A4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 9, 1994 STANDARD ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988 ADDRESS: 4647 Lazelle Avc., Terrace, B.C. * V8G 188 TELEPHONE: (604) 638-7283 * FAX: (604) 638-8432 MODEM: 638-7247 Where’s CORE HOW CLOSE are we to the day when the hired hands of CORE rumble into town? CORE is short for the Commission on Resources and En- vironment, a provincial government body dedi- cated to figuring out how land should be used and who gets to use the resources on the Jand. CORE’s been through Vancouver Island, is in the Kootenays and just lately, was in the Cariboo. Not all of these experiences have been healthy. CORE’s recommendations — particu- larly those that affect the forest industry — have been heavily criticized in wood-dependent towns, CORE commissioner Stephen Owen, for instance, was greeted by a hangman’s noose this past summer during an appearance in the Cariboo. Those more suspicious about the provincial government’s agenda think that CORE reports are used to draw out all opposition to land use planning. Once that happens, provincial govern- ment smoothies move in and strike a com- promise deal based on CORE’s recommenda- tions. What’s interesting about any kind of CORE movement into the northwest is that there are al- ready mini-CORE’s at work. The Thunderbird area south of the airport-has already been exam- ined by relevant resource users to a satisfactory conclusion. Resource users going through the same type of process in the South Kalum area taking in the forested and watershed areas sur- rounding Terrace down to Kitimat. The key to these mini-CORE’s is that local people are involved. There’s been no outside fa- cilitator (a horrible word at the best of times) and no jarge scale setting up of choreographed bureaucratic settings for discussions. One sticking point of CORE is the provincial goal of setting aside 12 per cent of the province’s Jand mass as park status, The northwest already exceeds that figure. All in all, we wonder if CORE is really needed in the northwest. If nothing is broke, why fix it? Then again all resource users in the northwest know that ultimate land use decisions rest on land claims settlements. And that’s a matter out- side of CORE’s mandate. Nov. 11 THIS NOV. 11 may very well be the most im- portant Remembrance Day in decades, It falls in the middle of two significant events of the Sec- ond World War — the 50th anniversary of the Normandy invasion in 1944 which set in motion the events that lead to the end of the war and the 50th anniversary of the end itself in May 1945. There were large scale events this past June in recognition of Normandy and _ significant ceremonies are slated for all of next year. That’s why it’s appropriate to spend a few extra minutes this Nov. 11 reflecting upon its mean- ing. Sooner or later all of those involved in this century’s world wars and in Korea will no longer be with us. It will then be up to the rest of us to ensure that the memories of what happened and what resulted survive for those who follow. =) SONA'S) PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rou Link ADVERTISING MANAGER: Mike L. Hamm PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur NEWS COMMUNITY: Jelf Nagel * NEWS SPORTS: Malcolm Baxter OFFICE MANAGER: Rose Fisher ’ DARKROOM: Susan Credgeur ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: Sam Collier, Janet Viveiros, CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR: Charlene Matthews Serving the Terrata area, Published on Wednesday cf each week by Cariboo Press (1958) Lid, at 46d) Lazelle Ave., Tertace, British Columbia, ; : oe oe Storles, photographs, Illustrations, designs and lypestyles in the Teiraca Standard ave Ihe praperty of the copyright hakders, including Caribco Press (1969) Lid. #'s jliustralion repro services and adveriising agencies. J : . . Ss ao Repioduelion in whole af In part, without wrilen parmission, 's specifically prohibiled.. .- - Authorized as second-class mail pending the Post Office Deparimenl, for paymenl of pastage Incash, Speclal thanks to all. our contributors and correspondents ’ for thetr time and talents gomine try a recreate + iy LON feta, <<" inal rs fei nie oot fdguesa cae tk PTO FP eT Seog ras: OPEL LEE LS are a create rig Sella amar. reat rrr bre Lire ’ ——SS=e wav amrg eee cree Corre ee ol ¢ocmmee WS Hee Cit TAKE USTO YOUR -SOCIAC WELFARE. CBE te) ised todo, YG bi} More trouble for NDP? YICTORIA — Like church and state, the partisan activities of political bodies are to be strictly separated from the pub- lic purse. Example: In British Colum- bia, each MLA gets a set amount of money from the government of the day, the tax- payers, that is, to operate a constiluency office. That money is to be used to serve constituents, not, for instance, help finance the MLA’s clec- tion campaigns. That’s the theory. In practice, the lines may not be drawn that sharply. The Liberal opposi- tion has just released docu- ments that raise a number of, questions regarding the proper use of taxpayers’ money for the operation of constituency offices. “Public funds funnetled into NDP coffers,” says the press release. ‘Tax dollars expressly earmarked for the operation of non-partisan MLA con- Slituency offices found their way into the Victoria Com- monweallh Society and the Victoria NDP party office,’’ it goes on to say. The allegations centre on the fact that the Victoria Com- monwealth Society, a fund- raising arm of the Victoria HUBERT BEYER NDP, for years owned the building which was used by asa conslituency office, De Jong says and documents show that the two