6 ~ Sunday, January §2, 1986 - North Shore News Editorial Page ack of political will to take needed ac- Votes vs. duty L problems continue and multiply. Sadly, too, lack of political will is a disease affecting only democracies. There’s obviously no lack of political will in totalitarian states. What the term means, in simple words, is that democratically elected governments all too often decline to do the right thing if it’s in any degree unpopular — for fear of losing votes and later suffering an election defeat. This week’s shabby example is the refusal of Canada and Western European allies of the U.S. to back President Reagan’s tough sanc- tions against Libya. Reagan has produced what he claims to be conclusive proof of Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy’s involvement in the Dec. 27 massacres at Rome and Vienna air- ports, and in other international terrorist outrages. If Reagan’s facts are right, he’s doing the right thing. SOMEBODY in the civilized world has to teach those who, in Reagan’s words, ‘think it’s all right to shoot 11-year-old girls’’ in other countries that the international com- munity won’t tolerate such acts. However, it seems that Canada and the Western European countries are not question- ing Reagan’s ‘‘proof’’. All reports to date indicate they are hang- ing- back purely because of their economic in- terest in Libya — a major oil producer where thousands of Canadian and Western European citizens work on lucrative contracts, with significant economic spin-off benefits back home. ; ; So the right course of action automatically becomes subservient to the pollsters and ballot box mathematics. Putting dollars and votes before duty will never win the war agianst terrorism. further suggestion that éverything A enjoyable may be bad for one comes from the West Van fish laboratory. Five years ago they neutered a bunch of coho as hatchlings, tagged them and turned them loose. When eventually caught, the eunuchs weighed two and a half times more than natural, sexy coho, were still growing and in better physical condition. We guess you might © call them food for thought... + THE VOICE OF HORTH AMO WEST VANCOUVER s re Rae ne Display Advertising 980-0511 ! north shore. Classitied Advertising 986-6222 ; Fata . Newsroom 985-2131! reer s eee eee Subscriptions 986-1337 BUNDAY + WEDNEEOAY + FHIDAY 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 ” Publisher: Peter Speck Editor-in-Chiet Noel Wright Operations Manager Berni Hilliard Advertising Director Linda Stewart Managing Editor Nancy Weatherley North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule tt, Part Hi), Paragraph I) of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Ltd. and distributed to. ery door on the North Shore. Second Class Mail Registration Number 3635. Entire contents ©1986 North Shore Freo Press Ltd. Alt rights tsserved. Subscriptions North and West Vancouver, $25. per eat. Maiding rates available on request. Submissions are welcome but we cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited material including manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. Member of the B.C. Press Council gj 56,245 (average, Wednesday SDA DIVISION Friday & Sunday) ALC NA THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE ‘ CRACKING ONE-LINERS good enough for Bob Hope and laughing at them as heart- ily as her guests, the lady believed to be the North Shore’s oldest resident has tucked away another year. Family and friends of Anna Willcox — born Anna Wiprud in Norway on January 7, 1882 — gathered to celebrate her 104th birthday last Tuesday at an afternoon party in West Van's Inglewood Lodge, where she moved at age 100 after three years in the West Van Kiwanis home for seniors. Anna emigrated around tie age of six with her parents and two sisters to the U.S. Then, about 1905, she came to Winnipeg where she met and married Ted Willcox, an im- migrant from England. They both worked for a number of years at the Royal Alex Hotel there before moving to the North Shore in 1913. She's liv- ed here ever since — starting out in a tent on the North Van waterfront until they got their first home. Ted, who died in 1959, was employed for many years by the CPR before branching out with his own greengrocery store at Lonsdale and Wind- sor. He was also a Grand Master of the Burrard Masonic Lodge. Their two daughters, Mavis Willcox and Edwina Lansberry, are still North Shore residents. Though hard