Dear Editor:

Congratulations. You have gone
from being a ‘‘racist right wing
rag’’ when Doug Collins was writ-
ing « regular column to being a
forum for the left wing views of
myself and Alderman Barbara
Sharp.

The reality of the situation is
that the North Shore News
coverage cannot be so simplified as
the letter of Donald M. Currie
stated on Oct. 25.

As a media relations advisor and
instructors, as well as being a poli-
tician, my number one rule is that
you cannot ‘‘manipulate’’ the

Encourage

Your edeortal of Oct. 2, Care
Crisis, Is correct.: *

B.C. taxpayers $100 million.
That's twice the cost of B.C. Fer-
ries, many times the cost to the
B.C. Treasury of BC Rail.

Next year, 1990, after the E & N
and ‘‘Canadian’’ services are ter-
minated the bill will be $50 mil-
lion. It’s a lot to pay for a few
Budd cars running west from

Real Estate Transactions

Statutory Declarations
Notarizations

8 - Wednesday, December 27, 1989 -

of child-care space

" secondaries and elementaries.
_ eves in ‘contemporary . crowded

from

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2 Ualversity ~ College Vancouver.
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media. However, you can facilitate
a journalist’s quest to find news
stories.

In Mr. Currie’s letter he states
that the four other aldermen and
the mayor deserve equa! coverage.
It is a common complaint that I
received as a reporter and editor.
Here are some rules that 1 follow
and give to people who want to
practise good media relations.
® Remember it is the newspaper
that decides what is news and what
is not. Never complain about not
being covered, reporters are train-
ed professionals who know what is
interesting to their readership.

provision

public schools. The justification
for this recruitment, started in
1985 in Vancouver and earlier ia
North Vancouver, was to fill
unused seats.in the schools and
earn: addidonal revenue. But the
domino. effect. working .down
from secondary schools puts
pressure of. space. in. junior

ccTbere: isa. legitimate : reason

schools to accept a few. interna-
onal students, asmely,. to fet’
Oar: stadents:: meet:. youngsters
other. countries’ which ‘ere’

VIA isn't for the West

Dear Editor:
Last year, 1988, VIA Rail cost

Prince George and three tourist
trains a week from Vancouver to
Edmonton.

Many tens of millions of dollars
a year will flow eastward via VIA
Raii. It wasn’t invented to help the
west. It’s an ongoing boondoggle
aimed at voters in the Windsor-
Toronto-Montreal-Quebec City
corridor.
Jack Davis, MLA
North Vancouver-Seymour

DIANNA-LYNN SCAMMELL

NOTARY PUBLIC

2808 Lonsdale Avenue,
North Vancouver, B.C.
988-6668 (Business)

Mortgages/Wills Powers of Attorney

A.R.A. CERTIFIED

FACILITATING JOURNALISTS

Aiderman explains how he gets coverage

* Always return calls from
reporters and do so as soon as
possible.

© Always assume everything you
say is on the record. Never say
anything to a reporter you are not
Prepared to see on the front page
of the newspaper.

* When you promise to provide
information keep your promise as
soon as possible. Promise nothing
unless you know you can deliver.

* Never lie to a reporter. The
public will not tolerate dishonesty
and the media will never forget it.
* Don’t tell reporters how to do
their jobs. You can, however, offer

insights, viewpoints and _inter-
pretations that could help the
teporter understand your perspec-
tive.

Even if you know some
teporters are better than others, do
not play favorites.

Remember: in cases of confron-
tation or differences of opinion, a
reporter may be seeking your views
to obtain a balanced story.

Remember: the media have the
last word.

If following the above rules is
considered media manipulation as
I have been accused, then I am
guilty. But | would suggest that the

LOBBY GOVERNMENTS

writer is more concerned with the
fact that 1 am a New Democrat
candidate for the nomination in
the new riding of North Vancouver
Lonsdale and as an active and
concerned alderman I am getting
media attention on the issues of
importance to the community ...
social housing, affordable rental
housing, views preservation, street
gangs and drug abuse.

If Mr. Currie disagrees with my
politics, he should expend his
energy attacking my politics, not
shooting the messenger.

Bill Bell, alderman
North Vancouver City

Earthquake voiunteers needed

Dear Editor:

The official word on B.C. disaster preparedness is it
will ‘swing into action within 24 hours.’’ That will be

of little help when our ‘‘big one’
help will be needed.
The key to survival is personal

upgrading for your local fire department, which is
woefully undermanned for any disaster.

The answer is to re-activate the

unteer firefighters. This will provide many additional
trained emergency responders to rescue people trap-

ped in debris and to knock down
natural gas lines.

After the San Francisco earthquake, U.S. president
Bush said, ‘‘Thank God for the volunteers.’”

Improved emergency response could be achieved
-mount fire trucks

through locating inexpensive front

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in volunteer halls.

Volunteer fire halls needn’t cost millions —— a sim-
ple garage is all that is necessary. The small cost of
training and equipping volunteers would be quickly

strikes. Immediate

recovered in reduced fire losses.

preparedness and

old system of vol-

fires from leaking

Fire department auxiliaries will not help. The vol-
unteers must be fully trained and used — paid on call
and calied. Those unsuitable will weed themselves out
at their first fire.

Let’s not kid ourselves that any organization other
than our fire departments will be able to do the job.

The provincial government doesn’t seem to take

disaster preparedness seriously. It’s up to us to lobby

which they may.

4” 6”

5x 7

C. Bruce Edwards
North Vancouver

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