Lions Ga Open Road p27 Sowa repair work vail result in sues und lane stosures Maung at Hg Sport Trac biends 23 Sce store pare 5 tor more pickup with SUV } Bright Lights Classifieds Entertainment tavlens ane wea, wg Mercer ee . g al f& Holly Cole opens : sae the du Maurier jazz 1139 Lorsaaie Avenue festival tonight Nont Vancouver 8 C VIM 2H4 a i : : , Tt ae : : ; Agen “be . Penns coe a ' ee, This Week p13 The Voice of North and West Vancouver since 1969 : Residents around schools fight ciub’s push for field lighting Deana Lancaster News Reporter Alancaster@nsnews.com BIG box retailers, pubs, BC Ferries, 24-hour conve- nience stores and overly bright signs ... They make up a partial fist of undesirables chat West Vancouver residents have stopped, or are trying to stop, at the gates. There’s no doubt that locals are capa- ble of staging a good fight when it comes to protecting what they love. But attempts by some western-arca residents to keep children trom playing soccer on school fields have parents and soccer coaches seeing r “Let's face iz, ] think we're all NIMBYs in West Vanec but there has to be a limit,” said Keith Loyd, who sits on the board of the We: ncouver Soccer Club (WVSC) and has a 16-year-old daughter who plays the gary han 1,800 children and youth signed up to play with the club last year, trict has run our of (all-weather) gravel fields that have lights for them to practise on when the season starts up again in the fall. Grass fields are reserved for games. ; “One of the ironics of this is that anybody could go out and use the fields at is time of year,” said WVSC director Ron Schaetler. “But our season doesn’t start again until the fall, when it gets dark at 5 0’ clock.” If no solution is found, the younger players will agin be forced to practise in indoor gyms — which is a totally different game, said Lloyd. District council and the West Van school board thought they had the answer by installing sports lighting, paid for by the district, at the gravel fields at West Bay elementary and Caulfeild clementary. Not so fast, said area residents. Robert Krag- Hansen's backyard backs directly onto the playing field at West Bay elementary. He said there’s already a traffic problem during the dav with par- ents dropping off and picking up kids, and worties the added noise will be intru- sive, but he’s most concemed about the lighting. “This is West Vancouver; it’s a quict, safe, non-commercial neighbourhood. We don’t want lit-up fields ny whole backyard will be lit up. It’s not some- thing | want.” Krag-Hansen said he lives in the home his parents built 35 years ago, and has a five-month-old baby who could be disturbed by the lights. “tf have empathy for the kids, but don’t let that destroy people’s sanctuari According to Coun. Victor Durman, the proposed lighting. is specifically designed for residential areas. The lights will point down and focus on the field, which minimizes “spillage” into neighbouring hones. Rigged on a timer, they will rurn off automatically ac 8:30 p.m. Durman also said the lighting would cost the district about $100,000 per field, as opposed to the $1.5 million it would cost to build a new lit all-weather artificial turf field. Loyd said only players under the age of 16 would practise on the school fields, which would reduce the number of teenage d in the area, Parents would also be encouraged to carpool to cut down on traffi But Krag-Hansen, along with the more than 100 other residents who signed form letters against the idea, ix not convinced. “They should keep the kids down at Ambleside, in the commercial area. Or why can’t they play in North Vancouver? They have lots of good fields over ” NEWS phote Mike Wakelield there.” No decision about the lighting has been made. A district commit WEST Vancouver Soccer Club players Anna McKilligan (left) and Kelsey Maszaros will be forced rently studying the proposal and is expected to bring a report before council. The to practise in a gym again this fall unfess West Vancouver's council and school district can come school board will make the final decision atier council votes on a recomendation. — up with a plan for more lit playing fields. Scotts ' . Tharmos TURE COOLER PEDESTAL BUILDER Tiaae (f £ Gee > Bhi vie FAN 3-4, bul fh 5 a a nate aces Taso : f erat yard ee | 915 West 1st St., N Van tg $19.99 reg $29.99 * 4. (behind Capilano Mall) 985-3000 | SALE isit us'at www.homebuilders.ca