Dear Editor: I would like to address sev- eral comments made by Donald Rippon in his recent letter, (Widen Scanley Park causeway July 11 North Shore News). His compari- son between “six trees” and “100,009 lives” is a somewhat simple-minded and irrelevant one that fails to garner any support for his point of view. Likewise, Mr. Rippon’s assex- tion that a “few extra feet” of roadway will “ensure a safe passage” for motorists on th - Stanley Park causeway defies reality. It is not the narrow lanes ‘per se that cause colli- sions, but rather inattentive careless drivers who fail to negotiate the roadway in a prudent manner. Speed is fre- quently a factor and many studies have demonstrated 2 direct relationship between vehicular speed and both the frequency and the severity of Joo many Dear Editor: Like many of your read- ers, I am very concerned about the alacrity of the Ministry of .Environment conservation officers to kill black bears when they ven- ture near to human settle- ment. New bylaws are needed in human. settlement areas to becter deal with people/bear conflicts. These bylaws should . prohibit. the. inten- - tional feeding of. bears; and motor vehicle accidents. Onc truly wishing to cur- tail accidents here would demand a lowering of a speed limit, currently sec at 60 km/h. This costs nothing, and in this regard the Minister of Transportation and Highways deserves criticism for his refusal to study the idea. If lane width is of such concern, the causeway could be inex- pensively converted back to its original two, wider lanes. Of course many motorists in our automobile-dependent society would consider this an impingement .on their “rights,” being taxpayers. Mr. Rippon’s claim that the existing lanes “are not wide enough for buses to pass each other” is also inaccurate since buses (as well as large trucks and recreational vehi- cles) are prohibited from using the centre lane. Anyone who has observed the prolifer- bears are the unintentional provision of food for bears, either by neglect or irresponsible man- agement of any food attrac- tant. The propensity for con- servation officers to kill bears roaming near humans sends a very violent message to young people. If it does cost about $1,800 to relocate a bear, the moncy is well epent, because it sends a caring and kinder signal to all. The relo-__ cated bear may perhaps be north shore news MAIL BOX ider causeway not safer ation of wide, long and weighty “sport utility” vehi- cles might ask why we should be forced to pay for wider roadways rather than require smaller and narrower vehicles. I expect, however, thar some motorists would consid- er this idea, if translated into legislation, as an affront to their “freedom” to be as grasping as their wealth per- mits. Imagine, though, the pleasure the media could take in further denouncing the provincial NDP government! Not widening the cause- way has nothing to do with “petty ideas about saving the environment at the expense of human safety” for we all know that such an insignificant ges- ture would be meaningless given the extreme level of damage our environment has already suffered. The elected members of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation are merely upholding their commitment to — protect Stanley Park from unnecessary loss of green space. No matter how many lanes there are, nor how wide, there will always be accidents. As the number of vehicles increases, so too does the number of accidents. Finally, motorists are not being forced to use “this sui- cide causeway in Stanley Park.” They are demanding to use it. There are alternatives, yet most people, especially those who have never used it, shun public transit as being impractical and inconvenient. They are too “busy” to car- pool and they are too lazy to walk or ride a bicycle. Society glamourizes the car as the ticket to freedom, yet thus far has not paid anywhere near the full price for the ride. Yet is must, and one day it will. Ken Timewell North Vancouver being killed in B.C. killed by a dominant resident bear in the relocation territo- ry, but that is the law of nature, should such an encounter occur. The average number of black bears relocated or killed by conservation offi- cers is as follows: number of relocations — 283 per year; number killed — 814 der year. These are average fig- ures over a four-year period. So there are about three times as many kills as there are relocations, in B.C. Since the gall bladders and other parts of a black bear are worth thousands of dollars world-wide, what happens to the much sought- after parts of the 814 black bears that are killed on aver- age in B.C. each year by the “conservation officer?” Could there be 2 hidden incentive to kill, rather than relocate? A.M. (Tony) Webb North Vancouver How far will you walk in your life? CG We ae £ e®, . THE AVERAGE PERSON WALKS 184,000 KM IN THEIR We welcome you to a dinic near you for a ten minute “measures the weight distribution along the bottom of, your foot while you are walking. Digtal information ‘.- and our doctor's clinical exam can then be used to LIMITED OPENINGS *. SEPTEMBER 1999 ‘NEW GRADE 5 AND KINDERGARTEN | “CLASSES | GRADE 8 - For Information on admission contact Rirs. Ailce Benson » Admissions Officer 604.988.1597 | pt hicsies, to + abnormal ; foot functions if you have pain in your feet, ankles, - knees or lower back, please contact a clinic Atixx : Sunday, July 25, 1999 — North Shore News - 9 Front page band photo applauded Dear Editor: Congrats to North Shore News. The July 14 front page picture of the Maobong Oka was super. She and her band had a really good show both on Canada Day and African Day. The band had good rhythm and variation. She also danced with tiny tots off stage. 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