COUNCIL candidate Bruce Hill (right) hand- les a ques- tion from the floor during the council- lors’ portion of last Thurs- day's all can- didates forum. Seated bes- ide Hill are other two of the other five challengers — Jim Fraser and Tim Down. Mayor defends Jack Talstra slams critics who say he didn’t make budget cuts soon enough A FIERCE BLAST from Mayor Jack Talstra put heat into an otherwise sedate mayors’ debate when the incumbent defended the fiscal record of earlier councils. ~Talstra had been asked why the city reorganization — that chopped half a million dollars out-of the budget — wasn’t carried oul 10 years ago. : The issue was raised in last week's Standard when challenger Gordon Hull nated Talstra was in charge for the last decade, yet the major changes didn’t occur until this term. - Talstra replied that those were different years, with different circumstances and different solu- tions. Then, with an emotionally charged voice, he went on the offensive, branding such questions as an ‘‘insult’’ to past councillors. “You “are ‘saying. that the. Ruth Hallocks weren't very smart,’? he charged. ‘You are . saying that the Rick Kings, the. George Clarks, the » Bob “Coopers who came before were ‘idiots.”’ Pm saying to you that these people did the best we could under the circumstances,’’ he said. '‘We, tao, knew how to read a financial WHAT THEY SAID THEY WOULD DO m Mayor Jack Talstra would put a local commission in charge of drawing up a community “priority list” for recreation projects. @ Rich McDaniel would forgive Shames Mountain Ski Corp.'s debt to the region's taxpayers, mg David Hull would give the ACMP detachment more money to hire more of- ficers to fight the drug problem here. Jim Fraser pledged he will not support a closed door, secretive approach to “mystery retailers" who want ta came to town, “We have to balance a need for healthy growth with a sense of responsi- bility ta.the people and businesses al- ready here in Terrace.” MW Tim Down said he’s set up an Internet hame page for the city to create a new way to make the city accessible. He said it might even lead ta cost savings through reduced use of paper. @ Bruce Hil! would overhaul the city's Of- ficial Community Plan with an emphasis on want neighbourhoods — not the elites —- want. i Linda Hawes would put forth a greater defence of our local forest industry. @ Ron Vanderiee would bring in a new Official Community Plan and seek to build a multi-use arena/youth/convention centre with money from the ongoing growth in the city's tax base, m@ Gordon Hull would push councillors to Slick to their roots and remember why they were elected. QUOTABLE “I do not seek fieadlines, I do net take any is- sue lightly.’’ — Rich McDaniel. "I'm too young to have ail the answers. But I’m committed to this community and making i: safe for my daughter, I will do whatever it takes to make her proud to live here."’ — Tim Down. © “YT will work harder and smarter for your in- terests — not special interests. '' — Bruce Hill, 'Y believe every citizen needs to know wien there is a major development, We have to find a balance between healthy growth and needs of existing businesses.''— Jim Fraser. “No one will work harder for the City of Ter- race than { will.”’— David Hull, “We can handle it, We'll be damned unhappy bur we éan hanedle it.'’— Val-George on the Prospect of further provincial grant cuts. 4 don’t knaw where our health services are at and neither does the province of B.C. I’m determined we- jiren t going to. lose our ‘specialists, If we have to picket thé parliament buildings we will! — Jack Talstra, “'m going to provide leadership ‘into the 21st ‘century. J won't always be popular. 7 ee Gor- don Hall: =: . page.”’ But Hull suggested the cily effectively ran a deficit — by neglecting it’s infrastructure — ad- ding that from that point of view it’s hard to call some of the past budgets balanced. Hull was booed by some union. members in the crowd when he was probed an. the issue of contracting out. “I don't dispute that (here are some highly ex- perienced peaple on: city” slaff,’’ he said. ‘*But the city should aot be in the business of provid- __ ing services that the public could provide,’ Questioned on the issue of affordable housing, Hull said it was not the city's mandate to loak after that type of social program, ; “The city needs to provide the land for the houses, not provide the housing,” Hull said. Talstra, asked if the city had. been too ac- comodating to business lately, said no. “We wanted to get away from just the forest sector,” he explained, On the issue of the airport takeover and why other communities aren't sharing the burden, Talstra said Kitimat was approached but- was not inlerested. He said the city will likely he forced to play a Would-be councillors game of chicken with province if the Clark government isn’t willing to turn the 250 hec- tares of Crown land over for the airport. “We have to be careful and delicate and get the most we can,"’ Talstra said, ‘‘It’s tricky.” In response to a question from the floor, Hull Said he supports Planned Parenthood coming to town despite the controversy around them. **Parenthood isn’! taken as seriously as it should be,”’ Asked by the media how he’d handle the politics of native land claims, Hull said it was hard to tell without more information on the potential impacts. ‘Just how bad is it going to be?’