oA @-~ Friday, February 2, 1896 — North Shore News Publisher 985-2131 (101) Deploy & Roel Eatats Fax Keworcem Fox 000-2106 Cuaetfiad, ‘evendtixg @ Mole Cities Fax 00-8227 Hert Shere Mews, fomnéed in 1969 e020 lndepe-viet sulvarben cewepagar and qualified wader Schoduly 111, Pxagrgh 11 of the pablided cach OMMUTERS WHO have sus- pected a parking squeeze conspir- acy in North Vancouver will be partially vindicated by recent North Vancouver District Council revelations. . According to a report to council by Coun. Ernie Crist, parking stalls in the district have, indeed, been shrinking since 1985, And drivers and their vehi- cles are suffering the consequences of Strained body parts from squeezing in and out of vehicles‘and chipped vehicle paint jobs from swinging car doors in tight public parking lots. According to Crist’s report, the park- ing stall squeeze began in earnest 10 A $ G years ago in the wake of the world-wide oil crisis of the early 1980s. In response to the new proliferation of smaller, more fuel-efficient czars, North Vancouver District parking stalis ~—- once decreed to be a civilized 10% inches (275 cm) wide when measured from line to line -— were slimmed down to 102 inches (259 cm) wide. But somewhere along the line those stalls got even slimmer, without the council of the day or the general public having a say in the matter. According to Crist’s report, width measurement began to include the park- ing stall lines themselves, which further FLIGHT i, YOURE CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 130. AND MAY REMWND YOU TO CRECK OUT QUA LOVELY GIFT SHOP LOCATED news viewpoint lis “| reduced regular stall widths to 98 inches (249 cm) from line to line and the stall — widths for small cars in some cases to 92 inches (234 cm) and under. So it is time to draw the line citizens, Small parking stalls are more than Just a tight squeeze and a shopper’s inconvenience. They can drive con- sumers to municipalities that have more generous parking stall allocations. In North Vancouver’s case, perhaps to West Vancouver’s Park Royal Shopping Centre. Never give an inch, say we. Because, when it comes to parking Stalls, there are not many more to give. mailbox Happy House Dear Editor: The North Shore Crisis Services Society wishes to express special thanks to the community for ‘the many gifts, donations and. food hampers delivered to the Emily Murphy House this Christinas. - We were able to help both the. residents and. ex-residents:: who stayed with us throughout the year. : Your donations’ helped to’ make . many dreams come true. ‘ fee Carol Ward-Hall * Execufive Director North Shore Crisis Services Seciety/Emily Murphy House tax get Sheriff Sager’s DUCK, PARDNER! There's a shootout at Credibility Gulch. A bystander could get himself some fast lead poisoning. On one side of this information gap is the the assembled throng of the Corporation of the Municipality of West Vancouver — in effect claiming they're the virtu- ous lawmen. On the other is the Capilano Sportsmens Club, the corp’s muti- nous tenants of 45 years’ standing without a tad of trouble — now bitterly claiming they've been treated, in the words of one angry member, “like a bunch of redneck hillbillies.” These tenants of tong good standing — “we've been here longer than that yuppie mayor (Mark Sager) has been alive,” a member acidly said — were legal- ly homeless as of Wednesday. And they are holed up in their Azibleside Park building and may not come out uniess dragged out. Law-abiding? Or law-evading? I can't recall an information gap any wider than this one. Corp: The premises will be used for a much-needed West Vancouver youth centre. Club: We're already running a youth centre. We're a family-ori- ented club that shares its space with the West Vancouver Air Cadet 525 Pathfinder Squadron, the town's oldest youth organization GNYOUR LEFT AS YOU EXIT TRQUWAY A26. Trevor (1942), and with Scouts. Corp: The Air Cadets have been there only a matter of months, since the Inglewood Centre was closed, Mayor Sager claims: “This is a total red her- ting.” - Club: They used to be here, went to Inglewood, and then came back when they were tossed out. They support our tenancy. We've served thousands of young people, teaching them discipline, responsi- bility, skills. Our premises will be tured over to troubled kids in the Youth Outreach program that was at Inglewood — about 30 kids, of whom about seven show up regu- larly. Corp: Wrong! The youth centre will serve 4,000 kids, says Sager (later he says he wouldn't want to be held to the figure 4,000). Youth Outreach will be only the first youth group on the site. Young West Vancouverites are “ecstatic” about the prospects. Club: Sager has been opposed to the club since councillor, days, and harbers a personal dislike of . guns. Corp: Wrong again. Nothing rsonal about it. “Not one mem- © of council buys it (the club's case),” Sager declares. The club space is simply needed for the . greater good of the community: “It wouldn’t matter if this was a sewing club.” He admits: “I'm not a big gun person, no. Club: After 45 years, we abruptly got notice in October to vacate by Tec. 31. Corp: The club's five-year lease had long expired and it was operating under a series of licences. It knew the clock was ticking. Club: The club has 175 mem- bers and the biggest number live in West Vancouver. Corp: Nope, it’s changed its figures since first contacted last May. It’s a regional club with only about 50 West Van members. Club: The same argument could be made of other West Van taxpay- er-funded facilities. (Dead right there, The attractive seniors’ and recreation centres especially draw non-residents.) Corp: We own the building. We got it directly from the Department | interest on this debt... Tales fiom the Tax Trough I; 2 Coaliion publicetion ‘ F ; National Citizens’ NV / shootout : of National Defence... Club: We owned it. and gave it to the municipality in exchange for tenancy as long as. we wanted it. . (It’s uncertain whether either side - has proof.) There it stands — a stand-off. Club president Lynn Coules recently declared: “I'm adamant we're going to stay.” A court order looks to be next. ‘Club membership director Dr. Anne Autor, a University of B.C. professor, accuses council of tak- ing the “politically correct” tine —- “demonizing firearms.” She protests “ite absolutely imperis istic way this was done: “They've treated us like some sort - of redneck hillbillies.” A Vancouver resident, Dr. Autor bristles at any suggestion that she’s an outsider. Few have such deep - _ foots in these parts. Her maternal great- ~grondfather, | - Charles A. Mee, came to this area in 1888, settled in Moodyviiie, and’ logged Lonsdale Avenue. She cher- ~ ishes a North Shore Gun Club : marksmanship medal won by her’ grandfather, Walter Green, in lota. What to think of all this? A.“ 5 hard call. But I asked Mayor Sager i if he would give three months’ notice to a tenant of 45 years if.he were his landlord. No, he replied, but an organization isn’t an indi- vidual and isn’t treated the same way. Maybe it should be. Laid ae eke ee MM EE EO Ee el A ERR Ey :