A4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 25, 1994 TERRACE. STANDARD ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988 ADDRESS: 4647 Lazelle Ave., Terrace, B.C. * V8G 188 TELEPHONE: (604) 638-7283 * FAX: (604) 638-8432 MODEM: 638-7247 Too secret SECRECY IS a seductive tool. Those who prac~ tice the dark arts love secrets. It sets them apart from the raucous rabble, creating a coterie of high priests (and priestesses). Such is the case and such is the theme of many northwest municipalities when it comes to the negotiations surrounding the Nisga’a land claim. They are quite right in their criticism as lack of _ knowledge breeds fear and suspicion. So it was quite surprising to discover that a municipal get together last week sponsored by local governments and the Union of B.C. Municipalities on land claims was conducted be- hind closed doors. Jeepers. Here we have a group criticizing another group for doing things in pri- vate only to turn around and have their own, closed off session. Those negotiating the Nisga’a claim just might be able to marshall an argument for keeping things hush-hush. They are, after all, negotiating on issues never before touched upon. But last week’s municipal meeting was billed as one where information could be exchanged on the possible effects on municipalities of claims settlements. From that municipalities could begin to draw up areas of interest to present to federal and provincial governments. So what is so terribly important that it has to remain behind closed doors? The federal and provincial governments had their own people at the session so worries about tipping them off to municipal positions can’t be a reason. Up here, the closest elected representatives to the gerieral population are those who run the municipalities. For those people to cut them- selves off from the public on the matter of land claims..is..a step..backward, not to,.mention. un- democratic. re Blacktop plan ALTHOUGH IT’S taken two years for the intent of the last referendum — the one authorizing borrowing for the library expansion — to come to pass, the delay shouldn’t put people off think- ing about another one. This time, the referendum would seek approval to establish and finance a set program for the replacement of the city’s streets. The idea first surfaced in late 1991 and early 1992, only to be buried because of cost. It was raised again earlier this year by Rich McDaniel, one of the rookie councillors elected last Novem- ber. The idea has merits. Instead of having paving projects subject to the whim of the yearly budget making process, there would be a defined plan ensuring that every street of the city would be covered within a set time period. Mr. McDaniel’s idea for a 20-year program with an annual $1 million price tag sounds like a massive amount of money. And it is, but consid- ering that $1 million will result in 3km a year of road reconstruction, it is rather modest. Nobody likes paying higher taxes. Yet the state of the city’s roads are deplorable and they hardly fit the image of a city positioning itself to be the northwest’s economic leader. } SONA PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rod Link ADVERTISING MANAGER: Mike L. Hamm PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur NEWS COMMUNITY: Jeff Nagel * NEWS SPORTS: Malcotm Baxter OFFICE MANAGER: Rose Fisher DARKROOM: Susan Credgeur ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: Sam Collier, Janct Viveiros, Howie Oram CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR: Charlene Malthews Serving the Tetrace area. Published on Wednesday of each weak by Cariboo Press (1869) Ltd. at 484) Lazetle Ave,, Terrace, British Columbia. Stories, photographs, lustrations, designs and typestyles in Ihe Terrace Standard ars the property of the copyright hoklers, Including Cariboo Press (1969) Ltd. it's Wlustration fepra services and advertising ncles. Paprocudian in whale or in parl, wahoul writen permission, is specically prohibited. Authorized as Sacond-dass mail pending the Post Offica Cepartment, for payment af postage incash Special thanks to all our contributors and correspondents for thelr time and talents CONTA La Hs Yi fmm : “TYE TROUBLE Zé — WITH MASSACRES {5, THEY GIVE WAR A BAD NAME °... TA 7 Child safety starts with us VICTORIA — It took the violent death of a five-year-old bay at the hands of his mother to get the social services minis- try to realize that the system that is to protect children has been failing them miserably. Little Matthew Vaudreuil was killed by his mother on July 8, 1992, As the court was told later, she had been in the habil of subduing the child by plac- ing her hand over his mouth and nose. She did that once time too often, killing him. Last month, Verna Vaudreuil was found guilty of mans- laughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison. It is difficult to imagine what this little boy had gone through _..,in his short life. He knew noth- ing but neglect and abuse. In all, the ministry received 26 reports of concern for Mat- thew’s well-being. We are told that the child was seen a total of 48 times by various medical personnel. Only two reported their con- cems about “inappropriate parenting" to the ministry. in Match, the ministry began an internal review of the case to find out what had gone wrong. That review culminated in a report, tabled in the legis- lature by social services minis- “FROM THE. CAPITAL HUBERT BEYER ter Joy MacPhail. The report says that only 17 of the. 26 reports by people who were concemed about Matthew's safety were ade- quately followed up, and three were partially