise the needed subsidy for our developing public transit system — and, incidentally, encourage its use — is to add maybe two cents a litre to the gasoline tax. That would tie the tax fo consump- tion, benefiting poorer people who use (heir cars less, and Jikely increase transit revenues by reducing the number of one-driver cars clogging city streets. The objection (hat a higher gas tax would drive away U.S. and other out-of-province tourists seems fairly simple lo overcome. Such tourists could be offered books of limited- period discount coupans obtainable only outside B.C. (by mail or through travel apents) and valid only with a non-B.C. licenee — a system like BritRail and EusoRail passes which provide cheap rail travel for North American visitors to Britain and Europe. The gasoline tax is the only equitable option left to Victoria if public transit in B.C. is to survive and foistires TOES cae photos submittea grow. It should be seized and made 10 work. FANTASIES we all have, though few of us get to five them out. But Irene Manning finally did last week — with a gift from B.C, Rail on her 87th birthday. irene is the daughter of pioncer railroad man William Baker Donaldson, who spent nearly 40 years behind the throttle of the giant steam locomotives hauling trains through the B.C. Interior and served much of that time as chief engineer of the CPR’s Ash Kennedy Division 657. Her fan- tasy, heading towards her tenth decade, was a ride in a caboose to the soothing clickety-clack, once more, of wheels on steel. The BC Rail brass heard. of her dream and decided, just this once, to cut the red tape and give her an 87th birthday present she'd remember. And that’s how the sprightly Mrs. Manning came, last Tuesday, to board the caboose of the mile-long noonday freight nor- thbound out of the North Van yard. For train conductor Hugh Schultz and Larry Behnish, assis- THIRTY-THREE YEAR coffee break? ... tant general coordinator of freight who escorted her, cabooses will never be quite the same again. Railway folk are a special breed, and Jrene and her hosts clearly recognized their family ties from the start. They gave her the royal treatment and she charmed and chatted them back in return. She proudly exchanged her stylish bonnet for an engineer’s cap and clambered up the ladder into the observation compartment — from where she kept a railroader’s keen eye on how engineer Don Balkwell was handling the train all the way to Porteau. There they halted on a loop for the Royal Hudson to pass and let her off, with warm hugs all round, for the drive back home, I hear they just managed to make it to Prince George without her. But if those nice, very human BC Rail people are ever short of a conductor, the ‘‘queen of the caboose"’, as near as their phone, will always be happy to oblige. =o DEJA VU: Thirty-three years ago “ eee a photos submitted Miss North Shore Pageant emcee Mure Howard 1953 (left), back on the job in 1986, LETTER OF THE DA QUEEN OF THE CABOOSE ... BC Rail says “happy birthday"’ to a pioneer railroader’s daughter. Bottom right, a farewell hug for Irene from train conductor Hugh Schultz. Noel Wright * sunday brunch Gertie Todd, organizing her third Van, their home ever since, Miss North Shore Pageant, talked a handsome young North Van a neighbor into emceeing the crowning ceremonies at the then new Mahon Pool. On August 2nd the Miss North Shore crowning spectacular in the Centennial Theatre, marking Gertie’s 35th Pageant, will again be emceed by the same handsome gent, now nicely matured by the passage of a third of a century. The name is Marc Howard, former City alder- man and community worker, and he'll greet at least one familiar face — Mrs. Carol Bolton (nee Stevens) whom he inducted as Miss North Shore 1953, and who'll be among aver 25 former title-winners atten- ding the gala event. former Worthy Master two daughters, Carole Victoria and Iris five grandchildren. one oor GOLDEN WISHES this week to Victor and Jessie Dougherty who celebrate their ‘SOth’’ this Tues- day with a family dinner at the Panorama Roof following a party given by their many friends yester- day. Married in Glasgow, they left Scotland in 1948 and had the good taste to head straight for West retired purchasing agent, Victor is Hollyburn Masonic Lodge. Their Voss of ‘rew of West Van, have meanwhile given them devices is tomorrow. WRAP-UP: North Van-Burnaby MP Chuck Cook, home from the Ottawa wars for a peaceful two months nursing his constituents, says the next federal election can’t come before fall 1988 because of riding redistribution — and more likely spring 1989 unless the polls suddenly give Brian 60 per cent ... New PR lady for the West Van Chamber of Commerce is Renate Griffiths, wife of Alderman Don Griffiths — her touch already evi- dent in the Chamber’s smartened-up newsletter ... And a salute of welcome to North Van's new top cop, Supt. Stewart Thompson, RCMP, posted here from Prince George to succeed recently retired Supt. Roy Byrne. WRIGHT OR WRONG: One of today’s greatest labor-saving i photo submitted GOOD TASTE ... “Golden” celebrants Victor and Jessie Dougherty left Scotland, headed non-stop for West Vancouver, Report card from a contented teacher Dear Editor: “Eo am a teacher, an average classroom teacher who has just completed another school term of 194 days. My salary including basic benefits is $38,672 and next term it will be $39,445. I also con- tribute to a government pension plan and the government pays a similar amount to the plan on my behalf. Since 1983 TE have had in- creases of 3 per cent and [ta per cent in addition to those teachers who receive increases for teaching experienee called increments. My average class size is now 27 students which is up from 25 in former years. The masimum_ in- structional time per week is 26 hours and out of this PE have 4 hours per week for iesson prepara- tion, TH TE should become il, sick leave time is provided at the rate of I’: days per month and ae- cumulates at PS days per year. My teacher contract also provides other benefits for leave-of-absence and in-service training. Reductions in school budeets have caused some inconvenience but Pam able to provide all stu- dents with an excellent education, | enjoy my work and do the best | can for the students. In) com- parison to other occupations f feel well treated and wish that everyone would stop trying to make educa- tion an election issue. We have a fine scheol system.’ The foregoing statements are accurate but the letter is written by a retired teacher who is now a school trustee. Wouldn't it be ureat if the majority of our teach- ers agreed with these views of oresent conditions and we could all took forward to positive action in the next school term. Dr. Ross Regan School Trustee North Vancouver