6 - Friday, September 6, 1951 — North Shore News NEWS VIEWPOINT Violent solutions OME OF the recent cries for more law and order to help curb local youth violence make sense; some don’t. A police liaison committee has heard parent recommendations that cases should come to trial more quickly, that witnesses should be protected behind screens while testifying and that penalties for those con- victed should be harsher. Some of the recommendations are good: funding for the drug and aicohol counsell- ing program at four North Vancouver district secondary schoois shoud be reinstated by the provincial gavernment. But the recommended lowering of the designated age of a young offender won’t serve any useful purpose as it pertains to the North Shore problem which appears to be one primarily of youths ganging up on other youths. if the age is lowered from 17 to 13, as LETTER OF THE DAY recommended, anyone over 13 charged with a crime will be subject to sentences according to the Canada Criminal Code rather than the Young Offenders Act which some consider too lenient. And lenient it is for convicted murderers who can receive a maximum three-year penalty in a youth detention centre; but there is still a provision in the act to raise youths charged with murder or serious crimes to adult court. Meanwhile, adults who commit assaults typically receive relatively light penalties until there is a record of repeated offences. Therefere, if a strict penalty, such as jail, is the point of lowering the age for youths, it wouldn’t have the desired effect on the North Shore. Parents and the police liaison committee should look beyond the Young Offenders Act to other ways of solving the North Shore youth violence problem. , INSIGHTS Cultural site needs positive support Dear Editor: In reference to the North Shore News article on the cultural centre based at the old Odeon West Vancouver site. I would like to take this sppor- tunity to apologize for the rather heavy-handed statements against both the mayor and council. Con- sidering the fact that a supportive and cooperative role is needed for the project from the municipal council, any ill will generated by the article is unfortunate and un- wanted, I hope that the positive support that has been generated to the arts community in the past will con- tinue and this rather important project will benefit from the energies of all those concerned. The project itself is growing in strength and support and will soon be presented to council. The finances for this non-profit com- munity cultural project are ex- pected to come mainly through corporate and private benefactors in our West Vancouver communi- ty. James N. Hazell A.C.T.1.0.N. West Vancouver Publisher. __. . Peter Speck Display Advertising 980-0511 Distribution 986-1337 Gea North Shore Managing Editor Timothy Renshaw Real Estate Advertising 985-6982 Subscriptions 986-1337 Ries managed Associate Editor Noel Wright Classified Advertising 986-6222 = Fax 985-3227 [lag Advertising Director Linda Stewart Newsroom 985-2131 Acministration 985-2131 Bota Comptroller Doug Foot North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualittied under Schedule 111, Paragraph it of rhe Excise Tax Act, is pubbshed each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lid. and distibuted to every door on the North Shore Second Class Mail Registration Number 3885 Subscriptions North and West Vancouver. $25 per 1139 Lonsdale Avenue. ear, Mading rales available on teauest . Xubmussions ate weicome bul we canno! accep! North Vancouver, BC fesponsibility for urccicited matenat including V7M 2H4 manusenpts and penses which should be accompanied by a stsnped. addressed envelope Entire contents : 1991 North Shore Free Press Lid All nants reserved MEMBER coy, SN SDA DIVISION Tee YORE GF AUNT AnetD WEST ehecCIvE SUMOAY - WEDNESDAY - FMIDAY 61,582 taverace crculation, Wednesday Friday & Sunday} No more exotic meals this time for B.C. voters WAITING FOR Rita to drop the writ (which she may have done by now), the thought occurs: Just v.hat ARE the up- coming election issues? Let's begin with NDP leader Mike Harcourt. Topping his list are all the naughty Socred ministers ~- including the leader — fired or forced to resign in disgrace up to April 2, 1991], for conflicts of interest. Second, the Socred government's allegedly screwed-up priorities that starve hospitals, schools and welfare clients. The corrupt, heartless free enterprisers have been running things far too long, declares Mikey. Put the scoundrels out to pasture for a while, so that they can meditate on their sins and re- pent. To which Premier ‘‘Mom"’ Johaston retorts that her cabinet is now squeaky clean — remember, just days after taking over she even fired star finance minister Me! Couvelier for a pure- ly technical little lapse. You don’t convict a whole innocent family for past crimes of a handful of its members, Plus, she continues, we already spend 72 cents of every dollar on health, education and social ser- vices. If Mikey plans to improve on that, there’s only one way. Copy Bob Rae, who put Ontario $10 billion in the glue in his first six months, and/or raise taxes. Nonsense, replies Harcourt, we're much smarter and more prepared than Bob. In that case, says Rita, look out for your wallets, folks. And as to it being ‘‘time for a change,”’ she adds, don't forget the only reason we've run B.C. for 36 of the past 39 years is that a majority of British Columbians kept preferring us to the socialists —— especially after their brief 1972-75 fling with Dave Barrett. With all these highly sophisticated arguments rico- cheting back and forth, things become very confusing for the voter. But whatever the election results, one thing is certain. It won't be won this time by charisma. Like George Bush, Mike Harcourt tends to remind every woman of her first husband. And Premier Mom would look more at home behind a bake sale table than a hustings podium. That, however, may be all to the good. As with exotic restau- rant meals, one’s digestion can take only so much charisma and we've had our fill of it over the past five years. This time it’s back to basic diets pu HITHER AND YON for a while -—— whether Mikey’s bland (and so far unpriced) menu or Rita's home-baked apple pie. TAILPIECES: Housewarming flowers again please for West Van Chamber of Commerce manager Joan Foster, who confesses she’s beginning to feel like a bag lady. Tomorrow she moves the Chamber office to its third home in about as many months — but at least you'll have no problem finding this one. It’s at 1563 Marine Dr. next door to the Odeon, same phone (926-6614), same fax (926-6436) ... Mean- while, also tomorrow Saturday, Sept. 7, North Van City Library at 14th off Lonsdale proudly shows off its renovated facilities. Drop by at 2 p.m. for the grand opening, with entertainment and refreshments ... Seniors at the West Van Kiwanis Lodge, 22nd and Gordon, are painting up a storm decorating construction boards around the new building at the complex with creative murals. Well-kown local artist Irene Poskett will judge the contest and hand out prizes Sept. 14... And happy 84th birthday wishes tomorrow, Sept. 7, to Elizabeth Musto, retired chief (and foun- ding) librarian of West Van Me- morial Library. WRIGHT OR WRONG: Some- times it’s wiser to keep your mouth shut and appear to be a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. MIKEY AND RITA... bland, unpriced menu or home-baked apple pie.