Prescott proud of municipal services From page 34 private property, so they have no obligation to replant it, The patch remains as it was when it was log- ged. The general public didn’t know what was going on. “But I have reason 10 believe that this whole side of Howe Sound will be removed from the Soo Timber Supply area. Most of the area was logged 60 to 80 years ago.” Prescott is also concerned abcut the area’s water supply, and he wants to see changes. He says that Harvey Creek now provides almost all the water utilized by Lions Bay’s 509 homes, but the valley is very steep and there is no holding capacity. “IF there’s no snow and no rain, there will be no water,’’ he says, adding that he does not like hikers walking up the watershed trail io the top of the Lions — the other access is from Cypress Bowl — but that it is difficult to get any level of government to police the area. “We have water rights to Magnesia Creek (north of the village) and we'll be looking seriously at facilities that could go in there."” Within the Lions Bay bound- aries, Prescott is proud of the municipal services and the people who provide them. “Pm very pleased with our works crew. They’re top notch in keeping everything going. These guys are plowing snow at night long before any other community is doing it. They are responsible for road maintenance, water, and snow removal and they seldom get the credit for it. “Our two main spark plugs are Bernice Pullen, the village’s clerk-administrator, and our works crew superintendent Blair Smith.”’ The Village of Lions Bay employs four full-time works staff plus three part-timers in the of- fice. Prescott himself has been a member of the J6-man, aill- volunteer fire brigade and has been an attendant with the am- bulance crew. There is also an active emergen- cy social services team that stands by to help civilians in case of ear- thquakes, landslides, floods and other disasters. The positions of mayor and aldermen are com- pletely unpaid. . All emergency services are housed in the pride of the com- munity, the new fire house that opened last fall after a huge vol- unteer effort coupled with funding from several sources. Prescott believes that the volunteerism and good project management saved the village up to $100,000. Unfortunately, the Canada Post Corporation ‘*made a major p.r. mistake’ recently when they sent a “poorly worded letter’? to all esidents advising them that ser- vices would be reduced. But Prescott and his aldermen said ‘*no” to the super-boxes they were offered and now a com- promise appears to have been reached — store staff still provide retail services and fill the old-style P.O. boxes next door every work- ing day. Brunswick Beach, an unincor- porated cluster of 30-odd houses and cottages just north of Lions Bay, is another issue Prescott wants to see resolved. The small community has en- joyed unofficial fire protection from Lions Bay and ‘twe remain good friends and neighbors, but we wouldn't consider taking them in (to become a part of the Village of Lions Bay) unless they or someone else brings their services up to Lions Bay standards. “tls not realistic to take them in now, but possibly we could make an arrangement. I'd like to keep that option open.”’ Following a Winnipeg childhood, Prescott graduated from Handsworth Secondary in North Vancouver in 1966, then took forestry at BCIT. He and his young family moved to Lions Bay in 1976, after he landed his posi- tion with Weldwood in Squamish, where he still works. After serving four years as alderman he was elected mayor by acclamation in 1988. Whether he runs again, he says. depends on “my family commitments — poli- tics is tough on family life.” It is because of family that Prescott turned down an oppor- tunity to enter provincial politics when the new riding of West Vancouver-Garibaldi was estab- lished last year. “I had a good, Jong chat with the Socred party. It was a new tiding, so there was no incumbent. But I chose not to do it because of the time away from home. My kids are at the stage where | don’t want to be in Victoria all the time.”’ What would he do differently if he could be 21 years old again and he knew what he knows now? “i'm satisfied with what I’ve done in life, except that perhaps I would have done some things a little earlier.”* a holiday that heals isit our forested island retreat 100 miles north of Vancouver. Quiet beach, trails, organic gardens. Yoga and meditation, bodywork, hot tub. Natural history adventures. Gourmet vegetarian and seafood cuisine. A full program of workshops to the end of October. Pick up our free brochure at Banyen Books, Alma St. Cafe, Hearts, Capers. For more information write or phone: Hollyhock, Box 127, Manson’s Landing, Cortes Island, B.C. VOP 1KO (G04) 935-6465 Sunday, July 14, 1991 - North Shore News - 35 HELP’S AT HAND HELPS AP Hand. by North Shore Community Services ENSCS), is a forum for discuss- ing government policies and Programs, benefits, consumer and Jegal rights. taxation and public services. Answers are intended only as a general guide and should not be applied to individual cases without further consultation. Question: —E am considering going to college this fall, but will need to borrow money. Are there financial resources available for post-secondary students? Answer: There are, but if you expect to rely entirely on student loan/grant funds you should have applied early in June to get the money for September. If you have savings with which to start the term, it's not too late to apply for additional funds. You should begin by contac- ting the financial aid office at the institution that you are planning to attend. The student loan and grant forms are ge- neric; that is, they apply to all post-secondary institutions. If your choice is a private college, such 4s a secretarial school, they may not have the loan application forms and guide-books available. You can get them fram any public post-secondary institution. Although the loan money comes from both the provincial and federal governments. it is administered by one purty — the British Columbia Student Assistance Program (BCSAP). The main criteria for qualification under BCSAP is financial need. Need is defined by government standards and determined through a detailed application procedure. You will be required to fill out a budget form which in- cludes a declaration of assets, investment income, earned in- come and expenses. The value of all assets, including vehicles, may be considered when determining financial need. To quatify, you must also be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, and satisfy the B.C. residency requirements. Gener- ally, you must have been a res- ident of B.C. for 12 months prior to making the applica- tion. There are some par- ticulars, however, and it is best to consult the guidebook for further details. In terms of your study plans, you will only qualify if you are entering in a full-time program defined as 60% or more of a full course load. This translates into nine credit hours per term, and the number of credit hours per course varies. It will usual- ly equal three courses. Once your application — is completed, it will be assessed at the institution at which you have applied. It is then for- warded to the Ministry of Ad- vanced Education, Training and Technology in Victoria for final approval. This involves verifying whether or not you have had a previous student loan agreement on which you have defaulted, received an overpayment, or received the maximum allotment. Once the Joan has been ap- proved, a document will be produced and sent either to you or the institution. You will take it to a bank or credit union to negotiate the loan. As stated earlier, the loan is based on financial need. The actual sum, set according to your level of need, is also determined by the number of weeks of your program. This money is expected to cover educational costs and liv- ing expenses for the school year. Capilano College has printed a brochure on typical educa- tional expenses titled Paying for College that may be useful to you. It is available at the Financial Aid office. The Financial Aid office at Capilano College is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, and they can be reach- ed by calling 984-4966. This column is prepared with financial assistance from the Notary Foundation. For more information call NSCS at 985- 7138. Separate yourself from the ordinary! and take advantage of J. 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