A6-Wednesday, May 21, 1980 - North Shore News

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We've no need to compla

editorial page

NEWS VIEWPOINT

On - off school

The NEWS is a staunch supporter of the
principle of “participatory democracy”. But
the renewed battle over Deep Cove's
proposed new Cove Cliff School may just
possibly be the signal that even good things
can continue a trifle too long.

The March 12 public hearing on whether
to build the new school or upgrade the
existing Burrard View School drew a crowd
of over 300 residents and dragged on, after
three extensions until 11:30 p.m. to allow all
who wished a chance to speak. There was
clearly some considerable division of opinion
in the community. But, by and large, the
message North Van District council ap-
parently got from the meeting was that the
new school should go ahead. So they passed
the necessary zoning bylaw (still subject to
final adoption) and the school board told its
architect to get moving.

Then, last week, a resident adjacent to the
site threatened legal action against council
because he claimed he had not had a chance
to speak on the subject. It seems he’s within
his legal right and could invalidate the bylaw
in the courts if not heard. So now, work has
been halted and it’s back to square one, with
a fresh public hearing set for June 3.

One wonders what is now to stop the two
sides in the controversy from digging up
further individuals prepared to threaten legal
action on similar grounds. It would take 16
hours or more fer 300 people each to speak
for about three minutes — requiring four or
five public hearings of normal length. Where
does “participatory democracy” on that scale
finally lead?

Sneak preview

There can be few who haven't wondered
fearfully from time to time just what a
nuclear war would be like. On Sunday
morning Nature gave us a sneak preview
when the 1,200 ft. peak of volcanic Mount
St. Helen was blasted into ash with a bang
that rattled windows 200 miles away in
Vancouver. Hopefully, the awesome pic-
tures of devastation and fallout will give all
members of the world’s nuclear club food for
thought.

sunday :

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50,870 49,913 Gna SR. 2

Wednesday Sunday

THIS PAPER 1S RECYCLABLE

By W. ROGER WORTH

Its tame to repeat a
message that seems to get
missed by the major media:
by any measure, Canadians
are among the nchest people
in the world, with lifestyles
to match.

Amid the constant
shouting over consttuuonal
changes, the federal-
provincial fights over who
owns what, and the on-going
debate over Quebec, people
tend to miss the obvious.
That's the fact that we're
very well-off indeed.

Somehow, we have found
a way to “accentuale the
negative,” a masochistic feat
that makes Alice’s forays in
Wonderland appear normal
by companison.

Consider what's really
happening in the country,
from an outsider’s point of
view:

“While the rest of the
world 1s searching the globe
for long-term supptes of
energy (at any cost),

Canadians pay cut rate
prices and sull have the
potential to be © self-

sufficient.

Gasoline in many
European countries, for
example, costs $3.50 to
$4.50 per gallon, three times
the price in Canada.

It’s true that energy prices
have gone up in Canada, but
at least the products are sull
available.

If we lived in Japan where
the country regularly im-
ports more than 90% of
energy, Canadians would
have real cause for concern.

*Food, chat most im-
portant of all commodities,

*. kama,

is another area where
Canada is_ self-sufficient.
With half the world going to
bed hungry, it’s nice to know
that bacon, eggs and toast
will be available for
bredkfast. And the price of
our food bills is among the
lowest in the western world.

‘High interest rates and
unemployment that sur-
passes 900,000 are very real
problems. But Canadians
have developed a social
welfare system thal ef-

fectively prolects everyone

“Another setback — the mediators just went oul an

strike.”

from the cradle to the grave.
All this is expensive, mind
you, and we pay the piper at
tax time. Still, it’s nice to be
able to point out that no one
Starved to death in the
country yesterday (because
they couldn't afford food), or
that -hospital care wasn't
available because it was too
costly. :

Somehow, we appear to
lose sight of the fact that
simple schoolgirls in
Afghanistan are prepared to
get themselves shot
protesting the Russian in-
vasion of their  under-
developed country. Or the
Cambodian refugees who
find it difficult finding one
square meal a day, let alone
three. Or even the mighty
Americans, with 50 of their
countrymen held to ransom
in far-off Iran.

Canadians may appear to
have problems, but how
significant are they ” Really’

Roger Worth ts Director,
Public Affairs, Canadian
Federation of Independent
Business.

Clouds over Aloha-land

“As we got near the van another five guys
jumped us and started fighting... My brother-in-
law, who had been asleep in the van. came out
and got a fist in his eye before he knew what was
happening... As I started up, a bottle was thrown
at the front window and shattered one side... My
brother-in-law’s eye was swelling pretty bad and

starting to discolor,

them...

