8 - Sunday, May 26, 1985 - North Shore News get this straight by Doug Collins Not only in B.C. five employees and eight students, and another [irene if you can, a school district that has one that has two employees and six students. It would be wonderful if we could report that these phenomena belonged to B.C., because it is well known that we are the nut capital of Canada. Alas, it is the neighboring State of Washington that displays them. But not for long. A few days ago, State Governor Booth Gardner signed a special bill designed to eliminate these twin idiosyn- crasies. Nevertheless, the case has a bearing on B.C, This fascinating item = Wiking muh PARTIC atom would remain unknown to me — and to you too, no doubt — if a North Van- couver chap by the name of Bengt Lindstrom hadn't sent me a couple of pages from The Seattle Times in which the whole thing is explained. The communities in ques- tions are Lester and Hazelmere. And in both, it seems, the schools are the only surviving industries. As long as the schools survived, so would the towns, such as they are. But finally the politicians got up enough backbone halt. Lester School District is the one with five employees and eight students. To add to the hilarity, the town su- perintendent's wife teaches in the school, and of the eight students, two are her own kids, The per pupil expenditure for Lester School is about $24,000 a year, compared with a statewide average of $2,536. Gosh, even B.C, can't better that one, The local inhabitants are crying foul, naturally. They say the plan to close the school is all a plot. At the centre of the plot, they say, is the Tacoma Water Divi- to cry PORTICIPACTION ) © Key Wednesday May 29 Largest Closet sion, which wants no resi- dents in its watershed, So in addition to crying foul the residents are raising hell (if you don't mind a mixed metaphor), The town superintendent's son, Matt, is the entire third grade. His daughter Debby is the entire fourth grade David Burton, son of the school handyman, is the en- tire eighth grade. Talk about people taking in one another's vaushing! Such interdependence hasn't been since taxes were in- vented. Over in Hazelmere School District — the one that has two employees and six stu- dents — they feel equally vigorous about their fate. They don't like being linked with Lester. Hazelmere, they say, has growth possibilities. Maybe they could get sis employees and twostudents? The story is a clear demonstration of how there's no limit to the way people will take advantage of other people — if they can vet away with it. And let's not be smug. You and J would do the same thing — if \.¢ were in the same situa- tion and were allowed lo. The other point to this story was put by Mr. Lind- strom in his letter to me: “A burdened taxpayer in good standing — as far as generous contributions to all levels of government are concerned, | cannot help but muse about the possibility for ‘*Lesters’? in our pro- vince. Surely, Victoria is making honorable efforts to control expenditurers, but it is not immune from pork barrelling."' If anyone knows of any Lesters in B.C., give me a call. But somehow | don’t think we've progressed that far. Not yet. Mind you, if the BCTF had its way, there’d be a Lester at every Street corner. Bo! USS _ Ae H. an Sok os CONSISTENTLY HIGH QUALITY AT REASONABLE RATES REYNO OLDS Gabinet Shop 1300 Lloyd Ave., N. Van. 985- 9527 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:30-5, Sat. 10-4 The Butler..... $104 Cash & Carry Fits up to 52” §119% > Cash & Carry Fits up to 88” Cash & Carry Fits up to 72” The Closet Butler fits most sizes of | closets. Material available from custom sizes. Marne DOr Aeynolds rot Cabinets Company “Announces