— A6 - Sunday, November 13, 1983 - North Shore News EEE editorial pag c Re Vanishing trick Whatever happened to the NDP? Since Premier Bennett adjourned the Legislature over three weeks ago, hardly a squeak has been heard from Dave Barrett and Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition — not even as the government-labor confrontation viciously escalated early last week. It’s true, of course, that the indefinite closure of the Legislature has deprived the NDP of its natural forum. And Mr. Barrett himself, of course, presently ranks as a ‘‘lame duck”’ leader, with his party preparing for a jeadership convention to choose his successor. But even these factors don’t really seem to ex- plain the deafening silence from the NDP hierarchy. Top New Democrats are now apparently declining to either endorse or condemn the ac- tions of Solidarity, and there’s at least one plausible reason for that. The non-elected Solidarity Coalition, answerable to nobody but its union organizers, has effectively taken over the role reserved in a democracy for the elected opposition. As a result, the NDP presumably finds itself between a rock and a hard place, risking loss of the labor vote if it asserts itself against Solidarity or loss of the badly needed middle- of-the-road vote if it openly backs the Coalition. As Mr. Barrett himself has frequently said, the way to change a government or its policies is at the ballot box, not on the picket line. He knows well that mob rule can only end in disaster. Not just for the Bennett government, but for ANY government, right-wing or left-wing. That’s not a happy thought for any legitimate political party. Nameless choice The recent poll showing that well over half the North Shore’s residents don’t know their MP may come as a bit of a shock to Tory Members Ron Huntington and Chuck Cook, but the second part of the poll should console them. Three-quarters of the decided respon- dents also said they’d vote Conservative next time. In short—don’t bother us with his name, so long as he isn’t a Grit! (1968 WOES OF HOWTH AND WHS) VARDEYTER sunday Display Advertising 980-0511 rr ewe Classified Advertising 986-6222 north shore Newsroom 985-2131 ri ew Ss Circulation 986-1337 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 Publisher Pete: Speck Edltor-in-Chiot Noel Wright Claesified Director Isabelle Jennings Associate Publisher Robert Graham Advertising Director Tim Francis Personne! Director Berni Hilliard Circulation Director Bill McGown Production Director Chris Johnson Office Manager Donna Grandy Photography Manager Terry Peters North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent community Newspaper and qualified under Schedute Ih Pad Ht Paragraph Il of the Excise Tax Act in published each Wednesday and Sunday by North Shore free Preas Lid and distributed to every door on (ho North Shore Second Class Mall Registration Number 3885 Entire contents © 1083 North Ghore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Subscriptiona North and Wost Vancouver $25 per yaar Mailing rates available on request No responsibilty accepted for unsolicited maternal inctuding manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope Member of the B.C. Preas Council be 64.700 (average Wednenday 4 Sunday) <3 Sy sm & THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE FTE, . Actually, a heavier meal just this once, because it promises to be a slightly heavy week again — not forgetting next Saturday’s elections. A_ little extra nourishment might help. xk kk * FRONT-LINE WARRIORS in the restraint war — strug- gling to maintain worthwhile school systems in face of repeated onsiaughts by tax- payers, parents, teachers and Big Daddy in Victoria — are the North Shore’s 12 school trustees, seven of them in North Van and five in West Van. The fact that no less than 12 incumbents and out- side challengers are slugging it out for the total of seven vacant school board seats in the November 19 elections is proof positive that we don’t lack for heroes. School boards in normal times differ from municipal councils in that they have on- ly one basic issue: money and how to spend it. As a result, the election platforms of all school board candidates in- variably read like carbon copies of motherhood. They uniformly promise top quali- ty education coupled with deep concern for the tax- payer’s pocketbook. Since these are diametrical- ly opposed goals, trustees tend, in practice, to divide out into ‘‘hawks’’ and **doves’’. The former, popular with Victoria and childless taxpayers, stress the bottom line and accept whatever limitations on educational quality that may impose. For the latter, back- ed by many parents and all teachers, the quality of education remains sacrosanct and don’t bother about the money — somebody is sure to bail us out in the end! In between these black and white approaches, of course, there are plenty of shades of grey, but the broad distinc- sunday brunch by Noel Wright tion remains. Among current North Van candidates the **doves’’, hitherto in control, have a slight numerical edge in the battle for the five local vacancies. They are represented by in- cumbent trustees Roy Dungey, Philip Joe, Margaret Jessup, Verna Smelovsky and Frank War- ly more at home TAGG camp. Polarization is less pro- nounced among the three candidates contesting the two seats up for grabs in West Van which prides itself on peaceful politics. Of the two incumbents running for a further term, Dawn Sikula leans on occa- in the LEADERSHIP that never came? West Van teachers picket Sentinel Secondary School last week. burton — all running for re- election and all sponsored by the left-leaning Citizens Association for Responsible Education (CARE), widely assumed to be a 1983 edition of NoVVA. Challenging them as ‘“*hawks’’ in varying degree are four nominees of the Tax- payers’ Association for Good Government (TAGG), a body regarded by its op- ponents as a Socred farm team. They are outsiders Doug Vincent, Bill McGown, Bruce MacFarlane and former trustee Ernie Sarsfield. The two other outside challengers, both women making their first bid, are not formally affiliated. But ac- cording to their election brochures, Leonie Rivers sounds like a ‘‘dove’’, while Margie Goodman is obvious- sions towards the ‘‘doves’’. Her fellow trustee Margot Furk — a pillar of the local Socred Constituency Association — is definitely a ‘*hawk’’, though she believes the gap between quality education and restricted fun- ding can be largely bridged by good management. The outside challenger dedicated to unseating one of those two ladies, lawyer Barry Promislow, expresses views that could also be inter- preted as ‘‘hawkish’’. x *« * Meanwhile, last Tuesday brought the candidates, incu- ment or otherwise, more acute and immediate pro- blems than mere money. With virtually the entire North Shore schools system shut down by picketing teachers, the trustees were nevertheless under orders by Victoria to ‘‘keep the schools open’’. How they -- and those seeking to replace them — reacted could have a ma- jor bearing on their fate in next Saturday’s ballot, especially if polling day finds little Johnny still locked out of class. North Van trustees at least tried to do something positive to prevent the walkout at their now famous ‘‘secret’’ bargaining session with teachers last Sunday. In the end they were left high and dry when Victoria pulled the rug from under them. Whether that earns them ‘A’ for effort or ‘F’ for failure from the electorate is a nice question. West Van School Board, on the other hand, didn’t lift a finger to do anything about averting the walkout — possibly because it couldn’t conceive of anything so vulgar ever happening in Tiddleycove. ‘They showed no leader- ship,”’ charges their election challenger, Barry Promisiow. ‘‘They simply hung back, hoping Victoria would in- tervene to solve their pro- blem. Instead of acting, they ‘left it to George’.’’ While West Van trustees dithered, Vancouver and Vic- toria had at least jumped to the head gf the injunction line-up (for what that’s worth), swiftly followed by numerous, other school districts #One is reminded of the old army saying that the soldier who is doing nothing is doing wrong. Come Satur- day, Mr. Promisiow may not be alone in his condemnation. * * * On that day, at least vole for the school board can- didates of your choice — while you’re still allowed to vote in a province being run by a street mob. Hope we haven't upset your digestion. Back next Sunday with our regular light Brunch menu. ‘Sexy’ workout hits jackpot WHEN A NEW YORK photographer named Ron Harris moved to Los Angeles, he decided he wanted to change more than his address — he also wanted to change his life. The first thing he did was quit smoking. The next thing he did was join an acrobics class So delighted was he by his improved physical condition and renewed vigor, he vowed to bring the acrobics story to everyone! So, using his considcrable skills as a cinematographer, he created a video cassette en titled **Acrobicise’’. **Acrobicise’’ created an instant impact: it was fresh, visually stunning, and very, very sexyt And while it was perfectly suitable for the home rental market, it was litthe too much for public broadcast TONED DOWN But Harris wanted to spread the acrobics message to the widest possible au dience Thus, he decided to cteate a toned down version By RUSS KISBY TV stations could an both confidence impunity The show would be called “The Twenty Minute Work- out'', would retain the dis- tinctive visual and musical styles that helped make **Acrobicise’’ so appealing but would concentrate more on demonstrating exercises than exploiting beautiful bodies that result. Harris called Dalton/Fen- ske and Friends Ltd, a well- known television production company in Toronto and ask ed if they'd take on the job of producing 65 half-hour pro grams in 15 days in conjunc tion with Orion Television in los Angcles ““ht's probably impossible to produce 65 of anything tn 13 days,’ laughs ¢ hris with and Dalton, but his company, known for bringing projects in on-time and on-budgct, took the assignment — and did it! ‘‘} must say we had some difficulty getting girls to audition for the show with our story that we were doing a program called ‘The Twen- ty Minutes Workout’ that was 30 minutes long. And after we did audition over 150 girls, we had to find 9 who would be physically able to do the job in our produc. tion schedule.’’ Next, Dalton/Fenske had to locate investors. Toronto's CITY-TV liked the idea and invested in the program in ex- change for Canadian broad- cast rights. The rest, as they say, is history ‘‘The Twenty Minute Workout"’ now airs on over 100 TV stations in the U.S and sells 1,000 copics a day of the show's record album ‘MY-OH-MY!’ “Some people complain that the show 15) sal too sexny.”’ says Dalton “‘but ut isn't at all It is a very good acrobics workout.’’ I agree. When you see the three slim women who lead cach show in their colourful but very conservative exercise outfits highlighted against a white background, your first reaction is ‘*My-oh-my!”’ But on closer examination — and you will give it closer cxamination — you'll see the program offers nothing sug- gestive or offensive. The program's exercise valuc: excellent! You warm up, exercise every major mus- cle group, jog through the commercials, and cool down Many women have written the producers to say the show has helped them a great deal And while many men would feel a bit sheepish doing ‘“*The Twenty Minute Workout’, | know some who have tried and finished, huff ing, wheezing, but full of res pect for the trim women stars of the show. And for aerobics (Russ Kisby is President of PARTICIPaction, the Cana dian movement for personal fitness )