Near-empty Toy Shen opens doors tomorrow By Deana Laacaster Contributing Writer TIME is running out. OK, so Christmas is still more than a couple of weeks away, and for many of us, the arrival of garlands and fairy lights in the shopping malls in September put us off any seri ous planning und, at the earli- est, Dec. 20. ‘ But the North Vancouver Christmas Bureau and_ the West Vancouver Santa Claus Fund need help zon, Tomorrow, Dec. 9, the Toy * Shop opens in the Salvation Army in North Van. Holding it earlier in the month means that parents referred to the service by Social Assistance have one less thing to worry about as the big day approaches. . Throughout the six days of _ the Toy Shop, they will come in by appointment and select two toys per child, to be taken home, wrapped, and put under the Christmas tree. The Christmas Bureau needs about 3,900 toys to mect the demand. “It’s the same as last year, ‘actually ... the same as every year,” said Christmas Bureau coordinator Diana Cowden. “Mark my words, all the toys will come in on the 22nd.” And, without sounding ungrateful, the 22nd is almost. too late. It’s a similar situation with food donations. “We are desperately short of food,” said Cowden. The bureau is currently building hampers with food borrowed from North Shore Harvest House. Cowden is hopeful that food donations received later in the month will be sufficient to replace it: “Lord help me if I don’t get enough food to pay them beck,” she said. She is also concerned because every year, after all the hampers are given out to the families adopted by organizations and indi- viduals on the Nonh Shore, people come in who_weren’t matched in the adopt-a-family program looking for food and help. In North Vancouve:, the Bureau is suil seeking food for 200 hampers. In West Vanceuver, the situation is almost as dire. Although the Santa Claus Fund has sufficient toys, it needs food donations. “We are very low,” said Ruth Stout, who has been coordinat- ing the West Vancouver Santa Claus Fund for 28 years. “People NEWS photo Terry Puters DAVID Foster of North Shore Harvest Hause and Diane Cewden of the North Vancouver Christm1s Bureau are waiting hopefully for food and toys to be donsted so they can help make Christmas brighter for many families and individuais on the North Shore. always wait until the last minute to bring food.” The West Vancouver organization provides throughout the communi and to Bowen Island. Through communication and common fundraising the Santa Claus Fund and the Christmas Bureau work to make sure the North Share is served. Cowden said she also relies on the partnership with North Shore Harvest for food and the Salvation Army for space and toys. If you’d fike to help provide for — @ the Toy Shop: taday, bring an unwrapped toy to any North Shore Credit Union, Capilano Mall, Lynn Valley Mall, any fire- pall location, the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, the North Shore News office, Park Royal, Lonsdale Quay, Sussex Reaity or the Salvation Army. Through the week, bring them directly to the Salvation Army at 105 West 12, North Van. Suggestions for gifts for the Toy Shop include infant toys or clothes, toddlers’ items, preschoo! toys, any type of sporng goods, baseball caps, T-shirts, gift certifi- cates Bady Shox music, or, bowl- ing; Bi Shop toiletries, - borks and stockin Te fier items; = @ fcod hampers for the North Vancouver Christmas bureau: bring any non-perishable food items to the North Shore Harvest House at 166 West Esplanade. {@ food hampers for the West Vancouver Santa Claus Fund: bring any non-perishable food items to Santa Claus Fund headquarters at the #1 Firchall at 16th and Fulton. ia are especially in need of candies,” said Stout. “For the In North Vancouver cali 984-XMAS, and in West Vancouver. call 922-6522 to find out more. IT was that kind of glorious afternoon in the Caribbean that. called for a.comfort- able lounger,.a good... book and ‘another zum ‘punch. TRAVEL writer David - Wishart found out first- hand that the Star Clipper is not your typi- cal cruise ship. The 336 ft. (102 m) streamlined steel ship built in Belgium gives 170 pas- sengers a true taste of life on a clipper. Photo David Wishan T rolled over and looked for the deck steward, but instead found myself looking into the steely eyes of the captain. “All hands to the lines. Let’s get the sails up,” he barked. Moments later I was in a chain of 20 passengers heav- ing on a rope that snaked 200 feet up the foremast and pulled the triangular staysail into place. “Up with the outer job,” called the, captain ro the crew, this time the paid hands. Whew. _ rater “She’s like'a racehorse,” the captain said to me, “just raring to go.” Several more sails went up, then ir was time. “Anchor up. Hard a-p The wind filled the the staysuit above my head cracked into place, and Srar Clipper was rt As you will hav Nothing but sm + largest and fastest tall ships in the world — 336 feet (102 m) of streamlined steci built in Belgium to give 170 passengers a taste of life on a clipper. . You've seen the Cutty Sark in, London? Or read:y: about the Cape Horners like . Sea Witch that took‘on: 109. mph winds and seas 80 ft." high? so : pedigree, of iron men and wooden ships, but with some concessions to the pre- sent, stich as an extra top-sail thruster. The hot water never ran out, nor did the ice cubes And unlike some sailing ships where the acconnmoda- oth sailing Well that’s Star Clipper’s: tion is spartan, Star Clipter has comfortable cabins with air-conditioning and good bathrooms. Passengers ranged from honeymoon couples who missed breakfast to old salts who stayed up half the night watching the sensuous curve of the sails in the moonlight, listening tc the creaking of the rigging and perhaps thinking about other ships that had passed this way: Spanish gallcons, pirate ships and slavers. We boarded at Bridgetown, Barbados, for a weck’s trip to Martinique, Dominica, St Lucia, Bequia and back to Barbados. Alternate weeks it does the Grenadines, while Star Flyer Sailing page 26