oe . the erald Serving Terrace, Kitimat, the Hazeltons, Stewart and the Nass \_ VOLUME 71 NO. 133 Price: 20 cents THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1977 rr tep ee perm oe ee, TEGLGLATIVE Ulla SETAMEN Vicicitia, VEV-1s4 aos WEATHER Rain, at itmes heavy, except in the morning, when it will be wet snow. Overnight low around zero, highs Thursday 2-4 degrees. School board Terrace politics. pie which copped ‘opics which cro u ty of education a the ds Romilly Lorna Romilly’ believes that ents. and teachers should get together more often to ‘work co-operative) rather than: treating ea other as adversaries... “Parents don't usually get involyed (in schools) until their kid‘s in trouble,”’ she said, “and that’s too late.” Romilly thinks the schcol board should set up a parents’ advisory com- mittee to give parents an avenue through which they can participate in their children’s education and make recommendations for their schools. There should also be more communication from the board to the public, Romilly said, as well. as better communication between board members as far as committee minutes go. Students come first in Romilly’s opinion. She’s after quality education and accepts the concept of core curriculum, aan Three candid &, By Donna Vallieres - . Herald Staff Writer Two school board seats are up for grabs in the Terrace district and three contenders are vying for the positions, - Two are incumbant trustees, Jack Cook and Elaine Johnson, and the third is Lorna Romilly, a newcomer to : We unfortunately were unable to speak with Jack Cook, a oe store manager, bacause a convenient time for an interview My le, could not be arranged, but we did speak with Johnson, a homemaker, and Romilly, a director at Osbourne Guest in both discussions were the trict and what taxpayers could expect in terms in increases, - enrichment programs such as extra-physical education, French, drama and music. “There’s not much you can'do about it now,” she said of the core curriculum requirements set down by the Department of Education, ‘‘But just because it’s there we Shouldn't do away with other things.” French especially is an important subject for children tolearn at an ealry age, Romilly said, when _ youngsters find it more enjoyable and it’s easier to learn. oo * “You throw French at ‘kids in juntor high and they hate it,’” she said. Children with learnin disabilities are another o: Romilly’s . concerns, _ believing that children should have equal learning opportunities. - ften learning disabilities are not recognized in young children and even when they are there isn’t always room in existing programs to deal with the child’s special Director of the Osbourne Guest Home, Lorna Romilly says the school orad should set up an advisory committee of problem. Romilly, director of Osbourne quest home, said there should be school psychologists and special courses for teachers so the schools can effectively deal with learning problems. Alternate schools are. another way to offer equal education to alls tudents, ates for two spots ' HY, COUP. 77/78 tore ober: Swear nits rol 2 A aan a, an SR 8, In observation of Rememberance Day, the Herald. will not publish a paper Friday. f “T think it’s important to oifer an alternative not only if (the students) are disruptive, but if they have learning problems,’’ she said, All of this does not mean there has to be more money raised through school taxes, Romilly stressed. “There could be more control of where the money ‘parents so they can participate in their children’s education and co-operate rather than fight the schoolboard. is spent,” she said, adding that students should get “the best education possible with the money available.” However, Romilly said taxpayers may have to face continuing high. education costs to maintain the quality of education. “If you want good education you may have to pay for it,’ she said. but not at the expense of NANAIMO, B.C. (CP) ~~ A jpadlock from a storage tank valve was found in the possession of a Vancouver Yukon. “Indians ask for money WHITEHORSE, Yukon (CP) —.The Council for Yukon Indians said. Wed- nesday it has proposed that the fereral government give Yukon Indians a grant to mitigate the effects of the Alaska Highway pipeline. The council said in a news release that land claims negotiations and the pipeline were discussed at a meeting Tuesday with Hugh ’ Faulkner, minister of Indian Affairs and Northern ‘Development. The council said that while it was agreed it would ‘be unrealistic to place a time limit on settlement, - CY] chairman . Daniel Johnson said the council would like