ja Editor's Notes *** Welcome to autumn. f hope that we all had a good summer, short chough it was. It must be the rain drumming on the windows chat creates a certain melancholy wichin me. And, letening eo CBC this week, it is impossible to escape the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. There is a morbid fascination oo it all, but [can say noching that will not already have been said a thousand times. | do wonder if she liked pots! The palaces of royalty are probably somewhat short on stoneware of earthenware, | imagine them filled with the best that Europe's great porcelain producers had to offer. Cinner sets thar are carefully washed in special rubber-lined sinks to avoid breakage. Ornate gigantic vessels, every piece of surface covered with gilded pastoral scemes. Not to my taste, but there is a certain guilty pleasure to be found in the sheer, frenetic decorativeness of it all. *=*) had an interesting summer chat included an operation with lots of stitches, becoming an aunt and a complete change in my studio partners. The operation prevented me from making any pors for a couple of months. This sounds like more of a hardship than it actually was, becouse | hadn't made anything for a few months prior. Perversely, being physically incapable of claywork made me desperately s [he Newsletter is published 10 times yearly as an informacion link for members. Submissions of articles, letters and « anything else of interest are happily received and should be submitted by the 2nd Wednesday of any month. Unclassifieds and want to de it. Last week | was able to go into my studio and throw some plates for the guild fund-raiser. [ hod forgotten how much fur it is to gee muddy! **4 Now, | ory hard to at lease introduce a clay reference ines these notes. So | must warn you that what follows has mocrhing to do with clay. You may have heard that Vancouver police are running a “Shame the Johns” campaign in a poor area of che city thac is primarily residential and also contains a couple of schools. Young girls are regularly harassed by men whe have come seeking prostitutes. A fireman who approached an undercover police officer and offered her money for a sex act is now suing the police force for defamation of character after they published his name as part of the “Shame the Johns" campaign. He managed to convince a judge that he was not guilty of soliciting and was only playing a joke. Do pou think his wife and young children found tt an amusing jest! [fhe does possess che community values that his lawyer talked so eloquently about in court (his good guy profession, che aforementioned faruly, etc.) ther he should be thanking the police for trying to provide a safe environment for young children and families like his own. We may noc have laws againse stupidicy, bur we do have laws against solicitation for sexual purposes which he should have respected. | fear we in Canada are becoming infected with ¢he American * articles may be edited for space needs. The fax number is 604/669 - 5627. = « Edicor: Karen Opas General Manager: Jane Matthews : Gallery Assistants: Julia Maika, Christina Loch, Melanie Corbin, Monica Beisson-Arce a » 1997 Membership Fees (Based on Calendar Year); ®* Individual: 540 , seniors/Full time Students: $25 « [naticutions! Groups | Corporations: 340 * Family or Studio (max, 4 persons): $55 Frank Ture, Full Page: $130 L/4 Page: 540 Unclassified Rates (not including GST) Members; FREE Nonmermbers: 3 lines $8 each additional line: 52 Board of Directors: President: Linda Doherty; Vice President: Gillian McMillan; Treasurer: Janet Turpin; Secretary: June * Macdonald; Directors: John Cloutier, Les Crimp, Fay Hickey, Deborah Sloane, Deborah Tibbel, Ron Vallis, Laura van der Linde, Email: bepguild@intouch.be.ca Editorial Board: Tam Irving, Gillian McMillan, Carol Mayer Advertising Rates (not including GST): page 9 disease of frivolous litigation. Whenever | think wheut thar woman who was awarded more than a million dollars for burning herself with a cup of McDonald coffee | shudder. I want my coffee to be hot enough to seald my tongue at the first sip! [want to rend the paper for twenty minutes and scill have my java be more than lukewarm. | see a dreary future of eternally tepid teu and coffee, to save us from our own potential clumsiness. The ultimarely logical conclusion of this atticude comes when we spend our entire lives lying on a soft floor, ( no beds, as we might fall our and injure ourselves) eating pulpy, room- temperiture mush thar won't break our teeth or burn us, And forger about clay [cis dangerous stuff! You can breathe it and sear your lungs. You might slip on it and break a leg, “Whar if you drop a fired piece and cur yourself cleaning up the shards. And we won't even go into the hazards of glaze making. You can read all aboue chat in Potter Beware... ***On a more positive mote, | had a grear time at Walter Dexter and Cathi Jefferson's operungs. They were both on a Thursday night on Granville [sland and, in very different ways, reminded me of all that is best in clay. Cathi's show at Circle Craft and Walter’s show here ac the Gallery, are up till the end of September. Karen Opas Potter’s Guild of B.C. Newsletter Website: http:!www.cwin.com/chome’redhen/Pguild L/2 page: $65 Business Card Size $25