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6 - Sunday, June 23, 1985 - North Shure News

Editorial Page

Our watchdog

Te drafters of B.C.’s Ombudsman Act
aimed to make the appcintment ‘‘nor-
political’ by insisting on an unanimous
decision by the inter-party selection commit-
tee. They were more than a little naive.

The choice of a successor to Kart Fried-
mann, whose term expires June 30, has
become as highly politicized as any issue on
the Legisiature's agenda and now seems
deadjocked to the very real detriment of the
public interest. °

The Socreds who dominate the committee
are determined to rid themselves of Mr.
Friedmann, who has done his watchdog job
of battling red tape on behalf of frustrated
or wronged citizens far too well for the gov-
ernment’s comfort. Opposition members of
the commniittee tend to support him for a se-

-cond term (if he wants it). Since there’s

presently no chance of unanimity, the Socred
committee chairman Jehn Parks plans to
solicit Canada-wide applications for the job
and proposes, during that lengthy process, to
appoint an acting ombudsman.

One name being touted for the position is
Peter Bazowski, a former top RCMP officer
and more recently a deputy minister. That
background gives hin two qualifications:
investigative experience and knowledge of
the bureaucracy. But it also means he has
spent his whole career obeying governments
-- the very last thing needed in an om-
budsman, who is the. servant of the
Legislature.

The fairest course for the public aswell as
the incumbent is to retain Mr. Friedmann as
our acting watchdog during the months it

_ may take to agree on-his successor, with the

option to re-apply himself if he wishes.

Talking HOW?

eauty may be in the eye of the beholder

but it seeras quite a few beholders will

be closing their eyes tightly as they walk
through the bent-railroad-track ‘‘sculpture’’
proposed for Lonsdale Quay’s Waterfront
park. City Alderman Ralph Hall has assured
dubious fellow council members it will’ be the
talk of the Western world — but mercifully he
‘didn’t:'expand on’ what the talkers ‘of the
Western world may be saying!

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‘north shore! “".

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—
North: Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban
newspaper and qualified under Schedule Ii, Part lil, Paragraph Ill of the
Excise Tax Act. is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by
North Stiore Free Press Ltd, and distributed to every door on the North
Shore. Second Class Mail Registration Number 3885. Entire contents
© 1985 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved.
Subscriptions, North and West Vancouver, $25. per year. Mailing rates
available on request.
No responsibility accepted Jor unsolicited material including
manuscripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped,
addressed envelope.

Member of the B.C. Press Council

fccab:, 56,245 (average, Wednesday
SUA DIVISION Friday & Sunday)

HE CRUEL SEA and

El the former towboat

and salvage captain

now living on the Sunshine

Coast are no strangers to one

another. Mariners the world

over have good reason to be
grateful for the fact.

The captain’s name is
William York Higgs of Gib-
sons. For the past 15 years,
together with a team of
North Shore marine
specialists, he’s devoted
himself to improving the
survival odds for crews of
stricken vessels by designing
such sophisticated lifesaving
equipment as radio buoys
using aircraft frequencies
and self-launching lifeboats
for fast abandonment of
sinking ships.

Along the way his work
has brought him three inter-
national nautical safety

« my a he
CAPT. WILLIAM HIGGS
+. defeating the cruel sea.

awards, special recognition
from Germany’s National
Association of Seamen and
election as a Fellow of Bri-
tain’s Nautical Institute. The
crowning accolade, however,
came this spring from the,
American Shipping Bureau,
the international ship
classification society head-
quartered in New York. For
“dedication and constructive
Participation in activities
associated with marine safe-
ty”? the ASB has bestowed
on him its prestigious
“Shep” Award -- established
in memory of Rear Admiral
Halert C. Shepheard of the
U.S. Coast Guard, known
and respected up to his death
in 1975 throughout the
world’s maritime communi-
ty.
Working closely with the
captain on his survival

ay brunch

NEWS photo Stuen Davis

“WELCOME TO THE TOP!" ... City Mayor Jack Loucks
(back to camera) inducts District Alderman Craig Clark as
1985 president of the North Van Chamber of Commerce at
the Chamber's annual general meeting Thursday. :

equipment projects have
been Alan Cumyn of West
Van, retired chairman of the
Board of Steamship Inspec-
tion in Ottawa, and naval
architect Victor Gadsby of
North Van, while the lifesav-
ing buoys were constructed
by the North Van firm of
International
Hydrodynamics Ltd. All of
which makes the Higgs con-
tributions to safety at sea
not only a triumph for their
creator but very much a
North Shore story, too.
a &