MLAs, Robin Blencoe and Gordon Hanson (no longer an MLA), paid rent to the society which, in tum, used the money for political activities, Keep in mind that the money for the rent comes from the govern- ment, in other words, the tax- payer. There are some other inter- esting nuggets in the docu- ments de Jong released. In 1991, for instance, the Victoria Commonwealth Society re- corded a “‘rebate’’ to Blencoe the, two, Victoria .NDP. MLAs|. - Nanaimo and Hanson of $11,181.62. No explanation is given for the rebate, but it is interesting to note that 1991 was an elec- tion year. The question arises whether the rebate was used for Blencoe’s and Hanson’s election campaign. Another peculiar entry oc- curs in the socicty’s financial Statement for November 1988. During the preceding years, the monthly rent paid by the two NDP MLAs to the society ranged from $2,160 a month to $2,200 a month. Then, out of the blue, the rent jumped to $5,173 in No- vember 1988. That was the month a federal. election took place. And in his campaign iit- erature, Johti Brewin, the in- cumbent NDP MP for Victoria, lists as his campaign head- quarters the same office Blen- coc and Hanson were using as their constituency office — the building owned by the Victoria Commonwealth Socicty, These latest allegations come close on the heels of the Commonwealth Holding Society scandal. That socicty, also an NDP fund- raising arm, has been found guilty of stecling money from charilies. Slowly caving in to pressure from the opposition and the - media to deal with that scandal in more detail, Premier Har- . court recently ordered a foren- _ sic audit into the operations of the Nanaimo society. But the opposition continues to demand a full public in- quiry, where witnesses can be - ordered to appear and ques- tioned under oath. , The latest allegations lend further weight to the Liberals’ demand, The documents de Jong released raise enough questions to suspect that .the Nanaimo Commonwealth Holding Society wasn’t the ex- ception when it comes to questionable financial prac- lices, be that skimming money off charities or using tax- . payers’ money for partisan ac-. |.” tivities, Both the opposition and _the- media will keep up the pres- sure for a public inquiry, and” Harcourt would be — weil- advised to give in to that pres- sure sooner than later. _ The issue will stick with him right up to election time and‘ could cost him dearly. If, on the other hand, he orders an in- quiry now, the bad publicity arising from it may have been forgotten by the time he calls an election. Candy is just jim dandy UNTIL HALLOWE?’EN last week, I had trick-or-treated only ounce in my life, the year I was three years ald. Mom went along with me and my older brother Roa. At the time we lived on a new strect hacked out of suburban bush of Tim- niins, Ontario, -T wore Mom’s cotton clothes pin bag tied about my waist as a stash for my haul. After visil- ing our half dozen neighbours the bag and I sagged under the weight of apples, oranges, peanuts in the shell and molasses kisses. When we got home, Mom dumped our haul in the middle of her bedspread and sorted fresh fruits from candy for the sake of tidincss, Now parents check. everything with a mag- nifying glass and metal detec- tor, throwing out anything not individually’ wrapped — in vacuum-sealed packaging. Our kids never went irick-or- treating either, For their first seven or eight years we lived OH No! MORE ECo-FREAKS! CLAUDETTE SANDECKI in the country a mile from our ficarest neighbour, 16 miles from the next. Later, when we moved inlo Terrace, we bought a-candy assortment for them and Kept them home safe from traffic and other twisted adults, Today trick-or-treating often resembles bank heists by the Stop Watch Gang, Parents bus van loads of kids to strange neighbourhoods, the door slides open and alicts pour out to present themselves on the stoops of complete strangers. In seconds they've stuffed their bags and stream back to the van to move on to the next address. Panhandling has more class. So when I was invited to go along last Monday night, 1 fig- ured the experience would at least be research for a column. My mission was to make sure neither grandchild fell down unfamiliar porch steps. Later I became their garburclor for any treats they didn't favour. I discovered the event has its own protocol like Order of Canada awards. First, don’t start too carly. People need time to get home from work and throw their goodics into one large pan for quick doling out while winds swoop in boosting the sales of nalural gas and propane, Go only to houses well lit. Jack-o-lantems are signs of welcome as are open gates and NOPE! WEMARCHED\ Aj pl You ee ae eae ol] Stop CLEAR Concing-. V/ GUYS SAVED § UP THIS TIME ? TRAPPING é ! ? HUNTING 2WOLF CONTROL 2/ | IN THE RAGGED RANGE,A MY TRAPLINE § no dogs. Treals come in two main sizes — snack-sized packages or bite-sized. The smaller treats are dispensed by the handful. Costumes, of course, are de rigeur, vision — limiting masks are passé, replaced by washable makeup. In my view, ideal costumes fit over wool toques, quilted jackets, and fleece pants, By the time we had visited nine neighbours our hands were cold. It was dark, dark, and the kids’ cotton bags were weighted. Inspired by people’s easy gencrosity, the older child was keen to keep gaing. But the younger one waited only to go. home and sample her goodies. I backed the little one with my weighted vote. Would I go trick-or-treating again? Maybe, But how much research do I really nced? The calories could kill me, WHEN IS AGREENIE NOT AN ECO-FREAK ? WHEN HE AGREES With youl On