to see the claims settled before the pipeline is _ built. CYI said Faulkner reacted favorably to its suggestion Yukon Indians receive a $50 million pipeline impact grant. ‘aulkner said he sup- rted the idea of Yukon - dian representation on a ipelne regulatory agency But added that no guaran- tees could be made asthe decision does not rest with his department, the council sald. toe Flaming man carried _. padlock from valve — man who died as a result of burns suffered in a bulk oil plant fire Sept. 7, a coroner’s inquest was told Wednesday. Coroner Dr. Michael Smart-was told the. broken padiock was found in’ the pocket of Ian Michael . Tychonick, 28, after he was taken fo Vancouver General _, Hospital with severe burns. Volunteer fireman Barne Moriez, 60, died in the mutti- million dollar early- morning blaze at bulk plants wnedby Shell Canada Ltd. and Chevron, Chemical (Canada) Ltd., in an oil-tank farm on the Nanaimo watertront. 5 . Tychonick died Oct. 20 in Vancouver from blood in- fection and pneumonia, complications which resulted from the burns he suffered to 70 per cent of his body. He had been charged with arson and man- slaughter. The padlock, which was. ‘its serial rush’ identified b number, was found by Anne taley, head nurse at the hospital’s burn unit, as she checked Tychonick’s belongings on admission: to hospital.: -Harlier, Nanaimo RCMP» Constable Bob Mollet and civilian ‘Steve Wilson testified. they pulled Tychonick from the com- pound shortly after the fire jury he was driving past the plant at about 4:20 a.m. when he saw flames. He said he parked his cruiser and ap roached ferry worker ilaon, who was watchin, the fire, when a man wit his clothes smoldering ran from the. direction the. flames to the wire fence surrounding the compound, He and Wilson jumped the fence and dragged the man, later: identified _ as Tychonick, out through a. hole they kicked in a wooden part.of the fence. © “LT asked him what he was doing in there and he said he had seen flames and gone in,” said Mollet. Tychonick was taken to . Nanaimo Regional Hospital and Jater transferred to Vancouver. ; Vancouver police Con- stable Stuart Wolfenden told the jury he interviewed Tychonick in Vancouver Sept. 17. ’ FEELING ANGRY Tychonick told him he was feeling angry that night and had gone for a walk past the compound, Wolfenden testified that Tychonick said the com: und wasn’t burning when entered, and he had been attracted by the sound of ing water. “Tt wasn’t burning when I went. in,” chonick: told Wolfenden. “I could hear it. Like rushing water. That’s | what I wanted to look at.” chonick told him he noticed all the valves on the tanks were open and he thought children had beenin — there. Wolfenden said when he asked about the padlock, started. -. Tychonick said he didn’t Mollet told the five-man - know how it came to he in his et, : oriez, a volunteer fireman with the Nanimo brigade, died when a storage tank erupted as he was attempting to remove a loaded gasoline truck from the compound. The inquest continues. “ Veteran trustee Elaine Johnston 5 schoolbnards must spend their funds as The cost of effectively as possible. Johnson After two terms on the school board Elaine Johnson can. look back over the changes in local education. Fa ays aL During the four years she has served as a trustee, - Johnson has seen the establishment and ex- pansion of career-oriented programs, alternate Romilly said. ~ ‘4 education amy be high, she sayd, but childrea are our most important resource. education, French courses and a drop in the pupil- teacher ratio. . “School boards are very important,”’ she said. ‘‘It's important to have some $11 millién: budget, 80 per es. control of education on the local level.” Johnson does disagree. with the contention that. school boards have much power over the school system. Although there is an « cént of this goes to sal . But, she admitted, school boards do have control over the district curriculum. . “That's where the power and importance lies,” Johnson said. _ Concerning core curriculum, Johnson stated she felt the “exercise was very valuable” bacause it involved parents in discussions about what their children were learning in school, She agrees with the concept of core curriculum. Johnson said, ‘‘but I don’t like the term back to basics. Idon’t know what the basics are.” ; Instead -the curriculum should meet the needs of the students. . “F think the taxpayer is burdened already,” Johnson said while speaking of the cost of education. board has got to spend as effectively as possible.” ‘‘Kducation has become . very expensive,” she said, and