40 ~ North Shore News — Wednesday, April 5. 2000 FRYER SPRINTS TO HURDLE WIM Vanessa Fryer of North Vancouver is on the way to repeating her indoor track heroics. She won the 100-matre hurdles at an out- door track meet in Bellingham Saturday. Fryer, a senior at Simon Fraser University, was named the outstanding femate at the Ralph Vernacchia Invitational Track and Field Meet. Fryer’s win helped SFU finish third overall. - Money blinds | Hartley tobacco lobby “THE chief value of money lies in the fact that one lives in a world in which it is overestimated.” So said American jour- nalist and critic H. L. Mencken almost a hundred ears ago and nothing much changed. Through the greed of some pub and bar owners on our North Shore and other areas throughout the province, the whores of the tobacco industry seem to have Bent a round in the long fight to protect le from the deadly effect of second-hand cigarette smoke. The Workers’ Compensation Board’s reg- ulation prohibiting anyone from smoking in pubs, restaurants and bars was struck down by the very same judicial system that is supposed to protect us. Since this issue became public late last year it. has gained tons of press and commentary, ranging from the sublime’ to the down- right ignorant. Just a couple of weeks ago I read an edi- torial in a local paper telling us that we have become too “sanitized” in our efforts to - clean up the province and that the above-mentioned regulation would harm our tourism business. What a load of cobblers! Now I don’t know if the character who wrote the col- umn is being supported by the tobacco industry, but what is so unreasonable about trying to save the life and breath of the people that choose to work in the hospitality industry? This guy probably thought that the miners unions going on strike at the turn of the cen- tury were overrzacting. That they were trying to change conditions so they didn’t dic off so quickly — with any number of lung diseases because the owners didn’t give a toss — may to some seem unreasonable (the fr cat owners certainly thought so). And on the subject of tourism. | recently picked up a copy of the Berkeley Wellness Newsletter where a survey was completed on the effects of the smoking ban and tourists in bars and restaurants in sunny California. It’s a policy which has been in effect for several years, Surprise, surprise: tourism-related business has actuaily gone up, and overall sales showed a respectable increase of 8% across the board. Add the fact that the health of employees was also seen to have improved and it would seem like a win- win situation that local busi- nesses would want to embrace, right? Well, as the old adage goes: “What you say depends on where you sit” and nowhere is this morz overt than when it comes down to profits. A couple of weeks ago I was reading a comment in this paper about the owner of the Queens’ Cross pub in North Vancouver. He was saying how happy he was that people could now smoke again legally in his establishment (more on that in a minute) and that any- way, beer and hamburgers are just as deadly as puffing. I don’t know where this guy gets this self-serving garbage he calls information from, but let’s just put the record straight. According to most nutri- tional experts, while ham- burgers are not exactly the most nutritious form of food available, taken in moderation they will do you no harm. Same story wi beer. Reasonable levels of con- sumption offer no health hazard and in fact many tnedical studies support the drinking of both beer and wine as promoting physical wellness as long as it is not taken to excess. A running buddy of mine once told me he read in a running maga- zine that one should drink six bottles of beer for every one mile run. I thought this was a bit extreme so I checked it out. When I next saw him and said that in fact the magazine stated it was one bottle for every six miles completed, he told me I was no fun and he was going to find another running group that supported his theory! Smoking, however, is in a class all by itself. It is the only legal product that when taken as directed will kill you. And that includes the effect of second-hand smaiz for all you pub and or restaurant owners who don’t give a rat’s ass about the people who help you line See Pro-tabacco next page Blythe aims to dive Down Under Bob Mackin Sports Reporter bmackin@nsnews.com HOME, sweet home. Gold, silver, bronze. North Vancouver's Blythe Hartley returned to the Lower Mainland to place first, second and third at the Winter National Diving Championships last weekend. Hartley, last year’s national junior female athlete of the year, had 303.54 points to set a new Canadian points record when she won gold in the one- metre dive at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre. Anne-Josee Dionne of Montreal was second at 267.06 and Eryn Bulmer of Calgary was third at 254.64. Bulmer previously held the points record with 290.13... “We don’t train the one-metre that much but it’s a good competi- tion to get your nerves out,” said Hartley. “You don’t need to work on the dives that much because you're not doing 2 lot of complicated manoeuvres that you have to do in the other events.” Hartley was second in the women’s three-metre dive with 535.77 points. Bulmer was first with 565.26. In the 10-metre final, Emilie Heymans of Montreal was victorious with 518.01 points. Another Quebecer, Anne Montminy of Pointe-Claire, was second. Hartley took third with 507.42. The 18-year-old double world junior champion moved from North Vancouver last fall to train full-time in Calgary. “Now my diving seems to be improving so ? hope ic all pays off in the end.” The competition was a qualifier for North American Grand Prix meets in May including the Canada Cup Ma 5-7 in Montreal. The top-six in eac event qualify for the Canada Cup and the top-four ‘for the otker two com- petitions in Florida and Mexico. At the Olympic trials June 9-12 in Montreal, only the top-two in each event can qualify for the Sydney Games. Hartley is expected to be a contender in both the three- and 10- metre events at the trials. KARATE CAMP AT UNISON WAY National karate coach Gerard Lauziere ane B.C. coach Ron Bagley of North Vancouver are conducting a training camp with B.C.-based national team members Lisa Ling. Don Sharp ahd Serey Sinn Thursday to Sunday. The public is invited to watch at 4 p.m. Saturday at Unison Way dojo (238 Fell Ave., North Vancouver). Call 988-0082 for information. NEWS photo Paui MeGreth NORTH Vancouver's Blythe Hartley on the 10-metre platform ai the win- ter national diving meet in Vancouver on Saturday. The Olympic hopeful wag: third in her final event. She finished first in the 1m dive and second in the 3 m. Capilano RFC fail in playoff drive Bob Mackin Sports Reparter bmackin@nsnews.com CAPILANO Rugby Football Club’s Premier season ended ona lew-neie Saturder in Victoria with a 46-7 loss to first piace Castaway-Wanderers. The Capilanos were duwn only 10-0 at halftime after missing a pair of kicks and a chance at a drop goal. The team's only try was scored by winger Dave Saklofsky. Kevin Tkachuk, a former Cap who hails from Saskatchewan, had a pair of tries for the Cast-Wands. ‘Tiachuk was chosen last week for the national team first Pacific Rim tourna- ‘cent match against Tonga May 20 in Vancouver. Capilano was missing the talents of Bob Motazed who was unavailable to play because he was selected to play for Canada in the under- 19 world junior champi- onships later this month. “Our guys played great, they never said die,” said coach Tim Murdy. Regardless of the resuit, the final playoff spot in the Premier league was decided elsewhere Saturday. The University of B.C. Old Boys Ravens beat James Bay 29-22 to claim the final playoff berth. Capilano’s first division side fell 22-7 to the University of Victoria Vikes, also in Victoria. Bur the team remains in the hunt for third place in provincial playoffs. Capilano hosts UVic’s other side, the Norsemen, at Klahanie Park. The second and third divi- sion teams, however, saw their seasons come to a close with a pair of losses. The seconds were tripled 9-3 by PoCoMo, while the thirds were beaten 24-5 by UBC.