pee aD, Vie print raeen ado, tippy HOW SWEET. A NOTE FROMM KIM, ASSURING ME THAT SHE ISNT TRYING TO DISTANCE HERSELF FROM ME. Tough talk HE North Vancouver . Teachers _Association (NVTA). is right: it’s time to talk tough about the inter- Bisable te teacher contract logjam. in District “But that: tough talk needs.to come from parents. and students —- the real victims in -the ongoing contract charade.. - NVTA representatives recently announc- ‘ed’ that local teackers won’t. return to ‘ District, .44. classrooms: after the summer break if'a contract settlement has not been’ veached by Sept. 7, the first day of the ~ 1993-94 school year. “The: two’ sides. in the contract negotia- “tions have dithered ‘away the surzmer, after keeping parents and ‘students on red alert ‘prior to the summer break as threats of a -, pre-summer strike. to ruin the previous “school year rose and fell. Now, with the heat: of summer fading, “the same band of ditherers is turning up the neg¢tiation-by-accusation volume just in time to toss the coming schoo! year into doubt. ‘Both sides claim summer bargaining at- tempts were botched by the other; both sides are sorely aggrieved. But the good folk of District 44 have heard this duet be- fore, and it is getting beyond tiresonie. Negotiators have been at it for over a year and ‘the issue of teachers’ wages has not even been discussed. And, if the same ludicrous district-by- district bargaining system remains in place in B.C., they will start all over again on a new set of negotiations almost as soon as the current ridiculous contract dance is over. The time has come, parents, residents and students, for some real tough talk. Let’s get education back in the classroom and off the negotiating table. Now. NEWS QUOTES OF THE WEEK ad out a muscular body ts an indus- trial use.’ North Vancouver City Coun. Rod Clark, opposing the proposed “move of .a fitness centre to an in- ‘dustrial park. (From an Aug.- 20 News story.) “Twas asked lo be the cripple at the bottom of the stairs.”’ Publisher . Managing Editor Associate Editor “It's too much of a stretch of the . imagination to think that pumping _..Peter Speck Timothy Renshaw Noel Wright Wheelchair-bound Faith Dennis commenting, with self- deprecating humor, on her app- pearance in a picture appealing for funds for the West Vancouver Library expansion. '(From Trevor . Lautens’ Aug. 20 Garden of Biases column.) i n i , | “There are 1,200-foot walls on the north side of Goat Mountain, and I’ve got the scars to prove it from Display Advertising 980-0511 Real Estate Adveriising 985-6982 Classified Advertising 986-6222 Distribution Subscriptions 986-1337 & Fax Administration 985-2131 B _ a couple of rescue operations.’* Retired North Vancouver City administrator Gerry Brewer, on his rescue exploits. (From an ‘Aug. 18 News story.) “It’s not too pleasant.’ Hiker Todd Watkins — after plunging 30 metres in Capilano Canyon — on how it feels to land on rocks. (From an Aug. 18 News story.) ey ue This newspaper contains recycled hore 986-1337 2 seine 985-3227 fh REFORM HAS dropped the other shoe, It’s likely to land among voters with a considerably heavier thud than the Noel Wright first one. Preston Manning’s ‘*Zero-In- Three’’ plan to eliminate the fed- eral deficit by 1997, unveiled earlier this year, was fine for those with an accountant’s mind. Under a wide range of govern- ment expenditure headings it showed with precise figures where the cuts would have to be made to save the nation from looming bankruptcy. Kim Campbell’s best response was a promise to balance the budget within FIVE years, but - with no details as to how. Liberals and New Democrats, of course, are forbidden by their religion ever to use the words “deficit”? or ‘‘debt.’” Nevertheless, the ‘‘Zero-In- Three” plan — though vital to protest Canada from the untendei mercies of the International Monetary Fund — is lacking in political sex appeal. Not so, however, the party’s new household flyer entitled ‘‘So you don’t trust politicians. Neither do we.’ Given the cu:rent cynicism of the electorate, you can’t get much sexier politically than that. Reform’s latest pitch promises to ‘‘make Canada a REAL demeccracy”’ by pushing for three . , simple new procedural measures: / - 1. Freer votes in the Commons.’ MPs must be freed from the party discipline that forces them to vote | against the wishes of the people who elect them. 2. Referendums and Citizens’ Initiatives. The public must have more direct input into national decision-making. __ . 4 3. Recall. Citizens must have + the power to fire MPs who don’ ty do their job. of This three-point Reform plan? goes right to the nub of the prob- lem bothering so many voters to- day: the Tory or Grit program may sound fine — but can ! TRUST Tories or Grits, with their. . past records, to follow through on their pledges? Remembering that, once they’re in, it’s a four-year dictatorship. If the Reformers got their way, of course, there’d be few if any more broken election promises. But if they ended up as an untested fringe party in the next parliament — where the recall of MPs would be fought tooth and nail by Tories, Grits and NDP — hew far could voters depend even HITHER AND YON: on Reformers to bring about what they preach? ” The'answer lies squarely with» the voters themselves. It depends.” specifically on how many are ready to. take the leap of faith - needed to give Manning 30 to 40 Cornmons seats. With that balance * of power, Reform might work: : wonders for our discredited parliamentary system... 7: Without it, the party, can only, remain a political footnote, i _eo@ 1 YAULPIECES: Another treasure : hunters’ Thursday coming up. Aug. 26 when Mount Seymour — United Church Thsi°t Shop at - /1200 Parkgate holds its'final © / half-price sale of the month from ° ; 2to 8 p.m. — with clothing,:, games, toys, books and bargains galore... Learn how to interpret your dreams for healing, problem solving and personal insight from’ Cathy Woods next Saturday, Aug. 28, from 10:30 a.m. to noon in |. the Speakers Unlimited series at = , the Silk Purse; 1570 Argyle, West: - : Van -~ pre-register by 4 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 25, at 926-3266... ..« Many happy returns of today,” Aug. 22, to Gleneagles’ Monica |, Drane ... And happy 96th birth-» day Tuesday, Aug. 24, to North Van's Charles Kiff. WRIGHT OR WRONG: There’ s nothing wrong with having nothing to say — - provided you don’ t insist ¢ on saying it... Sales & Marketing Director Linda Stewart Comptroller Doug Foot North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph Wil of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and ‘Sunday by North Shore Free Press. Ltd. and ‘distribuled. to every door on the Wurth Shore. Canada Pest Canadian Publications Mail Sates Product Agreement No. 0087238. Mailing rates . available on request. Submissions are welcome but we.cannct accept responsibility for unsolicited material including manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped, self-selt- ‘addressed envelope. .- Hewsroom 985-2131 . Norin Snore manages MEMBER | WEOMETTDAY + FRIDAY 8 “SDA DIVISION Tet NED OF RUITTN AND EBT ERCOUER SUNDAY « 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 Entire contents © 1993 North Shore Free Press Lid. All rights reserved. THEIR PROMISES sound fine, but will they Keep: them?... Kim 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday; Friday & Sunday} Campbell, Jean Chretie : n.