A6 - Sunday, March 11, 1984 - North Shore News EE editorial page Pay as you use? he decision by West Van council to raise its water rate again — to $94 per average household — and to combine this traditional March bill with advance pay- ment for sewage and garbage collection, for a total of $204, raises questions that demand clearer answers than we've seen so far. The first is whether, as has been suggested by some private researchers, the ordinary West Van householder is subsidizing the water consumption of big public consumers like parks and golf courses. In other words, is the average homeowner paying for more water than he consumes in order to provide the large non-domestic users with what amounts to a hidden bonus for their operating budgets? If this charge is groundless, council would do itself and the taxpayers a favor by publishing the figures that refute it. The second question concerns the justifica- tion for imposing the additional $110 cash payment for sewage and garbage on senior citizens who defer their taxes under the pro- vincial scheme until their home is eventually sold. The municipality contends that sewage and garbage, like water, are legitimate pay-as- you-use items, but the logic is weak. It’s equally arguable that police and fire protec- tion, roads, parks and other municipal ser- vices are ‘‘consumed’’ day by day and, therefore, should be pay-as-you-use charges. A final point is that any reduction in the mill rate because of interest saved as a result of the new March charges will obviously benefit higher-priced properties much more than modest homes. We look forward to council’s answers to these genuine taxpayer concerns. Asian know-how f multiculturalism means respect for the customs of other cultures, it’s a bit hard to understand all the fuss MLA Rosemary Brown is making over that newspaper ad for a catalogue of ‘‘beautiful, honest’’ Asian girls offering themselves as ‘‘loving, faithful’’ wives. The results of North American mar- riage customs these days aren’t all that hot. Maybe our new Asian compatriots know something that we don’t about the subject. Veen YOUCS OF coEETY awe wR) vassCR wen sunday Display Advertising 980-0511 r AawWwWsS Classified Advertising 986-6222 north shore | Newsroom 985-2131 n ew Ss Circutation 986-1337 " Subscriptions 980-7081 1339 Lonsdate Ave... North Vancouver, BC Publisher Peter Speck Editor-in-Chief Noel Weight VTM 2H4 Associate Publisher Rober) Cseahagn Advertising Olrector Tim branes Personnel Director Classified Manage: tern tthard Circutation Director baal Me Cac we: Val Stephenseor: Production Director Coheey domwascry Photography Manager: lecey Pelecs North Shore News toned CR $h2 0, oe Sc Rewspaper an Unsatiteed) cde be fechate HT Maret Ht Manage agate TE at tye tecine Tan Act os gauttishe each Welnesdlay and Sunday by Noe tt Dhoro free Presa tid and dietetasted to avery OorOo0 On fhe North Siyare Ser On (4ons Man Reyntratorn Numibe: 1885 Entire contents « 1064 North Ghore Free Presse Ltd All nights reserved “padtrre + ap rtea rere, Noth and West Vanconiwns $8.50 oe ynae Mauboy «ates Bvatalte eo pret Ne gr rat ity ac cetpriete) ton cat tee he sted ernanlers yaa! WE te Dey ad pe Taon wit hh phen std Oo me Con qgeaned try oa starry ped AAD ONE OO COI Le Ce pte Member of the B.C Press Council [CCR | THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE VAN? Don’t expect any help, especially if you’re a little kid far from home, says Cathrine Hegan of Delbrook, North Van. Last Sunday, with Mom’s blessing, her 10-year-old son Ross and his pal set out to visit Horseshoe Bay, armed with one-day bus passes. Everything went fine on the outward journey, with its transfer at Park Royal, and the Bay was fun, too — until the time came to catch the Blue Bus for home. The driver told the boys the Blue Buses didn’t accept one-day passes. Despite their protests that the passes had been OK for the outward S TRANDED IN WEST STEVEN TOREN trumpets border. trip, he refused to let them on. So at 4 p.m. the kids started to walk, looking for somewhere to phone their parents. At a gas station and two private homes along Marine Drive they were refused the use of the phone and chased away. Nor, says Mrs. Hegan, would anyone else help them. In the end, as darkness fell, the two little guys just kept on plodding. Exhausted, hungry