Smith missing fuli
set of trustee tools

Dear Editor:

North Vancouver School
District 44 trustee Boh
Smith has demonstrated
ability in health care man-
agement and administra-
tion, Consulting firms like
KPMG have solid manage-
ment and accounting cre-
dentials that can help bal-
ance a budget. That's an
important goal. But it isn't
the only goal. And I'm not
convinced that trustee Smith
and the consultants are
qualified to deal with the
niultiple goals that students,
parents and voters care
about.

Cutting back “frills” like
performing arts programs,

r “capping” the number of
courses for high school stu-
dents are both easy to justi-
fy if the budget is al! that
matters. Unfortunately, not
all outcomes are easy to

measure in educition, And
some can’t be measured in
dollars.

The elected District. 44
trustees had their human
filings, But they also had
an impressive array of avad-
emic training, community
service and business experi-

ence, That's the kind of

broad-minded overview the
district, needs. So don't
blame Bob Smith or KPMG
if some of their recommen-
dations are nutty. For no
fault of their own, they
never had a full set of loals
to work with. Moreover, the
process was hasty, and we
have been short-funded by
the province for years.
Meanwhile, our premier
says he’s committed to edu-
cation. I must be missing
something.
Len Henriksson
North Vancouver

Dear Editor:

itis always with pleasure
and amusement that Tread
Trevor Lavtens’ columns. He
has a witty turn of phrase and
an interesting sense of irony,
however, there were a couple
of zingers in his March 15
column that must not go
unchallenged.

The first is the closest to
my heart — the Centennial
Theatre. As its manager for
the last nine years. [ can
assure Mr. Lautens that the
Centennial is not under-uti-
lized,

A quick look at the the-
atre’s March-April calendar
will dispel any doubts. [n the
1995 season 90,212 people
moved through this ouilding.

{ would say Mr. Lautens
lost his bet.’

The Centennial Theatre is
“seriously” busy. | ain tempt-
ed to brag about the coming
events but instead folks can
phone the theatre to be put on
our mailing list.

The second is Mr.

Lautens’ peculiar jump in
logic. He equates the theatre
facility with a theatre produc-
ing organization.

Then he pits local theatre
productions against the com-
petition from mega-musicals,
quality TV programs and the
alleged struggle of theatre
production in New York and
London. That is like saying a
community ice arena is not
worth having because the
Canucks are in town,

Community arts or theatre
facilities. are just that —
facilities ~- like swimming
pools, gymnasiums, ice rinks,
tennis courts, ete. They are no
more costly to build and oper-
ate than their counterparts in
sports and recreation.

Producing theatrical per-
formances is a different mat-
ter. The public attend “brave
litle local productions”
exactly because they are
excellent. They can compete
quite easily if they have an
appropriately sized, purpose-
built facility in which to strut

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The success of Deep Cove
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i applaud West Vancouver,
the mayor, Coun. Pat Boname
and district staff for looking
for creative ways to meet the
need for a small 200 seat the-
atre. Obviously so does Mr.
Lautens since he felt a twitch
of disappointment in his own
“old gnaried heart.”

I, for one, hope that those
committed to this idea do not

stop trying.

One can only continue to
dream that West Vancouver's
“angel” is joined by a heaven-
ly host of politicians and phil-
anthropists to add this “pearl”
to the string of arts facilities
across the North Shore.
Oksana Dexter, Cultural
Services Coordinator,
Centennial Theatre Centre,
North Vancouver

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