? he asked. “You need to-read a crystal ball to see that stuff.” Talstra committed to putting a focal commis- sion in charge of drawing up a priority list for community recreation projects. He said that would unite the community be- hind a certain set of projects, enabling the city to move forward to achieve them. He also said he’d push to have a small portion of the capital works budget each year set aside to build a recreation project fund. take on civic issues © QUESTIONS from the Moor focused primarily ol two candidates during last Thursday’s all candidates forum — incumbent David Hull and challenger Bruce Hill. Mare than 120 people came out to the R.EM. Lee Theatre on Nov. 7 for the forum organized by local media outlets, with support from Ter- race Toastinasters. Second sheet of ice Despite the attendance of a number of people carrying bright green ‘‘ARENA NOW’? signs, secand sheet. proponents didn't manage to: ¢x- tract any extraordinary promises fram (he candi- dates. Rich McDaniel said he favoured a proposal similar to the one defeated last year that. in- cluded a youth centre, He stressed the need for communily volunteer power and the will of. locals to doit themselves. “We have to gel out there and want it,”’ McDaniel said, adding to applause of some that he’s nat in favour of privatizing the cxisting arena. ‘'l did it with the ‘skateboard aid I'm only one little guy.” Ron Vanderlee said he’s in favour of a four season recreation. complex with two ice rinks, a youth centre and convention facilities... He maintains it can be financed primarily with the money that will come in-from new develop- ment inthe next few years, estimating a cost of as little as $35 ta’ $40 per year for. each tax- payer. Questioner John Malo demanded to know why council did't begin work on a communily “to do’ list rather than’ allow all the tension to fall back on the second sheet of ice, dividing the community once again. David Hull responded that the decision was made. to explore the idea of a private-public partnership. “T think city council really fumbled the ball on this issue,’' Hill said, adding thal tuming laid over to an Alberta company ‘‘with a 100 per cent failure rate‘and discussing the issue in cantera is just nolacceptable.? Hill charged that the idea of privatizing the existing arena -—- when the land it’s on was be- queathed to Terrace’ by George Litlle — is “an offence’? to the memory of the city’s founder, Some said there’s a need for more of a look at non-active recreation. On the record Incumbents tried to take credit for Terrace’ 's prosperily and flat tax rates. ~ “Successful, growing, desirable. cities ‘do. not — happen by accident,’’ said David Hull. Val George said council has acted asa team together and saved the city more than $500,000. a year by last year’ 8 streambining, of city opera tions. “We've done al this without increasing taxes,'? he added, oS Challenger Linda Hawes. agreed council has” done ‘a prelty good job*' but then proved she'd done her homework by suggesting council-may “have scrimped in some areas inthe provisional budget for next year. She painted toa $37,000. decrease in the city’s slow - removal budget from last year. George said further cuts from the province in municipal grants will make the city ‘unhappy’ but said '‘we can handle iL.” Forests Hawes said council must take a stronger stand in protecting the woods industry. Hill said the key is to diversify further. ‘‘We've got to get more jabs aut of every tree, rather than more Urees out of every job,’’ Hill said, Tim Down said he’s press the province for legislation to ensure timber companies pay their contractors in a timely fashion. Planning Every candidate bowed to the altar of better planning, Bruce Hill said the time bas come for an Offi- cial Community Plan developed in the neigh- bourhocds, “A good councillor uses the collective wis- dom of the. people,’” Hill said. ‘That means openness. That openness can be expressed in a community plan, one decided by the community and not an clite that thinks it knows what’s best for them.”? He said the problem with the last OCP was that council didn’t listen to the neighbours. ‘We need a council that won’t tuck its tail be- tween its legs the first time a developer comes along and wants to apt out of it,”? Hilf said. ‘No secret negotiations. No special deals.” Youth issues Rich McDaniel and David Hull came under fire from proponents of a youth centre, who Suggested the incumbents haven't done enough, McDaniel said he’s proud of his accomplish- ments — spending his own money and lime ear- ly in the term working for a second sheet of ice and now getting support to pul together a skateboard park. “If} didn’t care about the youth of Terrace I wouldn't have done that,’' be said. Linda Hawes noted thal a recent survey found more interest in a youth centre than in a second sheet of ice, Questioner Devon Kuiper quoted a letter from ‘provincial court Judge Ed deWaile. ~“A: youth centre will go a long ways to al- leviating problems and will provide a place to hang oul and become involved in positive ac- tivities,’’ the local judge said, New development Two challengers — Jim Fraser and Bruce Hill — both said the cily needs to be more careful in it’s approach to new development, “The city is composed of more than another set of numbers,’’ said Jim Fraser. ‘'I don’t want to see people coming in, taking money and tak- ing off?" “You have to follow the plan,” said Bruce Hill. “Ifyou don’t want to follow the plan you can go and develop somewhere else,”’ “T want to see quality of development — not just the quantity of development,” The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 13, 1996 - AS A CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD The Mail Bag Gallery missed Dear Sir: I was very disappointed in Sheelagh Meiklem's ‘'At the Library”’ column in the Oct. 30 issue of The Ter- race Standard. She mentioned almost all of the things to do in Ter- face — theatre, restaurants, sports, etc, She neglected to mention. the Terrace. Art Gallery which is right be- low the library, easy to access, We invite tveryone to see a new and exciting show each and every month. It is fun, educational, friendly and free. Our gift shop is also open for your Christmas shopping pleasure. Vi Timmerman, Terrace, B.C, Well water no good Dear Sir: In the mountainous region of B.C., where we still should be able to boast of fairly good water, we are in- stead being served water presently from a decp-well fa- cilily that is worse than terrible. Not only is it causing dry, itchy skin conditions and scummy coatings on utensits and in other appliances and uses, which is common to hard water, it is also use- less in cooking, Many of us have tried to compensate the issue by using filter systems, which have made no difference, The properties or chemicals in this water have the ability to remove the aroma, and taste of coffee, tea and other beverages, so that basically one is drinking hot liquid. When cooking vegetables, there is a greatly or total lack of aroma and flavour of the vegetable being cooked, Yeast will not activate in this water. Instead, yeast granules, congealing into litle globules, not rising, and with no smell of yeast working. A type of bullet-like, no taste, bread product results. If citizens of Terrace are forced to buy bottled water (devoid of nutrients) t9 make beverages to cook and to bake, that is disgraceful and unacceptable. The citizens shouid not have to pay for that kind of water, The only complaints, previously heard about Terrace water, was the chlorine content and temporary or sporadic times of colouration and sometimes sediment, due mostly to larger precipitations and run off condi- tions. Chlorine is more of a safety ingredient for in and out of the water itself and chlorine (gas) evaporates readily if left to sit out for short periods in refrigeration or heated to boiling point. There is na problem, except if people voluntarily and self-choose not to take time to evaporate the chlorine, Previously, we could make a good cup of beverage, cook and bake, and bathe with satisfaction. The city officials must do something better with the water supply. The citizens deserve better and should not have to accept the error and catastrophe of the pres- ent city water. Edna Jensen, Terrace, B.C, Recycling needed Dear Sin We need a recycling depot in Terrace so we don’ t wasle and pollute the environment. I was wondering if the whole community could get together and make one. Our school has gone around from house to house and collected lots and lots of newspapers so all we need is a recycling depot. The correctional centre has also volunteered to help make a recycling depot. All we need is your approval. May we please have your approval, Grant McKenzie, Terrace, B,C. Don’t burn garbage Dear Sir: I think you should start a recycling depot. It smells bad when they bum garbage al the dump. So I think they should make a recycling post. We Should Jet the correctional center run it. ] think it will work good. Lats of people need to recycle stuff, Brandon Andre, Terrace, B.C, Watch those dogs Dear Siri It seems there is a resurgence of folks getling a new dog as a faithful family companion. In my opinion there is no better choice aud | am glad to see anyone enthusiastic about acquiring a new pooch, Unfortunalely there are many who think getting a new pup means a trip to the mall on Saturday morning and having a puppy and all the trimmings in their home by lunch time. Others seck the classified ads to find a purebred and unfortunately can run into commercial breeders who strictly breed for cash purposes. This | where my con- cem becomes real. If someone is looking fora dog strictly as a pet they should first consider the SPCA.. These dogs arc literally dying for a new home and a loving family, If just the right one is not available, he SPCA will gladly put your name on a waiting list till your right one comes along. Others who may wish a purebred should take the time to contact the CKC (Canadian Kennel Club, estab- lished back in 1888, now having a membership over 25,000), They will put you in touch with a breed club who will be happy to give you the names of numerous reputable breeders that will provide healthy, happy dogs, They will also take the time to explain the difference be- tween pet. pups and show hopefuls, steering you in the direction you intend to go, Believe it or not, these options are most often cheaper than the other routes and will provide you with a much better, healthier dog, Commercial breeders and stores treating dogs as a cash crop truly should be avoided at all costs, they can lead back to disgusting puppy mills. In the USA alone there are an estimated 50,000 pups a year pushed out to unsuspecting customers with no concern for the animals health or weil being, When people buy a new car of appliance they usually tesearch the product. Even more so, a dog [s a living being and should be approached with care and thought, Educate yourself first. . Dan in Harrls, Prince Rupert, B.C,