Dear Editor:

T am writing on behalf of
the area residents concerned
with, and directly affected by,
the new bike way being con-

~ structed by Urban
Systems/Walter & SCI in the
North Vancouver's
Moodyville Park at the cost of
$420,000 to raxpayers.
22 A delegation went before
‘North: Vancouver City
«+. Council‘on Sept 8 expressing
. Our concerns and requested a
‘stop-work order on. the pro-
ject.. Council voted 6-1 to
conmnue construction.
This bikeway has been
-fequested by the provincial

government as a safe and —
tress-free alternative for com-

imuter.”: cyclists -_ traveling
_berween . Esplanade’ and
Cotton Road; bypassing the
“Third Street hill and Low
Level road. If the city com-
pletes the project before Sept
30,-1997, the provincial gov-
mmment will contribute to the

t of construction via a

re art, less

:One. might expect that

with two organizations on the’

I cannot find as

efit..in. the dollars
at are Spent in the operating
ft
t ne nd feel there should be
radical, shift in this area.
In: 1996, : grants to -arts-
. éd groups from the com-
“mission: rotalled $76,200.
5 ot Compare this to this year’s
udget: for the Arts Alive
magazine and. TV.show which
jis-$87,100;) the overwheln-
ing’ part of ‘this budget is
caten {up by the magazine
which costs $67,100.
...1 think most artists and
‘taxpayers would disagree with
using our scant arts dollars to
churn out so much paper.
2) To top it off, much of the
subjecr*matter is mot just
about... North | Vancouver
events ‘and ‘the magazine is
not even published in B.C.
ec, Last-year the arts council
ent only a few thousand
ollars to produce its newslet-
Di
"We. don’t need two arts
newslerters.on the North
“Shore while money for. the
arts is tighter every year (nor
do we need to maintain two
separate: overheads for these
organizations as we presently
do) and if both organizations
pooled their finances to pro-
duce a newsletter with a mod-
est budget, 1 expect we could
divert some $50,000 or

{the arts cosrimis-

pihers

grant.

Our resident’s concerns
are:

@ We were not given due
public process to discuss the
projecg which seriousiy under-
mines the integrity of our
backyards which presently
border on a 100-foot cli
down to Low Level Road,
puts our neighborhood's
security at risk and threatens
the loca! wildlife.

@.We were informed by the
city on Aug. 14, 1997, that
the project was given the go-
ahead, and would commence
on Aug. 15, 1997, which it
did. These issues were of no
apparent concern to the city
councillors last Monday night.

However, the bikeway
itself is a deathtrap.

Portions of the way are less
than 10 feet from the 100
foot cliff.

_ Bear in mind that there is
no bedrock in. the area. The
escarpment consists entirely of
compact sand and organic

$60,000 back where they

belong —- spent on the arts.
One example of how this

money could be put to good

use is the “Artists in the -

Community” program which
’ was piloted last year, appar-
ently successfully, yet only
receiving a few thousand dol-
lars that was left in the yearly
budget.
Or. this money could be
put-to good use by having a
- summercarts festival similar to
West Vancouver’s Harmony
Arts Festival. oe
. I was'on the board of the
commission. until recently,

enis

soil, and has been subject to
great erosion over the years.

This bikeway is sure to
slide off the cliff this fall with
the November rains, putting
anyone on, or below the area
at risk of serious injury.

City engineer Tony Barber
has stated that only an aerial
survey was conducted.

Walter/SC1 has offered
the city to stop construction,
and to return the park to its
original state as best they can,
at no cost to the city. As much
an admission of guilt for a
poor job, as any.

Further, the bikeway has
two grades so steep four stair-
cases will have to be installed.

The residents have polled
five cyclists attracted to the
project and unanimously they
report they would not use the
path in the future.

North Vancouver City tax-
payers should be made aware
of this situation.

Michael Binkley
mbinkley@direct.ca

paper

bur lest confidence that big
enough changes can be made
from withia this group; there
needs to be a stronger voice
from the community on this
matter,

It is up to the collective
voices of artists and art
groups on the North Shors to
tell their city councillors that
it’s time for a change.

“More Art, Less Paper”
should be the motto when
the arts commission goes
lsoking for approval of its
budget for 1998.

Kathryn O'Neill
North Vancouver

/f mice and Mex

Dear Editor: —

We are writing in response
‘to your August North’ Shore
News article on the Fiesta
Mexicana.

We. would: like first. to
applaud the Fiesta Mexicana
for its fine food, congenial
atmosphere and its cleanliness
over the cight or more years
we have been the guests of
Baldo and Ricardo
Uriusastegui.

‘This restaurant cumbines
some rare elements that stand
out even in the heady world
of Vantouver dining: excellent
food, spaciousness, cleanli-
ness, exceptionally friendly
hosts and family awareness.

Not once over these years
have we had any problem with
health or sanitation-related
matters; we have had no prob-
lems at all. {don’t think the
other repgat clientele would
come back as often as they do
if there were a sanitation
problem. Mice, after all, are a
visible pest.

We do not know ail the
details of the complaint, but
on the basis of the facts you
have reported, a sumber of

other explanations seem pos.

sible. The complainant could
have brought the mouse in, or
it could have come in off the
street.

Mice are everywhere in
North Vancouver this time of
year. Surely che situation is
more ambiguous than you
imply.

We think the North Shore
News is doing its job well
when it tries to apprise North
Shore residents of potential
sanitation problems, we only
ask thar you do it fairly.

Putting this story on your

front page on the basis of one
ambiguous complaint is not
fair. This restaurant has been
with us for a long time. It is a
successful small business and
employs many young people
who nowadays need the
money. It also provides a
highly worthwhile service. We
cannot, on the basis of your
article, discontinue our appre-
ciative eating habits. We will
continue to eat at the Fiesta
Mexican and hope many oth-
ers follow our lead.

John and Laurel Whatley
North Vancouver

N P28 INTERES

hitp://www.nsnews.com or

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