MAILBOX

box shows short-sightedness

Dear Editor:

Regarding your March 15 article
on the Ross Road School lacrosse
box, I would like to address the
issues raised by the ‘‘delegation’’
which appeared before North
Vancouver District Council’s
operational services committee last
-week. arguing for closure of the

Xe

‘A statement is made in the arti-
cle that the lacrosse box is not us-
. ed-at all, or is only .used for

-“unorganized activities by teen/
, young adults.”” The implication of
the words ‘unorganized’ ' and
. “activities”? is of undesirable

‘behavior. Does the term ‘“‘orga-
nized’’ refer only to an activity or
‘event that is organized by adults
or the school board or parks and
recreation?

In fact, most of the activities
take the form of hockey games.
and they are organized, and well
organized by the young people.

The ‘‘delegation’’ mentioned
several negative behaviors that
have occurred over the last three
years — the torching of trees and
the portable classroom, car tires ©
being slashed, etc. I have not seen
or heard any proof that these in-
‘cidents were tied to the young
‘people inappropriately using the
lacrosse box.

. Certainly if this were the case,
perhaps we should be looking at

Take another

Open Setter to Aldermen Cuthbert,
Harris, Gadsby and Buchols,
District of North Vancouver:

Tam a North Vancouver native
who is now living on a pension.
My folks came here about 1920,
and now my children and grand-
children are here.

1 built my own home and have
lived in it-for 35 years. During our
childrearing years, we took in a
number of fester children in addi-
tion to our own. My home ex-
panded to cope with the addi-
tional bodies. First we finished the.
basement;. then we built an addi-
tion —- three rooms and Carport,
Then the carport also got incor-
porated into living area.

Eventually we ended up with |
eight bedrooms. Once, eight
teenagers — complete with six
jalopies, weekend parties {when
the folks were away), and even a
rock band that practised in the
house. The neighbors loved us!
(Strange, but there didn’t seem to
be any bylaw limiting the number
who lived here.)

closing Ross Road School itself.
As a resident of that side of the
school, I am often disturbed by
“unsupervised youth who often
use the school as a late-night hang
out.”

I believe that two separate
issues — young people who are
perhaps ‘“‘hanging out at the
lacrosse box’’ and the break-ins,
torchings, etc., are being tied
together without any proof.

Your March 15 article refers to
the ‘residents from the 2800-
block of Allan Road.’ 1 would
like to point out four important
factors: There are only five homes
in the 2800-block; The ftacrasse
box was built long before the

‘houses. The residents were aware

that the box was there {and
therefore kids playing in it) before
they moved into the area; On
numerous occasions rocks have
been strewn across the surface of
the lacrosse box. A_ corrosive
substance was poured onto the
surface. These acts of vandalism
were not done by the young peo-
ple who clear the box each time
they wish to play hockey; Young
people who are using the box in a
most appropriate manner (for
hockey games) have been verbaily
abused and sworn at repeatedly by
some of the residents of the
2800-block.

The behavior of scme of the

residents of the 2800-block sug-
gests that it is the kids who are
using the box appropriately who
are really upsetting the residents.
Living close to a school, and hav-
ing spent 19 years working in a
school, I appreciate that young
people can be noisy, even when
they are behaving in a positive
and appropriate manner.

These residents moved into an
area knowing that there was a
recreational facility. located close
to their homes, and therefore the
associated noise of kids enjoying
the facility.

If the box is removed, what
happens to all the kids who are
using the facility appropriately for
sports? These are good kids. They
are not interested in drinking, us-
ing drugs, stealing, torching build-
ings or other negative activities.
As an educator I know that if
alternatives and options and facil-
ities — especially sports for the
toys — are not available to the
young people they are more likely
to become involved in the negative
behaviors.

I cannot believe that the council
is so short-sighted. We should be
creating more recreation facilities
and programs for our young peo-
ple, not destroying a perfectly
good facility.

M. McDonough
North Vancouver

look at secondary suites

This home evolved further. The
kids matured and required a tran-
sition living area. That is what it
is now.

One of my foster sons, his
girlfriend and baby live there. The
neighbors love us much more to-
day.

So there are five of us who, by

_ Sharing, can continue to live in the

community we prefer.

However, I seem to have shot
myself in both feet. Once when I
expanded to take in the foster
children, second when I stupidly
admitted to the suite. My foster
son and family, my wife and |
could not continue to live here
without sharing housing costs.

It must have occurred to you
that, barring some catastrophes,
the homes we live in today will be
highrises in 50 years. It is the
evolution of today’s community.
So why not make this community
livable for the less affluent, the
pensioners, the young folks get-
ting started, and my wife and I7

We need the income from the

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suite so that I may finish my life
in the community | love — near
the children and grandchildren 1
fove.

Please give the secondary suite
bylaw some mcre thought.
Bob Pearson
North Vancouver

ARDAGH HUNTER TURNER

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Closing Ross Road lacrosse | Personal !nju ry

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