NORTH VANCOUVER District Mayor Murra open category of gymnastics. Friday, April 26, 1991 — North Shore News - 3 : NEWS ph 0S t C : N y Dykeman acknowledges the achievements of three young athletes at Monday evening's council meeting. Receiving books, pins and T-shirts from the district are (from left) Russell Stuart, 1991 national under-16 indoor tennis champion, Allison Rice, national gold medalist in junior badminton championship, and Aparna Ray, national gold medalist in WV students tackle budget decisions A HANDFUL of students from West Vancouver secondary schools grappled Monday night with one of West Van- couver District Council’s most difficult jobs: budgeting. Acting as a junior council under the leadership of Mayor Keri McKenzie of Sentinel Sec- ondary, the 11 young people struggled with spending decisions to try to hold the line on the 1991 budget. Faced with eliminating three programs from six options, the junior council decided to reduce maintenance programs on road- ways and lanes, reduce the maintenance of tree plantings and floral strips in) West Vancouver streets and to increase green-fees at Gleneagles Golf Course. But they were not willing to reduce the number of lifeguards at local beaches or clerical staff at the local police station. “Lifeguarding is a very impor- tant issue. Cutting staff there By Maureen Curtis Contributing Writer would increase the risk to the public,’’ said Ald. Cathy Rigg of West Vancouver Secondary. Parks director Kevin Pike could not dissuade the junior council from cutting work on floral displays. Ald. Meghan Fullerton said “lives are more important than decorating the municipality.’’ The students were unwilling to cut police clerical staff, because they said it might burden highly trained police officers with clerical work. The junior council received plenty of input from senior staff officials rooting for their various WEST VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL municipal departments. ‘Just wait tiil you see 50 seniors lined up protesting the in- in green-fees,’’ warned The students also debated: © the transportation of hazardous goods in West Vancouver; © the teen disco application; © bus services; eand the municipal work experi- ence program. A final decision on a proposed replacement of the Eagle Harbour Community Centre was put off even though only one alderman, Len Clough of Collingwood, spoke against the project. “This may not sit well with special interest groups,’’ Clough said, ‘‘but this is a time we must show restraint.” He suggested municipal staff should investigate other temporary sites for a replacement for the Eagle Harbour Centre and con- sider incorporating Eagle Harbour programs into the main recreation centre on 22nd Street. Speaking for the parks depart- ment, Pike argued in favor of a new, replacement centre in that area, “There is evidence of western alienation in West Vancouver. Unless we are prepared to spend some money in the western part of the community they may wish to break off from the rest of the sommunity,’’ quipped Pike. Tie other young people serving on the junior council included Kathy Shannon, Jenn Green, Jac- queline Barre and Brent Bradshaw of Sentinel and Hilary Black and Kathy Shannon of Hillside. NV Junior Council raises youth issues LOCAL GOVERNMENT Awareness Week in North Van- couver District got off to a rousing start on Monday night as students from four local secondary schools substituted for mayor and council and debated a shortened agenda that dealt-with teen and youth issues. Junior Mayor Clayton Jones of Handsworth and his lively aldermen peppered district staff with requests for action and reports on such issues as youth drop-in centres, teen programs and services, transit, condoms, and, most important in their view, a permanent forum in which to express their views on problems and participate in solutions. Jones said, ‘‘l feel that a per- manent Youth Council would not only show your concern, but if you had our input you would feel reassured that your decisions are the right ones.”" Jones reminded council that he had expressed the same hope at last year’s junior council meeting, and while he was pleased that YouthSpeak 1990 (a North Shore-wide youth conference) happened, or ‘thad to happen,” he said that many teens were left fecling ‘‘Now whar?”’ Issues raised by counci! © Drop-in centres: Ald. Josie Simpson (Windsor): “Youth want a place where they can dance and play music, not the junior By Martin Millerchip Contributing Writer just watch TY and play pool.”’ Ald. Zenna Pazdzierski (Wind- sor): “Have you been to them lately? There’s nothing to do. What are you doing to make them more acceptable?” Ald. Michelle Coleman (Argyle): ‘*You need better super- vision, better programs and dances {9 attract youth."* Ald. Kathy Parslow (Hand- sworth): **Parents endorse school dances. They are relatively cheap, non-alchoholic and a source of fun.” © Teen programs and services: Pacdzierski: ‘Time limits on recreation centre activities are in- appropriate. 