& — Friday, September 25, 1998 — North Shore News north shore news VIEWPOINT i] much-anticipated Cuff report came public on Monday. First of all, it must be said that the present council and mayor showed a modicum of bravery even to embark upon a comprehensive process of organizational review. They have inherited a bureaucracy that has been entrenched for some time. But the way the release of the report has been handled is entirely another matter. The documents made public earlier this week have been brutalized. an The public is left with the sense that lawyers have carved out chunks of critical information that may have proved embarrassing — for example ' information that may question specif- ic management leadership abilities. ""Uniess Mr. George Cuff is a prima donna of: the: first order; ‘which he imé, bai TANS. ecting’ where the parents justices being ith the i : the co ching, layi selection an: about to start up they disappeared. The West Vancouver. Minor rtf PR lp? in@bc.sympatico.ca x policy: ‘0 the‘editor must be legible (preferably type- ind include your nanie, full address and telephone . Submissions can be faxed to 985-2104. sy 4§ a parent and a voluntecr in the organization, 1 am ed of- reading Shane Collins’ column (Sept. 20) where he § at:great length about how a hockey association id how-a coach should coach. In a perfect ave an-association like he.describes but at have “an association ‘that ‘struggles to provide ne ed, teams and. parent volunteers to anew president.who has been active in the asso- ears replacing the one who dedicated seven years ‘We:Rave vacancies in all upper fevels of most likely is not, for him to say the report as released is not his report, must raise alarm in West Vancouver. Censorship aside, some of what’s left in print is damning enough. There seem to be fundamental things to fix at municipal hall. Indications of a lack of clarity in understanding the respective roles of mayor, councillor, municipal manag- er (chief administrative officer) and depazament heads are disturbing. According to Cuff, the decision- making process is flawed. He noted that the process of deci- sion-making is anything but clear and leads to wasted energies and frustra- tion particularly amongst senior staft and the public. If this is true, this point alone requires immediate attention. Decisive action is in order. CaneFULLy CRAFTED TO GENSATIONALIZE THE EAcTS AND INFLAME THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THE ISSUE.. Cuff bombshell fizzles on i WHEN it was announced, the George Cuff study was expected to be a bombshell, Turned out to be a damp firecracker. Could that be because the Cuff report was deliv- ered to West Vancouver town hall in June, and just possibly has been mas- saged to sinooth out any really serious criticisms or divert any finger-pointing from specific people? The only apparent casualty of the Cuff study is, ironically, finance direc- tor George Horwood — ing mutterings that, since Cuff is based in Alberta, he couldn’: possibly understand the West Coast ethos and West Van’s spe- cial nature and so forth. Well, we'll never know whether the report that council coyly unveiled on Monday is word-for-word what Cuff t delivered in June. Vil take a good look at the report after a short trip to Orrawa where i will be mixing with such doubrful characters as ~ Jean Chretien, Jean Charest, Preston Manning, and, most dis- reputable of all, other gti he. then when would. be timekeeper or scorckeeper for theic : ockey Bantam level is in d of ; Bantain coordinator. Would he come off his podi- ; ; . whom Talways found cooperative and affable when asked for plain, basic infor- mation, Horwood actually seemed to under- stand that he was serving the West Vancouver public, not just those within municipal hall’s loop. If he wasn’t deing his job properly after 22 years of toil, why didn’t his supe- dors and/or council teil him earlier? Perhaps there’s more to Horwoud’s departure than meets the eye. Bur, since it’s a personnel matter and all that, of course Mayor Patricia Bonaine won't ‘reveal auch other than the fact that he’s gone. Ir’s amusing. When Cuff was hired, he brought with him a reputation of being a tough, no-nonsense guy who would Icok with an unsparing cye at every aspect of town hall, including council, and pull not a single punch. In anticipation of that, there were even some uneasy and possibly self-serv- - 6 new'spaper people. Politicians are like major-league base- ball players: They play the same game as the minor-leaguers, they just have a bit more skill in catching fly balls. And, natu- rally, stealing bases. Journalists? About the same. a0 Wild, wild west: North Shore people have all heard by now of how western West Vancouverites feel alienated fron: the effete eastern . types of Ambleside and Dundarave. I’ve always chuckled at this parochial- ism from my own little parish, Greater Tiddlycove. But steel your nerves for the fellow- ing, or don’t read on if you're tender- hearted: A few months ago Alex and Barb von | - Kleist, neighbors of mine in the “west,” were walking their big-softy rottweiler, Bubba, in the Seaview Walk area when they saw a couple of coyotes. orth Shore Mews, founded in 1969 as an ‘suburban. ‘and quabtied independent under Schedule 111, Paragrapi 111 of the . ee dle poe And then more. The von Kicists eal ized that the wily critters Were! trying to egg on and encircle Bubba, and not for ses of inducting him into the Jo They mentioned the matter t people, and some curious man:— B: von Kleist heard sbout this at second ‘ares ‘ani gh,’ found the Home where th little coyotes were: raised. : oe And around the lair we It’s horrible to think of it. seven’ beloved pets, doub many for whom those fami signs are posted —— “Lost, Have scen our marmalade-c dca Reward ...” etc. —~ were victims of the: : coyotes, ; wee : It’s nothing that isn’t well our foresied slopes, but it’s: dence that that’s where so m ts end up. - _ pe Pe 000... Speaking of sadness, last‘ Friday de farnily attended Eagle Harbour -: school’s annual barbecue for the las! time. ~ Next year our Littlest moves on, Gleneagles like her brother and si before her, ending about cighit ye warm tics with the school, 2 “It’s truly a gem, a cosy: li " you — no less than 27 cat collars” te - with a superb staff and a séns¢, of sm town continuity — the kind of school that its pupils in old age will remembe! with nostalgia. oo LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, full address & telephone number. VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca 885-2131 (127) 61,582 (average cittulation, Weonesday, Friday & Sunday) Resources 905-2131 (177) Photography Classified Manager i 986-2131 (160) 906-6222 (282) Tho Kosth Shore Nows is published by Marth Shore Free Press Ltd., P bi . Complrcller 905-2131 (123) Managing Editor 905-2131 (116) Tritt Agrios Promotions Manager 885-2131 (213) 980-0511 (207) Entire contents @ 1997 North Shore Free Press Ltd, All rights reserved. _ Sueigrove Acting Display Manager General Office Manager $O8B-2IS1 (105) 985-2131 (114)