responded to. Six reports were not followed up. Ministry personnel did some soul-searching and came up with a number of reasons why the sysiem failed Matthew. Heavy workloads, the report says, “limited the ability of staff to adequately assess and monitor the family’s situation." Good God. What does it take for the ministry to take a child out of an abusive home, if 26 reports, two from doctors, isn’t enough. The claim of not hav- . the,one that would have. sayed hell that was his home. - announced a ing had the opportunity to ade- quately assess the family also tings hollow, considering the wide array of help the ministry administered to Malthew’s mother. Those services included teg- ular and special-needs day car, homemakers, visits from social workers, temporary out-of- home care, infant development therapy, life skills training, child care assistance, parenting education, pre-school, and Public Health nutse home visils. In light of the level of con- cern expressed over little Mat- thew’s safety, the only service the ministry didn’t provide was his: life ‘-- get him out"of the To the MacPhail’s credit, she number of measures that will hopefully prevent what happened to Mat- thew. The minister told the legisla- ture that the government will be establishing, by legislation, an independent advocate for British Columbia’s children. It’s an idea promoted by suc- cessive ombudsmen for nearly a decads. MacPhail also said the government will re-establish the provincial child abuse response team that was dis- banded 11 years ago. Remem- ber restraint? I said at that lime that someday, a child will die because the child abuse response team was scrapped. - That prediction, tragically, came true on July 8, 1992, ‘when Matthew was killed by his mother. To provide for casier report- ing of child abuse and give ministry staff new tools to deal with child abuse, the govern- ment will replace the outdated 1981 Family and Child service — Act with new laws. The opposition immediately’ commended the minister for ~ her action, Thank God there, “are some things all sides of the” FOS ee at agice “on” legislature’ ‘can without irying to make polili- cal points, But when all is said and done, the government can’t do it alone; no matter how many social workers are thrown into the breaches, in the final analy- sis it's up to each of us to look out for the safety of children. And that means reporting child abuse, We’re all our chii- dren’s keepers, In Matihew’s case, 26 citizens lived up to that responsibility. It was the system that caused him to die... Life can be very irritating SELECTING Atopic is the hardest part of writing a week- ly column. A topic should be timely, controversial, research able in a minimum of business hours and long distance phone calls. Gene Perret, a Hollywood writer who has crealed comedy routines for Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller, advises, ‘Write about what irritates you.”” But so much irritates me, far from narrowing my choices Perrel’s advice uncovers a panorama of topics like wrist watches hanging from Red Skelton’s coat lining. I'm irritated when I read that Rosswood residents must pick up their mail from boxes just outside of Terrace on Kalum Lake Drive... though a Canada Post van bound for the Nass drives past their door every day. Don’t tell me the van lacks space for Rosswood’s mail, Vans come in all sizes. Rosswood {s some 22km yer! ony 47, 900 \ 4 FOR THIS BABY AND ITGETS 36 MILES To THE GALLON | THROUGH BIFOCALS CLAUDETTE SANDECKI from Terrace. How many miles is it from the Kalum Lake Drive boxes? Twenly? Besides the inconvenience, what are the risks of trusting their mail io unsupervised roadside boxes? If they have to drive to Terrace’s cily limits, they might as well leave their mail in the main post office where it’s at least secure, I'm irritated when I learn the permitted a five-year old to be abused to death by his mother despite dozens of waming phone calis over many months from relatives and neighbours concemed abut his physical wellbeing. Social Services’ excuses of poor communications and overworked staff don’t wash. Social services must do better. Under our law, they alone can step into abusive or neglectful family situations to rescue kids. Anyone else who inter- teres on the youngster’s behalf risks at the very least a broken jaw, at the most kidnapping or trespassing charges. Vm irritated when a 17-year- old drag races at speeds up to 80km along Lakelse Avenue, seriously injures three innocent citizens, yet court hits him with only 18 months probation, a $1000 finc, 100 hous of community work, and a two year driver’s licence suspen- social services ministry sion. How COME YoU WELL, MAINLY STILL DRIVE THAT BECAUSE. IT ONLY OLD GAS GUZZLER COST F600. lt @p.tagunaar ’ “re With our shortage of proba- tion officers he'll probably ramble at will, Dad will pay’ his fine, and his community service will amount to an hour or two of stabbing litter. No doubl he’s already resumed driving, Who can tell? We. aren't allowed to know-who he is. Poor baby must be pro- tected. His victims were seriously hurt. He should fecl some per- ~~ sonal discomfort, too. Singapore caning might. smarten him up. Vm irritated when I hear rumors that another drag tacing incident has claimed the life of two people in a third vehicle, I’m more irritated that it happened on a road my daughter drives daily to work. I'm irritated with stores that sell toys or cigaretle lighters. resembling guns; I’m irritated by people who buy replicas, I've been too irrilatcd to select a topic this week, JitoiCH GvES ME 8/7, 300 LEFT ovEg FOR GAS /!