10 or 10:30 p.m. is too early to finish an activity if it is to be the focus of the evening.” Ald. Kenny Lee ¢(Areyte): “Prices have to be affordable.’ Pazdzierski: ‘‘Is there a youth employment program run by the district? What substance abuse programs are planned? There is a NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL waiting list for those that exist.’’ Ald. Julianne Young (Seycove): “Courses on sex and drugs for Grades 11 and 12 are too late. We know it all by then. Programs should be aimed at younger grades with older kids helping the younger.”” © Transit: Parslow: ‘“‘Is there any way to deal with youths travelling around at night without putting them in danger?” Young: ‘‘We are asked not to drink and drive, and then kicked off buses if suspected of drink- ing.” ° Condoms: Jones: ‘‘The school board is considering the installation of condom dispensing machines. Is the opinion of youth being in- volved in that decision?” Lee: “The cast of the installa- life is Yon is worthwhile if one saved.” © Yeath forum: FParslow: “The adults that try and stay with youth are offen the most naive. Their solution is to keep the chdd at home to protect them and all that does is create a stronger urge to break away.” Jones: “Mim oon ihe outside of the problem looking in and there are chiJdren that are right in it or on the edge that haven’t been given a voice yet.’" District social planner Rupert Downing acknowledged that there is a danger of fragmentation in the delivery of services to youth. He said the Youth Service Planning Group would be recommending the creation of a Youth Services Committee and a Youth Service Development Of- ficer. The committee, he said, would include community service and youth participants. Downing also acknowledged the problems of limited resources. He noted that the drop-in centre at William Griffin is serving up to 100 young people on some nights in a 400 sq. ft. room. Responding to Pazdzierski's question concerning shelter for runaways, Downing said, ‘I will be perfectly candid with you, your worship. There is a problem out there that is nor being addressed." Downing confirmed that youth workers have eapressed alarm at the jmerease in the number of runaways and he said thar one worker alane was dealing with 16 young people. Downing agreed that part of the solution has to be the direction of programs fo emerging teens. Daycare versus developers WEST VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL A DEVELOPMENT pro- posal that would create 28 new public parking snaces in the Dundarave commer- cial area but displace a local daycare drew flak Monday night from members of the Ambleside and Dundarave Ratepayers at a West Van- couver District Council public hearing. By Maureen Curtis Contributing Writer Council has promised to find a new location for an area daycare centre that would be lost when its building, which is leased from the municipality in the 2400-block of Haywood Avenue, is sold to an adjacent tandowner for redevelopment into a three-storey commericial building. The development, which re- quires the daycare site to be rezoned from residential to com- mercial, would include 44 enclosed parking spots, 28 of which would be for public use. The Dundarave commercial area currently has a dearth of public parking. But ratepayer Lionel Lewis pointed out that Parvan Holdings, the development company for the project, has not even bought the municipal property on Haywood or acquired an option on it. “The correct procedure would be for council to make application for the rezoning, and thereafter, the property should be put up for public tender,*’ said Lewis. Former West Vancouver mayor Derrick Humphreys added that a replacement for the daycare facili- ty has not yet been found, while Ambleside and Dundarave Ratepayers president George Mur- reli opposed the construction of a three-storey building in a two- storey zone. And ratepayer Elaine Fonseca expressed concern about the effect the project would have on the creek running through the proper- ly. The site for the proposed pro- ject is located to the north and slightly to the east of Stong’s grocery store, at 249! Marine Dr., on the other side of the lane. Additional concerns were ex- pressed by area neighbors, in- cluding the chairman of the strata council of Dundarave Estate on Haywood, who requested that the development be moved back from the lane to fall into line with the estate. Susan Scott of the North Shore Childcare Resource Society en- couraged council not only to maintain, but to increase, the spaces available for quality childcare. “We trust you will consider the needs of the children and their families living in your communi- ty,"’ she wrote in a letter to coun- cil. The hearing was adjourned until May 13° ESSE REELEEE, ESET EE TS, index i Automotives ... 27 BB Ecolnfo 0. 18 @ Home & Garden. .... 13 WB Kids’ Staff... 200... 256 83 Trevor |autens...... 4 M8 Maibos 0.000000... 7 GH Paul Si. Pierre... 2. & @ What's Going On. ...26 Secona Class Registration Number 3885