Boat ts ee fre The North Shore News is publlshad by North Shore Free Press Ltd., Publisher Peter Speck, from 1139 Lonsdate Avenue Horth Vancouver, 8.0., V7 244 PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) 35 et +, Bee Dhaliwa! Human Resoutces Manager 985-2131 (177) is Doug Foot Comptrotter 985-2131 (133) Timothy Renzhaw Managing Editor -. Sales & Marketing Director 985-2131 (116) - “990-0511 (319) ory “I can’t wish that I was six years old again.” / 102-year-old Ada Craig, on ~~ making a wish on her 102nd birth- _ day. (From an. Oct. 13 News story.) ‘,~: Display Manager : 960-0511 (103) aao) “I don’t know why he wants to be a separatist when the _ French have been running the “ country for the last 30 years.” ~ ‘North Shore News columnist Doug Collins, on debating Bloc | Quebecois MP Pierre de Savoye on _ the issue of Quebec separation. (From an Oct.j13 News story.) (ago. “They've taken away my view of the stars by putting a street light 80 fect over my bedroom window.” |; 7 Chris Leuchte, on the intrusion of the Westview Interchange con- struction project into his home. - (Froi an Oct..16 News story.) : i 000 Srna rae df . “It is hard for me to explain ‘to parents: this is a ballet school, it is not’a playground.” Ballet schoo operator Elen Gurguiev, on the frustrations of teaching children ballet. (From an Oct. 16 News Life story.) Q00 AAV Beg begat! o esti ¥ _ Diaglay & Real Estate Fax: . ‘Claasified, Accorstiag - ' & Mein Office Fax Michael Bocker-Hews Editer - oa 985-2131 (194) . . Andee McCradie-Sports/Camnnmity Editor . $36-2131 (147) LETTERS TO THE EDrroR Letters must include your name, tull address & telephone number. VIA Internet: trenshaw @ direct.ca - COMPUTER BBS - 980-8027 both failed Spanish in Grade 11. That’s why we failed Spanish ‘il — because we met.” wd Wee yl SS | “We met in Spanish class. We . wie Arp odst instant meals | and rare Kim Elton, on meeting, his future wife at Hillside school in West Vancouver and its impact on their language arts. (From an Oct. 18 News story.) oo00 “I think everybody lost on this one. Yes, United lost, but this is a major loss for the district taxpayers. No fishing pier, no waterfront access, no amenity - . building.” United Properties vice-president Roger Moors, on the latest rejec- tion of his company’s proposed res- idential development adjacent to Cates Park in North Vancouver * District. (From an Oct. 18 News y Story.) ‘ O09 / f “Ah yes, Do not worry’, my friend, Les Canadiens are immcr- tal. ‘ Bloc Quebecois MP Pierre de Savoye, on the fate of the famed Montreal Canadiens hockey team in the event of Quebee’s separation - from Canada. (From an Oct. 18 News story.) f gon ’ “Enough of this multicultural bull.” ; Unidentified elderly gent at the Oct. 16 town hall mecting orga- rized by MP Ted White on Quebec separation. (From an Oct. 18 News story.) JUST once every 20 years colum- nists are traditionally allowed 600 words devoted to confession and repentance, The confession part i easy. ; If my 2,423 columns and 1.5 million words in this space since the falt of 1976 « have taught me anything, it is that we columnists have a fot in common with the ar convenience foods section of your supermarket. — offering a wide selec tion of instant mental meals guaranteed to contain.no more than-300 “intelectual calories. With more and more people finding less and less time nowadays for, either leisurely cooking or leisurely thinking, big new markets have opened up for vendors of solutions to both problems — the Krafts; the. Swansons, the McCains and your faithful page so-and-so pundits.” The fatter come in two flavors. The smart ones are the experts who: stick rigidly to their one specialty — money, food,’ fishing: shopping,” cars, travel, health, love, you-name-it. re With the advantage of actually knowing whar they're writing’about; they enjoy a loyal, unquestioning audience every time they fire up. their! _ word processors, which they are seldom required to do more than.on a week, . a They are the constant envy of us less fortunate scribes who are experts in