the burden rests on the taxpayer. “But we're working with our most “The important resource in the country. “It's going to cost us money, but we're trying to be effective in spending.” Johnson spoke highly of school district 98, stating that the ‘schools,~ teaching staff and administration are all doing the job. . When asked about the aliernate education systerh, Johnson explained that th® ~ system in Terrace has been reevaluated a number of times and has undergone several changes: ."Some people are very upset’’ because it has changed from a separate facility, Johnson explained, but stated that the board is now trying to integrate the students into the classrooms with the help fo support staff. Johnson is also concerned with French programe . which are now in existance at elementary schools in Thornhill and «Clarence Michael. A committee has been set up to look at the programs within ‘the istrict, Johnson said she is | leased that the board is inally setting up objectives and goals for the future. She promised to “try and work hard as a trustee...and give as much as possible.”’ RCMP in the habit of opening private mail OTTAWA (CF) — Post- master General Jean- Jacques Blais Wednesday ordered an investigation into a CBC television report that the RCMP has been opening first class mail for 10 years. The CBC report says the opening of domestic and foreign mail began in the 1960s and continued in 1976 BCE hearings under an operation code- named Cathedral. The report says the operation was ordered by divisional heads within the RCMP security service and engineered by the sources section of the federal forse, which maintains agents an informants in government departments’ Including the ' post office. -complic for 9 Maureen Boyd, press secretary to Blais, said in an interview that no one can legally intercept and open ~ first-class mail in Canada. “The post office is not in ty with the RCMP ’ g mail,” Boyd said. "We're saying we have no knowledge of that.” Fed. grant was in jeopardy VANCOUVER (CP) — The former New Democratic Party govern- ment proceeded with. the financially disastrous Dease Lake extension of the British Columbia Railway in tha belief that it would lose a $117 million federal government grant if it did not, the royal commission inquiry into the railway was told Tuesday. The railway felt that it was agreement with Ottawa lock: into an | which would provide fun- for the extension, said Mac Norris railway vice- president. The evidence was given as the commission continued its probe of the politicall motivated decisions whic - caused a series of govern-' ments to pour money into the extension: despite overruns of more than 300 per cent. ; Norris teld the com- mission Friday that the government of former premier Dave Barrett was warned at least twice during 1975 that the extension was running far over budget, but pressed on. with the ex- tension, as did the current Social Credit government of Bill Bennett, The extension was not halted until April of this year, when the federal government promised $91 million—on the condition that the work stop. Anyone caught opening mail, or handing it to the RCMP te be opened, is liable under Section 43 of the Post Office Act to penalties of up to three years in prison, a $3,000 fine, or both. It would be ‘‘clearly illegal’’ under Section 43 for a postal employee or anyone else to even delay a first- class letter, she said. SAID HAS PROOF Lloyd Crouse (PC—South Shore) told reporters Wednesday he has proof'the RCMP had opened a letter sent him Jast August from St. Thomas, Ont. The letter had been opened when Crouse received it and bore the stamp of the RCMP technical unit. Mr. Justice David C. McDonald, chairman of a royal commission set up in July to look into the extent of illegal RCMP activity, said in an interview he has asked the commission counsel to shee “launch inquiries" about the CBC report. Blais said ii uppeared a letter addressed to Crouse as a member of Parliament had been misdirected to Government House, where . suspicious RCMP had it run through a fluoroscope to ensure it was nol dangerous. Conservative MP Steve Paproski (Edmohton Centre) also complained in the Commons Wednesday that he had received a letter last August stamped '‘In- spected by RCMP technical unit, Safe to handle.” Paproski said he found the RC “safe to handle” stamp on a letter he received Aug. 18. It was a bill to his executive assistant for flowers gent t: the wife of Gerald Baldwi:: (PC— Peace River). Paproski said he did not raise the matter earlier because he wanted to see whether other MPs had had the same experience.