PERIPATETIC principal
Ron Brown of West Van (it
means moving from place to
place, ma'am!) is finally
calling it a day after 33 years
service in the district, 26 of
them in charge of six dif-
ferent schools -- which may
well qualify him for the
Guinness Book of Records.
Back in 1959 Ron became
the youngest principal ever
appointed in West Van when
he was assigned to
Gleneagles Elementary.
Since then he’s also served as
principal of Hollyburn,
Chartwell, West Bay,
Cypress ‘Park and, most
recently, Ridgeview, where
he started his teaching career
in 1952. Parents, friends,
fellow teachers and past and
present students launched
him affectionately into the
Golden Years at his retire-
ment reception Thursday in
the school gyrn.
e* eo ot

SAILING DINGHY and
sailboard mariners who
dream of winning the Swift-

DECADE OF DEDICATION recognized ... (l to £)
Monaleen Richards, Joyce Colley, Frances Witty and Ruth
Birch-Jones with their 10-year appreciation certificates from
the North Shore Home Support Services Society.

sure one day are invited,
meanwhile, to wet their tor-
sos July ! at West Van's
third annual Canada Day
Regatta. Trophy race starts
at ‘oon from-John Lawson
Pier to Dundarave Pier and
back, followed by a birthday
party at Hollyburn Sailing
Club. All entries free -- cal}
Jercy Kaehne (988-5314) for
details, .

sk &

GOOD GUYS DEPT, -- and
this week it’s standing room
only! Salute West Van’s Eric
Sauve, recipient of Prince
Philip’s Gold Award for ex-
cellence of achievement in
community service, a 100-
mile snowshoeing expedi-
tion, personal skills, physical
fitness and directing
children’s sport and social
programs Sentinel’s
Karen Colbow and Hillside’s
Brian Way, winners of
$10,000 Gordon Shrum
Scholarships to SFU ..
Monaleen Richards, Joyce
Colley, Frances Witty and
Ruth . Birch-Jones, honored
for their-10 years work with
the North Shore Home Sup-
port Services Society .... City
Alderman Stella Jo Dean,
presented with a Certificate
of Recognition by Premier
Bill Bennett and Tourism
Minister Claude Richmond
for her outstanding support
of Expo 86... West .Van
District. on whose behalf
Municipal Manager Terry
Lester received the
Municipal Administrators
Assn. award for the anti-
drunk driving videotape
“Pleare God, [’m only 17”

GUIDE-DOQM'S TOP AWARD ...

... West Van Cst. Colin Bur-
sill for coordinating said
project ... West Van’s Karen
Tregillas, winner of a Junior
Forest Warden Assn. bur-
Sary ... Windsor’s
Kristopher Gee, Stephen
Zorzenone and Chelsea
Gilmore whose peace movie
"20/20 Vision” took second
place pverall in the B.C.
Student Film & Video Festi-
val ... UBC architect student
Phil Gowland of North Van
on his first prize in the
Canada-wide design contest
sponsored by the Royal Ar-
chitectural Institute ... North
Van. businesswoman,
tourism booster and Cap
Collage. director Margaret
Comba, named ‘Constitu-
ent of the Year’? by the
North Van-Seymour Socreds
« North Van Girl. Guide
Nicole Shandler, decorated
with the All-Round Cord,
Guide-dom’s highest award
... And ‘congrats to North

a8

RON BROWN ... 2 prin-
cipal for the Guinness Book?

PHIL GOWLAND ...
Canada-wide. design victor.

Van’s Carol Jean Woznow
on her B.A.’ degree from

SFU. (sorry we missed you
from our earlier list, Carol).
. kk t

WRIGHT OR WRONG:
Don’t teil your friends their
faults. They’ll correct, the
faults -- and never forgive
you.

Nicole Shandler (second

from right) of North Van's 16th Guide Co. receives her
All-Round Cord, With her (1 to r) Guide Leaders Piona Ar-
cos and Heather Duncan, and Guider-in-charge Wendy Mc-

Cormick,