A4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 22, 1999

TERRACE.

STANDARD

ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988

PUBLISHER: ROD LINK
t ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Strect Terrace, B.C. * V8G 5R2
TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 ¢ FAX: (250) 638-8432
EMAIL: standard®kermode.net

Means test

MULTIPLEX SUPPORTERS must have re-
membered that watch commercial from years ago
~ it takes a licking, but keeps on ticking.

Given that the project was passed in Terrace,
they’re now seizing on this as a source of com-
fort that there is some hope their vision will one
day become a reality.

Specifically, they say they have the approval of
Terrace taxpayers to borrow the majority of the
$7.6 million they had requested in the November
referendum. Based on what would have been a
70/30 cost split with Thornhill and the rural area,
had the latter also voted ‘yes’, that amount is ap-
proximately $5.3 million.

This leaves about $2.3 million to raise from
other sources, a daunting proposition given the
overall cautious state of the economy.

The irony is that multiplex supporters would
have found themselves in much the same situa-
tion even if Thornhill and the rural area voted
“yes” because of promises made during the cam-
paign to raise as much money as possible to re-
duce the overall debt from borrowing. Only this
time, there is a definite target ~ the shortfall stem-
ming from the Thornhill and rural area ‘no’ vote.

In some ways this revives a proposition made
by city councillor David Hull in the fall, before
the amount to be borrowed was set. He suggested
there be a cap on the borrowing, perhaps $6 mil-
lion, in order to demonstrate to skeptical Thorn-
hill and rural voters that there would be other
sources found to round out the multiplex cost.

If this idea needs a name, call it the “Thornhill
means test”. Who knows. Had it been adopted,
the referendum result in Thornhill and the rural

, area might very well béen different.

To undertake this means. test. now, and.-then::

persuade Thornhill and the rural area to buy in, is
going to be more expensive.

Our wish

CHRISTMAS COMES far too fast each year,
leaving very little time for people to stop, take a
breath and enjoy the season.

To be sure, there is the annual routine of par-
ties, meals, concerts, gift-buying and gift-giving
and the like, but it’s almost as if we’re all on au-
to-pilot.

So that’s why it’s important to seize on the new
and different things that make the season. It may
be a card or phone call from someone with
whom you may have lost touch as the years went
on. Or it may be realizing the beauty of the north-
west when the clouds rise and the snow-capped
mountain tops are visible.

One new sight this year are the lights and nativ-
ity scene on the old Evangelical Free Church on
the corner of Park and Sparks, now the home of
the Stepping Stone Clubhouse.

Whatever it is, our wish is a Merry Christmas
to ail,

PUBLISHER /EDITOR: Rod Link
ADVERTISING MANAGER: Brian Lindenbach
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur

NEWS Ictf Nagel * NEWS/SPORTS: Christiana Wiens

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ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS:

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SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL:
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but cannot diy
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Sons.

Social engineers not needed.

VICTORIA — Maybe it's just
that I'm getting older and not
necessarily wiser, but I have
the distinct impression the
zeal with which the corps of
cultural and social engineers
that tinkers ad ubsurdum et
fauseam with or society has at
last crossed the threshold of
the ridiculous and invaded the
sphere of the sublime.

In Quebec, gay clubs,
claiming protection under the
Charter of Rights and citing
social needs, battle before the
courts for the right of male
dancers to perform lewd acts.

Female dancers have won
that battle long ago in various
jurisdictions. Some Canadian
schools have outlawed nativity
displays and Christmas con-
certs in deference to the sensi-
tivities of adherents to other

festivals instead!
Canada's —
smelled that trend long ago,
all but banning the word
Christmas from their advertis-
ing, luring the multi-culturally
conditioned masses to cele-
brate the “Holiday Season”.
Meanwhile in England, a
gay couple won the right to
have a child, have, not just
adopt. And since nature, so
far, refuses to co-operate, the
two men had their sperm

"religions, opting for. Solstice . the social engineets' tryihg’ to”

“tmbue" us all with the’ wonders
merchants © :

FROM THE CAPITAL -
HUBERT BEYER

mixed and shipped to the U.S.,
where a rented wamb is to
carry and bear the child. One
can only hope that everyone
will live happily ever after.

In Canada, religion, speci-
fically Christianity with its
allegedly outmoded moral
concepts keeps tripping up

of their new morality,

The B.C. College of Tea-
chers, charged with profes-
sional certification of teaching
programs, has blocked the ac-
creditation of the Trinity
Western University's bachelor:
of education program.

The reason: the Langley-
based university's
“community standards” in-
clude a ban on “sexual sins,
including viewing pornogra-

phy, premarital sex, adultery
and homosexual behaviour.”

In addition, dancing is not
permitted on campus. Drink-
ing, smoking and other com-
mon vices are also banned by
Western Trinity's community
standards.