and more than a little scared, they finally made it home nearly five hours later. Leaving the reputation of across the ALLAN BLAIR 1984’s top bookworm. West Vancouverites with a distinctly black cye among some Delbrook naghbors kk MEANWHILE, West Van's ambassdors with trumpets have crciting weeks ahead This Wednesday (March 14) West Van Youth Band, with Steven Toren conducting. holds its big spring concert al TIVO Pom i West Van Secon dary Then theyre off onia tour of © abbfornia to olay at KRroott os Berries barm fisneecy banal Paonm © cuntny Safart and with thei best band loom Westero High on Anahermn boumpets speak a unevcesal Languape a ae a MoOLRat MR of tw amd oa trrature staadennt at © ape ot lege whoenmec she Hl tre heading fowards a business adiminist: ation deowrce al sunday brunch by Noel Wright MLA ANGUS REE (1), ATTORNEY GENERAL BRIAN SMITH ... doing justice to justice. SFU, Jennifer Kyle received the Mary Neil Memorial Bur- sary last month from Marny Peirson, president of the West Van University Women’s Club. Ann Barber (921-9770) can tell you all about the club, which welcomes new faces at its 7:45 p.m. meetings the third Monday of each month in West Van United Church. ze rt WHEELCHAIR |sglobetrot- ting is no longer a problem JENNIFER KYLE (1), MARNY PEIRSON .. women hang together. for handicapped North Shore residents now that Janet Pavilik’s Deep Cove travel agency ts specializing an a complete service for han dicapped tourists - beheved the first of its kind in the lower Mainland Juady Fisher (929.7911) has all the details a th FOLKTALES: Happy after. noon coffee and canapes hostess the other Friday was North Shore courts manager Dorothy Penman who presid- ed at the ceremonial opening of North Van’s fine new courthouse on East 23rd — marked with speech-ettes to the overflow guests by Mayors Jack Loucks and Marilyn Baker, Bar Associa- tion representative Gerald Green, Judges Gerald Coultas, J.B. Paradis and Reg Grandison, MLA Angus Ree and Attorney Generali Brian Smith, who unveiled the commemorative plaque ... Welcome to Bob . Varsity Knight, new manager of Capilano Mall, which was recently acquired by Cam- bridge Shopping Ceatres of Toronto -- their first venture in B.C Inaugurated this month as new chairman of the Greater Vancouver Library Federation was Allan Biais of the North Van Cty Library board ... Other 1984 Federation directors are col umnist Denny Boyd (West Van Library board) and Evetyn Bligh (North Van District Library board) ..-Apologies to News food columnist Eleanor Godley for a slight boob last week: her forthcoming work to be published by Methuen is noi a reprint of her popular Easy Cookery for Seniors but what she describes as an entirely new ‘‘definitive cookbook’’. Sounds mouthwatering Following the recent transfer of B.C. Hydro’s North Shore manager Jim Coombs to Sur- rey, without a replacement, rumor has it that the Hanes Avenue Hydro office and depot will shortly be closed altogether — we won't know whether that matters until the lights go out again ... Former Torontonian Jo-Ann Aijrd, president of the West Van Newcomers Club, reports they’re celebrating their 100th member this week (up from 40 six years ago), with Mayor Derrick Humphreys doing the honors Wednesday at municipal hall — the point BOB KNIGHT ... new broom at the Mall. being that members of this particular club wear out after three years and have to be replaced ... What’s going to happen with Ambieside? Ald. Don Griffiths will be giving the West Van Chamber of Commerce lun- cheon meeting this Tuesday (11:45 am at the Ambleside Inn) food for thought on the subject ... Congrats to Bob Jarvis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Allan Jarvis, of North Van, on winning a $500 scholar. ship from Boston’s Berklee College of Music for his per- formance in the recent Surrey Stage Band Festival for high school jazz musicians ... And a salute to West Van's Don Fleming who's donated of fice space for the Cancer Soaety fund drive in his store at 1395 Marine the number 1s 925-1952 and West Van campaign coordinator Betty Jean Wyatt sall needs lots of volunteers and can vassets for the Apnil blitz a & WRIGHT OF WRONG: People who drink to drown then sorrow forget that sor row is an excellent swimmer ee WHEELCHAIRS no bar to globetrotting, says Janct Pavtik