referendum hit

By lan Noble

News Reporter

A ratepayer’s group
representative is calling
a $2-miilion high-tech
referendum for North
Vancouver schoo! dis-
trict undemocratic.

Otto Werzlmayr, the trea-
surer of the North Lonsdale
Ratepayers Association, said
he can’t vote in the election
because he won’t be in town
April 19, the day of the refer-
endum.

But he'll still be expected
to pay for computers, soit-
ware, peripherals and teacher
training the money is car-
marked for if the referendum
is approved.

He believes the schoo! dis-
trict is trying to target its cam-
paign at support groups such
as parent associations to get
them out to vote.

“They are not going to try
to reach out to the ‘majority of
the community ....” he said.

“They are playing on apa-
thy, as all politicians do. I
think this is really a scam.”

Wetalmayr organized an
information meeting between
the Federation of North
Vancouver: Community
Associations and school
board representatives recently

But he said it was diffi
to get the school district rep

Sav ING Y OU
“? MONEYS:

© SINCE.

—
BEDDING

IORIZED DEALER FOR

I 94 9.

SIMMONS

© Mattresses, Box Springs
& Bed Frames
® Sofa Beds & Roll Away Cots
© Quilts, Pillows & Pads
© Most sizes in stock for
immediate delivery

© Ask about our FREE delivery,
set up and old bed

“CHECK US OUT
v HUGE SELECTION
v LOW WAREHOUSE
PRICES

COLONY

HOME FURNISHINGS

J 1075 Roosevelt Crescent
North Vancouver
(2 blocks behind Avalon Hotel)
Open Daily Fri. 9-9; Sun 12-4

Te

| 985-8738.

Ratepayer
Calls process
‘a scam’

resentatives out to the meet-
ing.

Corrie Kost of North
Vancouver also said the reter-
endum will be largely deter-
mined by self-interest groups.

She said plans to limit the
vote to seven school locations
instead of the 19 used in
municipal clections and not
allowing advanced polling
may disenfranchise the less
mobiie and elderly people in
North Vancouver District aad
City.

“Ignorance and accessibili-
ty are the enemies here,” she
said, noting the $2-million
will still leave the board short
of its Victoria-prescribed goals
of a computer to pupil ratio of
one to three in secondary
schools and one to six in ele-
mentary schools.

Meeting those goals will
cost an estimated $11 million.

But school board chairman
Guy —_ Heywood called
Werzlmayr’s charge thar he

had a difficult time getting
schoo! board representatives
to his meeting ridiculcus. He
said accusations that his board
is gearing its campaign to sup-
port groups nonsense.

Werzlmayr’s mecting was
scheduled during spring

break. Many irustees who
were away weren’t able to
attend. Heywood added
school board assistant superin-
tendent Paul Killeen and
trustee Doug MacKay-Dunn
attended the meeting.

The School Act requires
that the school buard place
two ads regarding the referen-
dum, which the board svill do,
he said.

Heywood added, however,
thar the board will not spend a
lot of cash on an ad campaign,
because it does not have the
money to do so.

A public meeting on the
issue will be held this
Thursday at Carson Graham
secondary at 7:30 p.m.

Heywood said the School
Act makes no provision for a:
advance poll and there won't
be one. “Our lawyers say you
don’t want to do anything
outside of the strict letter of
the act because you don’t
want to he questioned.”

Assistant superintendent
Paul Killeen said the board
will be making approximately
25 presentations on the refer-
endum, with 22 of them at
schools and mainiy to parent
advisory groups.

If approved, the $2-mil-
fion tab will cost the average
North Vancouver homeowner
approximately $54. For every
$10,000 in assessed value, the
homeowner will be billed
$1.76.

START A HOME BASED BUSINESS

De financtally independent fie us. We need
Sapanese, Korean, Persian, S American,

Engish, SAfrican, SE Asian

ard Coropean speaiing people.

P/T, F/T Home/Office. We train.
SHARON or AZ ANSARI P. Eng.

(604)251-3144

ke —— EEE EEE Te ee

JMRRAPIDIUBE 2
!

DRSVE-THRU Oll CHANGE PROFESSIONALS
| No appointment necessery

LUBE OIL & FILTEF

r Most cors & pick ops, Plus taxes & suviro ievy

includes 21 po

at safely inspectio:

a FREE FLUID TOP-UP-.

Up ta one litre

i Engine coolant © Windshield washer fluid « Power
i ering fluid © Transmission fluld « Brake fluid

JLONSDALE & 13TH

Champagne smash

PREMIER Glen Clark and Employment and investment Minister Dan Miller watch
ag Gayle Ballard dispases of a bottle of bubbly to commission B.C. Ferries’ first
Century Ciass commuter ferry, the MV Skeena Queen. The ship was commis-
stoned on Saturday at Allled Shipbuilders in North Vancouver.

397

nedates: sel feo

Part of the Provincial

267 €. ist. &.¥an
Road Safety Program. 4

N
Nan. 1-6 Sata Soa G44

Ranunculus

colour for early spring
. 4
regular" Peach

4" pot 3 for $5 2?

Veronica
“Patty’s Purple”

covered in clusters

of blue flowers.

$ 99
23 cm pot only 19 « each

Be our guest every Saturday in April
This Saturday, April 12th, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm:
Greenleaf Garden Supplies
When? How Much? and How Often?

If it’s about fertilizer, Al Gili has the answers!

Vandusen Master Gardeners:
" every Saturday and Sunday in April.

Cheality. Stlection g Spence

OPEN
Monday to Saturday
9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday to 7:00 pm

OPEN
Sunday
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

WEST-VAN:-FLORIST

& GARDEN CENTRE
1821 Marine Drive, West Vancouver © Tel: 922-4171 » 922-3968 Fax: 922-9735