Dear Fditor: Re: Crew chops 19 trees on private land (May 28 News). Why is it that no one in authority (ic. gov- ernment at any level) seems to be able to take responsibility and blame tor their actions, say “Sorry, we've made a mistake,” and just fix it From the survey stakes in the picture, these people were clearly wronged; Capilano Highway Services has claimed mea culpa; so “somebody” remove the stumps, buy a dozen mature trees, plant them and accept the cost (approximately 20 x $100: $2,000). No expen- sive, mind exhausting lawsuits; no buckpassing; no hard feelings; case closed. It is clearly what will happen down the road anyway — after many dances around the fairy ring that is municipal government — so SAVE some tax dollars and get on with the solution and make these long time voters happy. Carolee Chute North Vancouver D Chute Dear Editor: Re: The Sinclairs’ trees (May 28 News) that were thoughtlessly cut down by the Capilano Highway Services crew. Those trees didn’t just belong to the Sinclairs, they belonged to all of us. Now the Sinclairs have to look at the traffic and we have to look at a brown wall where once the lovely green trees were standing. Looks fike nobody wants to rectify their error. It was just some trees — what’s the big deal? There are people in this world who are so numb that they can’t see the beauty and importance of plants and trees. They seem to only understand cutting things down. | recent- ly walked through a wood in Myrtle Park near where I live and 1 was dismayed to find a large clearing made by a parks crew for no apparent reason. Maybe they needed to take out a few dan- gerous trees but these guys went way ' north shore news MAIL Box Readers irked by removal of West Vancouver trees overboard. There are places in the world where they cut down all their forests and now you have to get permission to remove a branch, My mes- sage to the guys with the chainsaws: think about the trees before vou cut them down and think about the people who hare to live with the results when vou act so ignorantly. Since the Ministry of Highways oversees the Capilano Highways Services they should take ulumate responsibility for sizable replacement trees. [ think that Capilano Highways Services should be out of pocket for this too and not be allowed to pass the buck. Sean McLaren North Vancouver melaren@bc.sympatico.ca Dear Editor: We would like to thank the more than 40 different individuals who have phoned with expressions of support as a result of Catherine Barr's report on tree removal from private land (May 28 North Shore News). We are particu- larly grateful to those who offered to come for- ward on our behalf as witnesses, or so gener- ously offered to provide service. Ms. Barr’s report obviously touched a nerve with a great many residents living in each of the municipalities located on the north side of the Inlet. It seems that we are not the only ones to have suffered a loss at the hands of those who have cither inadvertently or deliberately ignored private property rights. Marilynn and Bill Sinclair wsinclai@direct.ca Mailbox policy LETTERS to the editor must be legible (preferably typewritten), brief and include your name, full address and telephone num- ber. Due to space constraints the North Shore News canneo. publish all letters. Submissions can be faxed to 985-2104. Hair Gallery ..Now located in Dundarave 2402 Marine Drive « W. Vancouver 925-1224 Friday, June 4, 1999 -- North Shore News — 9 Dam project needs cost analysis Dear Editor: A recent motion submitted by a North Vancouver District councillor on the Cleveland Dam issue contained nwo deadly wringers which made the motion insupporrable. One was the spectre of ongoing logging in the water- shed and the other was the spectre of a “reconfiguration” of the Sea to Sky highway through the watershed and by inference through Capilano. The rationale for the motion apparently was inspired by a West Vancouver council- lor. West Van has always been in favour of a highway through North Vancouver District. It is not difficult to deter- mine the motive of their sup- port for such a venture. They can be forgiven for not wanti- ng traffic going through their municipality. As far as North Vancouver District is concerned we have constantly opposed both log- ging and a read through the watershed and, by inference, through the distner. Such a scenario would create havo in our residential neighbour- hoods. ‘The issue needs to be clari- fied because, in your (May 23) quote of the week attributed to me, the impression might be conveyed that Tam against a review of the Cleveland Dam project. Not only am [not opposed but such a review should be done before con- struction on this project com- mences. It has recently come to light that, nonwithstanding all stated rationales for the Cleveland Dam improvement project, the GVRD has not conducted a cost benefit analy- sis. The sheer magnitude of this project and its impact on the surrounding residents, rel- ative to Cleveland’s limited capacity makes such reasoning dithicult to comprehend. T have submitted a motion to district council calling for a moratorium on all further work on the — proposed Cleveland Dam improvement project until a full cost analysis, relative to other long-term and comprehensive solutions based on the — potential — water resources in the GVRD, has been conducted. It also requests that such a study take into consideration water quality based on the adverse geological conditions of the Capilano reservoir, the recreation potential of the Capilano Valley, implications of a potential earthquake, plus the limited water supply capac- ity of the Capilano reservoir, relative to other — water resources in the region, includ- ing Coquitlam and Seymour. Ernie Crist Councillor North Vancouver District CristE@district.north- van, be.ca Was NV China junket worth it? Dear Editor: . IT oread) so that) = North Vancouver District Mayor Don Bell and councillors Lisa Muri and Trevor Carolan went to Dalian, China, at a cost of almost $24,000. We are told that this was “part of a push to build an eco- nomic relationship” with that coastal city. Hopefully the expedition was worthwhile for our intre- pid voyagers, and that they were welcomed by the good citizens of Dalian with due cer- emony befitting our represen- tatives’ status. 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