1 PRoger Uppare Coupon Clipper p43 freplaccrnent of the conerete slabs Stank Park © asc STARS ant JULY 14, 2000 SS Auto = Bright Lights Crossword Lautens Mercer __& Talking Personats s¢ Personals see 34 Hots Pathe ston Corgan Puminnns Here: Seed 1138 Lonsdaie Ave faoytt Vancouve BC WIV Dis Caradar Pupiitcrs Mat Sates Prutact Agewtet i) 06623 Check classifieds for the best coupon savings Damian George’s Cates Park vision sy on the eyes This Week p22 The Voice of North and West Vancouver since 1969 www nsnews. com _ pe FREE NEWS photo .lulie Iverson Fine form NIKE Charlie of Chehalis stroked to the finish line July 8 during the Whey-Ah-Wichen canoe festi- val at Cates Park. Charlie competed in the women’s singles canoe race. est Van aris centre posed Residents reject school site option Keith Lowe Contributing Writer CITING an “absence of trust” over a proposal to locate the West Vancouver Arts Centre on school board property, trustee Clive Bird has accused some area residents of trying to kill the project without even knowing the facts. “The level of their opposition, in my view, is ficited by (an) absence knowledge,” said Bird, in a telephone interview, Wednesday. “There's a number of issues that haven't been addressed... They want answers now . - but we don't have ansv for them yet.” Bird's comments were in response to a vocal group of approximately 30 a residents who attended a meeting at the West Vancouver School Board office ‘night, some of whom have already been circulating petitions to stop the project. While Bird said he had anticipated the group's negative response, he med to be “deeply disappointed” with the intensity of their reaction against placing the centre on-site at West Vancouver secondary school. “Ed hoped people would have a more calm and reasoned response,” he said. “IT guess for their ow n political reasons, they want to scuttle the thing, re it at the outset t." its mandate by offering to oles Centre Trust (WVACT), stating the project was “absolutely” part of the board’s mandate. this is a teaching facility,” Bird said of the proposed centre. “It’s not just a free-standing theatre. We're talking about . . . an academy. Te’s acen- tre for learning fine arts, it’s sort of a mini-unive ersity.” The centre has been dogged by controversy since it was first proposed two years ago — even before the ‘school board’s involvement. Alternative sites had been proposed at different locations on Marine Drive and in Ambleside Park, but each was rejected based on a number of different com- plaints or objections from special interest groups and area residents. In its latest incarnation, the arts centre would occupy an area of land at the school's south campus in the 1700-block of Inglewood Avenue. The design of the project, planned as a series of small buildings forming an artist’s village, would include: a 250-350 seat theatre; smaller theatre; recital hall; art gallery; and classrooms. WVACT would partner with the board, leasing the land for a nominal fee. The beard, in turn, would be able to acress the centre’s ities and instruction and would be given input into the design of the facilitie: WVACT has stated the estimated $12-$15 million bill will be paid by pri- vate donations and endowments and will not be paid by taxpayers. See Ree Centre page Stedling 1002-A “Grand Café 3500 5 Piece Coleman Powerhouse 7 CAST ‘PATIO su TE BARBECUE € BARBECUE. TABLE & CHAIR GAS 48" gloss top table, Propone model with F Propene with side burner. “ SET ; ; LANTERN le 4 rose choirs in cost 35,000 BTUs & “pe Comes in bur vig. ohiminum. stoinfess steel burner, eles Only 4 in ste us 150021 SKU#S421099 $K#249927 915 West: ist St., NV Van > {behind Capilano Mail) 985-3000 t www. homebuilders reg $1,299.99 reg $189.99 reg $2,499.99 5 607 blue resin. = Colemnan’s mest Pioble & 4 choirs. | skus9310-499 fi reg $249.99 _.