with committees Marcie Good a Contributing Writer THE ongoing North - Vancouver District , drama between Coun. ” Ernie Crist and Mayor Don Bell continued June 19, with Crist challenging the mayor’s leadership. “- His charge: that Bell is an absentce mayor. Crist moved & that Bell reduce the number of committees on which he erves to meet his obliga- tions to the district residents. The debate went some- (from “Mayor Don Bell's frequent and extensive absences from he municipal hall raise seri- ous questions about his abil- x ity to perform his dutics... The upshot of this situation s that...-it is the district i bureaucracy which is run- ning the municipality.” Bell: “The direct daily S management is the manag- er’s — (municipal) manager Gord Howie) responsibility iand I don’t wish to micro- report) | manage. Council’s authority is that it is a body thar sets policy and gives direction.” Crist: “The recent budget process is a typical example. There was no prier meeting of council at which the polit- ical direction of the single most important council mat- ter, namely the budget, was discussed.” Bell: (explains that the new Municipal Act restricts council from holding “shirt sleeves sessions,” all-day affairs which in other years involved the public.) “i am not happy with the way the budget process went, and we need to restructure it next year. We have had very early discussions in other years and that was not possible this vear because of the November election.” Crist: “Another serious outcome of this lack of pres- ence and leadership by the mayor is the lack of staff dis- cipline. It has come to light that some staff are coming and going at their own choice.” Bell: “They're not chained to their desks. We would say that a significant majority of staff are working very hard.” Crist: “As for the mayor, he regularly fails to even return telephone cally in response to legitimate con- cerns of citizens.” Bell: “A lot of inquiries are dealt with by my office, directly, several hundred per week between my secretary and my executive assistant. Other times direct involve- ment by myself. is request- ed.” Crist: “Your participation in Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) committees is part of your job — no one is disputing that. But it has gone too far and I think the municipality suffers.” Bell: (describes his role on GVRD — committees, which include: council's rep- resentative to the GVRD board, water, sewer, chair of the planning and environ- ment, and aboriginal affairs. He also” represents the GVRD board to Tourisin Vancouver, the Lowe: See Crist page 283 have very vital staff and I advertisement . Artichoke Extract Shown To Reduce High Cholesteroi Cholesterol levels dramatically reduced within two months A recent clinical study shows that artichoke extract (Cynara scolymus) has been proven to >reduce high levels of bad cholestero? (LDL) in *. both men and women while at the same time increasing the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) e produced i in the body. Aun. The. study, conducted in Germany, showed : that bad cholesterof levels (LDL) were reduced by ‘ approximately 20 per cent with use of “Cynara!” Artichoke Extract for 12 weeks. “The study took. three separate groups and measured the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and bload - fats. The first’ group consisted of 60. patients and was a basic trial for determining the degree in which Cynaro} artichoke extract _influenced cholesterol values. . The second group was a continuation of the irst Group. Its puspose was to measure the effect Cynaroel artichoke extrect would have if the treat- ment period was extended another six weeks. The’: third group took 24 patients with ‘extremely high cholesterol levels. The purpose | Was'-to measure the effect Cynarol artichoke “extract had on this “high tisk” group. in all three groups, bad. cholesterol was significantly reduced. -. . Dr. David Wikenheiser, a prominent Vancouver ; Naturopath, also found similar results with his -patients. Dr, ‘Wikenheiser said, “A 55 -year old "patient was diagnosed during his annual check- up ‘with very high ‘cholesterol levels =(LDL). The patient has: right sided back pain, his liver. is normal sized and not swollen, but there is some tenderness. There was nothing cut & of the ordinary. in his blood test... chemistry. Therefore, the: patients 3 |: liver is functioning and not degener- ‘ating. However, we. know from. his “symptoms that it is mot functioning ‘welt. The patient needs to increase the flow of bile from the liver in order: “to combat this high cholesterol. This is where Cynarol Artichoke Extract is ~very, important as it is shown to lower bad cholesterol. levels. The patients -cholesterol ~is now returning to normal.” : :