& - Sunday. November 18 , 1990- N orth Shore News Media pack should layoff Vander Zalm Dear Editor: Iam not a member of any po- litical party but feel called upon to protest the personal and polit- ical injustice being perpetrated against the premier of this pro- vince by media members. There has been a great deal of negative, pack emotionaiism and no substance to the media ac- cusations of wrongdoing by Premier Vander Zalm regarding the sale of Fantasy Gardens. The coverage of ‘‘the pack vs. the premier** on radio, TV and in Vancouver daily newspapers on Friday, Oct. 19 gave all the proof B.C. residents need to make a clear assessment of the situation. It appeared to be the culmina- tion of press gallery antics of the past several months. Certain media people have turned ‘‘get- ting Vander Zalm” into a per- sonal] vendetta that is now to the stage where at least one colum- nist has become so vitriolic and fanatical that he appears to be somewhat unbalanced, {t has become an obsession. Other press gallery people have climbed on the bandwagon to the point where it is now completely out of control. One questions whether these young journalists have been given the assignment to harass the premier or is it a public ex- pression of baby boomer com- petitiveness? (I assume it isn’t ee Aina Give to the @ B.C. Division ASOT canadienne du diabewe Canadian Diabetes Associaton political partisanism by media members.) Regardless of media's motiva- tion, people interviewed on the | street or on local open line radio indicate that they are vither bored, disgusted or taken in by media persistence. The media then use a selection of these people for the next edition to Strengthen their anti-Vander Zalm stance. Invariably, the political af- filiations of interviewed members of the public are not mentioned. *Nor does the media reveal party connections of quoted ‘*experts™’ and ‘‘academics.”* Further testimonials by NDP MLAs add nothing to the public's knowledge of the Fan- tasy Gardens situation. The only result of such interviews and quotes is to inflame and polarize the public. Maybe this Zalm-bashing sells newspapers and ups TV ratings. I can think of no other positive result. The time, energy and monetary resources of media people could be much better spent if the Press Gallery pack were split up, re-assigned and given productive tasks that use their journalistic talents in a pos- itive, ethical way; and our Premier could get on with the very tough job of running the province in trying times. B.E, Wilson North Vancouver Santa's Shopping Service Hate shopping? No time? Let us do it for you. $35/hour. Call us now 433-9437 and take the rush out of Christmas! SUPREME PAINT SERVICE a pus featuring acrylic enamel oven-baked finish written guarantee 945 West ist St. NORTH VAN 984-4111 Coupon must be presented at time of estimate Hours 8-6, Mon-Fri Expires Nov. 47, 1990 MAILBOX Solve N. Van youth problems now Dear Editor: The North Vancouver youth ‘gang’? problems are obviously serious and complex in that there must be many factors involved. No one solution will solve the problems. As § see it, North Vancouver is a sociciugics nightmare in that it has become a haven for largets middle class working and blue collar families with children. Suburb after suburb seems to have cropped up with litde if any urban planning involved. When | moved here with some of my family from Victoria (where in the late ‘SOs and early *60s there were some very viscious hoodlums even in quaint ‘English’ Victoria) to Glenmore high up in the British Properties of West Van in the summe: of 1963 we lived in a simple duplex for a few years and the kids were both numerous and isolated. The bus service was virtually non-existent then and is barely improved now — there are only three buses on Sundays still! And not every kid had ‘this own sports car,"" as some might like to think. There were also and sill are a sad lack of any facilities or stores except the Hollyburn Country Club, and if you do not have the high income bracket vou simply do not go to Hollyburn. All West Vancouver had at that time was a YM- CA, many miles away, with limited activities. After a few years the kids grew up and moved on to other things in life despite the fact that there were some pretty nasty types who roamed around with pellet guns at whim — | was shot three times in one week by one group. But we cannot expect North Vancouver with its baby boom and the worsening national economic troubles to just ‘grow up and move on in life.’’ That solution will suit a few, but clearly a long serious look has to be taken by a large cross-section of the population to work out some feasibie solutions to a growing youth problem. Tim EF. Peck North Vancouver Service helps trace lost cats Dear Editor: Every month Catfind, a lost and found cat service sponsored by the Vancouver Humane Socie- ty, recieves over 200 reports of lost cats in the Greater Vancouver anguished days looking for them. But many do not. Often, lost cats are turned into the SPCA shelters. 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