A letter to students says,
“this is not UIG — University of
Instant Gratification.” Two
B.C, courts have instructed the
teachers' callege to accredit
Trinity's program, stating that
accreditation should be based
solely on academic grounds.
Unwilling to accept the courts’.
decisions, the college has ap-
pealed to the Supreme Court
of British Columbia, which has
agreed to hear the appeal.

The teachers’ college won't
have an easy time of it in su-
preme court because Trinity

* Western -hasvreceived:iunex-!:
"pected support from the Catho-
“‘lic'church, several organiza-

tions of which have agreed to
join Trinity in the fight.

“The case has dire implica-
tions for religious freedom,”
says Thomas Langan, presi-
dent of the Catholic Civil
Rights League. I say it does.
Churches in this country have
a long way to go to get or re-
tain the same rights as male or
female strippers.

Doug Smart, registrar of the

B.C. College of Teachers, says
the college has the responsibil~
ity to scrutinize ‘Trinity's - -va-'
Ines, not just its. academic
standards. Well said, by.
George. Can't have teachers i in,
our education system who were:
brainwashed into believing that:
pornography isn't part of our
value system. Next thing you!
know, we'll have teachers.
sneaking in the back door who.
still believe that marriage:
(between man and woman) is
still a viable institution.

Smart also says Trinity
Western discriminates against
homosexuals. Trinity says it
doesn't. Homosexuals are wel-
come, as long as they abide by.
the university's standards.

Perhaps, just perhaps, the
forces of social engineering
will get the setback in the su-
-preme: court they? 8o richly :de-

‘Serve and we can chalk one up

for common sense, ‘a principle
that has languished on the slag
heap for too long.

And maybe some day, in a
country that is nominally 85-
per-cent Christian, we can
again celebrate Christmas
without having to apologize to
the 15 per cent who aren't.

Beyer can be reached at: e-
mail hubert@coalcom.com
Tel (250) 381-6900 Web
Attp:/iwww.hubertbeyer.com

Learn to say ‘No’ a whole lot

QUEBEC TELEMARKE-
TERS are the third worst
fraud after foreign lotteries
and pyramid schemes, ac-
cording to a news report.
Especially so at Christmas,
when everyone feels more
generous or their defences are
lower.

Too bad we can’t be in-
oculated against telemarketers .
the same as we can against
winter flu.

Telemarketers, though,
give me a chance to practice
saying ‘No’. Firmly.

Unlike today’s six-year-
olds who are street-proofed
in grade one to scream ‘No’
whenever someone or a si-
tuation makes them feel un-
comfortable or unsafe, I be-
long to an older generation
brought up to be polite no
matter wirat.

That makes it difficult for
me lo refuse even telemarke-
ters. But by practising on
their suppertime calls, I'm
gradually stiffening my back-
bone.

THROUGH BIFOCALS:
CLAUDETTE SANDECKI

To help me along, 1 have
settled on a few guidelines.
First, | keep a short list of
those charities I’m willing to
support regularly. f guard my
list the way a bank safe-
guards the combination to its

“vault. To let slip my list

would lose my advantage and
resolve.

So unless the phone call is
;from a short-listed group I
know, I swiftly say ‘No,
;thank you’ and drop the re-
ceiver in its cradle before I’m

tempted to listen and risk
more persuasive talk.

Another guideline is ta de- |
termine quickly the nature of
the call and whether it's a
waste of my time and theirs,
Calls such as from Dun and
Bradstreet. ] laugh when they
phone, Whit possible interest
could my two-person shop
have for one of Canada’s lar-
gest financial institutions?

But, you say, don’t I risk
cutting off a caller E truly
would want to deal with?
Sure. But if 1 do, chances are
that person will call again.

If uncertain about a caller,
whether their solicitation de-
serves support of not, I ask
for a phone number I can call
back after checking.

If they won’t — or can’t —
give me a number to call, I
conclude their legitimacy may
be questionable. Saying ‘No’
to them doesn’t hurt a bit.

No matter the time of year,
I feel guilty rejecting even a
telemarketer. Gradually,

though, saying ‘No’ is be-
coming easier and bothers me
less,

My shortlist helps the
most. But it becomes fuzzy
when an enthusiastic friendly
voice says, “Hello, Claudette,
this is Bill.” Or Dave. Or

‘Harry. My mind reels trying

to recall the voice. | know
anyone can find my first name
instantly in any phone or city —
directory.

My third guideline dismis-
ses calls from groups who
print booklets, whether they’re
activity booklets for kids
handed out in doctors office or
hospital waiting rooms, or
brochures of events to take
place at. provincial sports
meets. With them, I’m certain,
most of every donation goes
to the printer; very little sup-
ports the athletes attending the
meet.

So telemarketers, take note.‘
If you're not on my short list,’
don’t expect a ‘Yes’ from me.

THIS 1S THE FRIGGIN’ \ 4-27) WELL, THE MODEL PREDICTS

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