At least they managed to
escape. They were luckier
than this second man

“My wife. covered in
blood, was able to flee
through the underbrush with
the three termfied children

(then, my _ attackers)
quickly formed a ught circle
around my _ body) and
methodically kicked me in
the face, head and back unul
I lost consciousness I
clearly remember my body
going limp. I was in no pain
— it was the end

‘The police arnved at that
point | beleve that 1 would
otherwise have been kicked
to death ~

The first of these two grim
from Mrs
Gladwin of | North
the second (as
last week in a
Vancouver daily newspaper)
trom Roger Clapham of
Aldergrove, BOC Mrs
(;sladwin and Mr Clapham
have one thing in common

They both went on
sacahon cearher this year
with members of their family

where both the
unprovoked on
slaughts took place

stomes
Peggy

Vancouver.
reported

comes

to Hawan
violent

HUSHED UP?

There are alse alas oan
that

incadents hike these

dications teported
may be
only the ip of an weberp

tha: the frequency of brutal
attacks on white Courtsts as
being deliberately hushed up
the Aloha States
: Pa

inchustry a

fo protect

annual billion Cousast
respectable
portion of which aw provided

by western © anadians

everyone had blood on

The attack descnbed by
Mrs. Gladwin at the
beginning of this column
happened in broad daylight
at Oahu’s famous Makaha
surfing beach early last
month, and despite that fact
that the family party there
numbered ten people. But it
wasn't their only trauma.

The selfsame evening.
back at the International
Market in Watkiki, Mrs
Gladwin's 18-year-old
nephew gol separated from
his Companions, was ‘seized
and beaten by four Hawanan
youths, and wound up in
hospital with three stitches
over his eye. a cracked nose

and a large Jump on his
head

Roper and Anne
Clapham s might: of terror
with them three children
aged between three and

eight took place last January
in a state supervised

camping park on the island

of Kauai directly, adyacent
to the furxurous Kauar
Resort Hotel In has in

terview with the Vancouver
newspaper Clapham

described haw

asleep oon
thea

lacked

lent they were at

and kieked ain the

face by a pang of cipht to ten

men Clapham himeectf says

he has been left with per

manent inyuries Hey
returning bo Kauarin July te
testify at the trial of cane of

his assailants
ISOLATEDEVENITS?

He and his wife hase alse.

laughed an ioternational

crusade ote warn worked be

Noel Wright

visitors of what can happen
to them in Hawan Copies of
their 17-page open letter to

Hawan Governor George
Anyosht — demanding that
he reduce violent cnmme by
YO per cent within the next
three years — have been
sent to mayor newspapers in
Canada the US Japan
Australia New Zealand and
other countmes

The big question of
course as tow far these are
strictly isolated events and
how far the massive travel

industry publicity

depi ting sun drenched
Hawan as the paradise home
of happy welcoming natives
remains the true pre Cure
li view of the hundreds vf
thousands oof
still

Vacation of their

mainiana

Vasthors whe

enypoy the
lives there
unscathed the trave]

brow hures cant be ail wrong

Nevertheless the danger
signals are be ginning to
accumulate

Clapham osavs oa dosen
Slee prtig campers had been
beaten up and  terronsed
only oa Couple oof months
carher oun the same Kaus

park, although police of-
ficers who examined his
camping permit twice never
warned him. The doctor who
treated Mrs. Gladwin’s
nephew in Wakiki told her
he gets at least eight cases a
week of beaten-up tounsts.
And over the past two or
three years I myself have
heard numerous tales of
similar attacks and mugyings
recounted at first or second
hand by wmsitors to the
Enchanted Islands. Possibly
you have, too

RESENTMENTS

Last month, after a 12-
vear interval, I returned to
Hawan, this time to the
quieter and more “unspoilt”
island of Maui. It struck me
immediately that many of
the natives were surher and
much less fmendly than I
remembered them back in
the sixties in’ Waikiki —
where | had been warned 1
was now no longer safe fora
walk the
alone al night

on my first day in Maw |
was cauboned = never to
wander along the beach after
dark

I talked
Hawatians
frankly

tourtst to streets

with
who spoke
about the resent
ments and frustratons their
people fell over the impact
on the

educated

lifestyle of massive
developments — The
Maui

lavares of

tourist
mayor of Hannibal
Porluguese
bones

descent made ne

about crmme being = the

wland ss big problem Its
inevitable he shrugged

TDoursts bring money and
Iheu money brings crime —
Allin all
these tha kening clouds over
hard far

Its always sad wheo

the evidence ot

Aloha land as
escape
a besuliful dream begins to
lade but

waking up te

teality hurts a bot fess chan
sphatered nabs ora cracked

skull