nothing. Worse still, many of us risk exposure of that:fa two or three times a week instead of just once. | = ‘ As jacks. of-all-trad-s, we are left.to grab whatever: political; ic and social topics the daily headlines-throw at us, figure out in. five minutes what they’re all about, garnish the result-with 600 to 700: _ Words of instant wisdom — and pray that our-readers have: ories. h an Nevertheless, 20 years of such dangerous living in'the pages: North Shore News have very definitely had their. upside, thank small measure te: publisher Peter Speck, who carned my lasting and admiration during 12 of those years as his editor-i Peter interprets “free press” quite literally. For him; the i pages are the birthright of everyone — editorialists, columnists ‘a readers -~- with something to get off their chests, provided only that they don’t send the libel insurance premiums into orbit. oer As‘a result, he has faced down over-the years doztas of pressure groups bent’on stifling all views but their own — whether by‘hau iB. the News before the Press Council, trying (always fruitlessly) to: black: mail its advertisers or setting the “Human, Rights” hounds on ‘Doug’ Collins. Never once has he flinched or faltered, let alone thrown’ his’ . editors or writers to the wolves. * us Today, publishers with guts of that quality are‘a' vanishing Canada. Peter, who includes Section 2 of the Charter of Righ nightly prayers, is one of the very.few who still remain, », The repentance part of this confessional column is‘mo ¢ Despite the many perils of the columnist’s trade; we who 'p' wouldn’t dream of switching to any other, even if we had what it'tak for honest, sweat-of-the-brow labor. = 008 7 To incurably curious word-addicts, who still need ‘three meals‘a day" scribbling beats working every time! a ares Which seems a good point at which to say au ‘revoir as depart on vacation for the next three weeks: Talk with you again Nov, 13). 3.0 Loe A QaQ.. ae WRIGHT OR WRONG: Those who can, do; those who can’t; teac — The North Shore News believes strongly in freedoms of speech and the right of all sides in a debate io be heard. The columnists published in the News present differing points of view, but those views are not necessarily : those of the newspaper itself. Qo Pak PURO RANA EA ACESS HON WN AB SR TRALEE A ASIN LOA WP ARDY LIRR. RD NOMA BO RRA IOIT eR NATO Slates MR Ata eer: anana Sunday =| Paragraph 111 of the Bacee Tax Act, is published each ‘Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Froe Press Ltd. and distributed to every door on the Neth Shay. Canada Rea ‘Canadian Pubtxations Mail Sales Product Agroument No, 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) Entire contents © 1996 North Shore oc Free Press Ud, & ise) HE Bananas are ripening again. The acronym for members of the Build Absolutely | Nothing Anywhere Near Anything contingent is: alive and well on the North Shore. Its most recent flowering is in North Vancouver City, where some residents and field events on the North Shore so that. local students don’t have to face the ridiculous situation of having to travel to Coquitlam to stage North Shore elementary and high school track meets, A better facility for ali of the above and more would surely be ushered in with applause from ail quarters, right thinking folk might think. But this has become the Banana Belt. Developments, improvements and. just about any change at all upsets applecarts at every residential corner: -Mahon-area Bananas already claim fp haves petition with 300,names,on i, LESTE ASPIRE EERE EL EEG opposing the track improvements... This even though ‘the! park ‘already has a track and had one when most. of those residents moved into the aréa: An‘ improved facility would be benefit not enly North Vancouver City athletes b athletes all over the. North Shore Though ..it_ is.one-.of the Lower Mainland’s richest per capita-areas, the North Shore has no: track “and ‘field facility suitable for hosting any . track event above the calibre of an ele tary school sports day. °°? That’s more than. indicative . of. a