of hearing, Anna was wearing no glasses, kept the gales of laughter com- ing with her wisecracks, blew out the four candles on her cake (they started afresh when she reached 100) and eyed the champagne bottles with gusto, T hope Pl have as much fun ' at 74. She was definitely last _ week’s most encouraging ’ sight! x «x * TRAILING ANNA by half a century — but still doing pret- ty well —- the Ist West Van St. Stephen’s Scout Treop recent- ly celebrated its 53rd birthday. Originally formed in 1927, it received its official charter in 1932, making it one of the oldest troops on the North Shore. The Scouts, aged If to 14, meet weekly to plan bikes, camps, community projects and all kinds of outdoor fun, and new members are welcom- ed — call Troop Scouter Gary Skett (926-7166) for info. xk &k * KILTS OUT and brush up the sporran! It’s haggis, pipes, reels and the songs of the ploughman poet again next Saturday (Jan. 18) at the Coach House as the Sons of Scotland fete Rabbie Burns once more. Guest speaker toasting the immortal memory is William Chalmers, with Gaelic Choir director Hazel Osborne, fresh from competi- tion successes in Scotland, as soloist and Stuart Johnston piping. To join the fun call 988-3426 or 987-1561 respectful Sassenachs also welcome, ek wk * HITHER AND YON: The cat was let out of West Van Mayor Derrick Humphreys’ bag Tuesday night by His Worship in person. A caller on his Channel 10 phone-in show wanted to know whether he Noel Wright © sunday brunch e oto by NOEL WRIGHT KEEPING. THE LAUGHS COMING...another three-figure year arrives for Anna Willcox. ‘ oto submitted COMPUTER-FRIENDLY...happy Ald. Stella Jo Dean, North Van’s EXPO 86 chairman, inputs some of the 78,006 guest names submitted by North Shore residents under EX- PO's “B.C. Invites the World” program. gentlemen”’ is how president David Tomlinson described fellow members of the North Shore Beer Drinkers and Loose Change Society as they thawed out after their New was running again next November, adding that he (the caller) hoped so. Mayor Derrick replied crisply: “Thank you. Yes, I am.’* Next call, please... ‘‘True blue Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim at Cates Park. Their teeth- chattering plunge delighted Ida Paddock by raising a fur- ther $1,000 in pledges towards her next year’s Christmas Bureau fund ... Meanwhile, Alcoholics Anonymous hold their 14th annual North Shore Round-up next Friday evening through Sunday (Jan, 17-19) at the Hyatt Regency — with some 3,000 expected to attend the three-day program of guest speakers, meetings, shar- ing sessions, dances and films. Everyone welcome and registration ($15) starts 6 p.m. Friday ... Last week’s BRUNCH omitted to mention that West Van Secondary teacher Cam Kerr's new “‘Asia Pacific Studies’? course for adults is a daytime course, not night school — call Cam or principal John Wiiliams at 922-3931 to register ... For rock fans with a video camera (or access to one) and $50 to spare North Shore Neighbour- hood House cffers a Rock Video Production course covering techniques of camera handling, lighting, scripting and editing. It runs from next Sunday (Jan. 19) through March 23 — to register call Holly Turner at 987-8138 ... How to settle small business disputes without going to court is the theme at this Tues- day's 7:30 a.m. bre:' ‘st meeting of the Wesi van Chamber of Commerce in the Ambleside Inn. Guest speaker is West Van legal counsel Harry Hunter, a_ leading authority on commercial arbi- tration and secretary of the B.C. Arbitrators Enstitute ... Incidentally, the Chamber's Mike Nicell reports solid growth during 1985, with Chamber membership now standing at around 150 ... Supporting president Don Campbell on the 1986 slate of the North Van Community Centre’s Senior Citizens Group are Ist and 2nd veepees Lil Saxby and William Harvey, with treasurer Marcia Coleman and secretary Marie Adams ... And they need you in the worst way at the special extra blood donur clinic this Wednesday (Jan. 15), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the lobby of BC Rail, 221 West Esplanade, North Van. xk wk & WRIGHT OR WRONG: Peo- ple used to solve their pro- blems quietly over a drink and a cigarette. Nowadays, that’s their problem. y NOT SHOWING THEIR AGE...left to right, Matthew Ferguson, Marc Wensau: er, Tim Bard, Nigel Miiler, Bevil Conway, Regan McNeal and Kevin Hargreaves at the 53rd birthday party of their Ist West Van St. Stephens Scout Troop.